New ways colleges target rich alumni

By Melanie Hicken. Targeting alumni for donations is big business for colleges and universities -- and schools are getting more savvy with their tactics. Called "prospect research," the practice of targeting wealthy alumni is not new. But the tools are getting better: complex data models using massive databases that store everything from wealth and income to class reunion attendance. Schools can now predict how likely a student's parent or diehard university sports fan is to open their wallet. They can analyze whether a fraternity member tends to be more generous than those who ditched the Greek scene. More...