Which universities have gift-officer training programs?

Q. Do you know of any universities with gift-officer training programs?

A. You can find several sources of training for this job, which is generally a more senior-level job within university development.

Several universities and colleges offer classes in major gifts as a part of the curriculum for a certificate or degree in fund raising or nonprofit management. Roseanne Mirabella, a researcher at Seton Hall University, compiled a list of universities that offer these degrees, as well as a description of classes provided. Some institutions offering classes in raising big gifts are Columbia University, in New York; Indiana University, in Indianapolis; New York University; Rollins College, in Winter Park, Fla.; and the University of Utah, in Salt Lake City.

Universities and colleges offering in-house training for their staff members include Stanford University, in California, and the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia.

Carol L. Sisk, director of learning and performance at the Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center at Stanford, developed a two-day training course in partnership with the Advantage Performance Group, of Larkspur, Calif., for fund raisers at the university who are interested in seeking large gifts. Instead of a lecture, the training is completed in small groups of three to five people. Senior staff members at Stanford lead the course, as opposed to external consultants.

“Everybody comes to the table with their own knowledge and experience,” says Ms. Sisk. “This is a good way to have everybody engaged and sharing knowledge and information with each other.”

If the college at which you’re employed doesn’t offer training, there are further alternatives. Both Michael Mattson, executive director of development in the Office of Gift Planning at Syracuse University, in New York, and Gina DeSalvo, associate director of the Fund for Arts, Sciences & Engineering at Tufts University, in Boston, praise the CASE Summer Institute for Educational Fundraising, held at Dartmouth College, in Hanover, N.H.

“That’s a good basic class for advancement, for alumni relations, annual fund, some major gifts, and some gift planning,” says Mr. Mattson. Ask your employer if it will pay for some or all of the cost of attending this type of outside conference.

If you’re unable to attend a conference, or your college doesn’t offer training, don’t fret: If you have co-workers, you have learning opportunities.

“Try to find a mentor in the school that you’re at,” says Ms. DeSalvo. “And try to learn from them, and listen to how they close their deals, how they make a cold call, how they initiate conversations. I think those are some of your best teachers, because you’re with them day in and day out.”