Be sure to tell donors exactly what you will do with their money.

Finally, the Red Cross will formally tell donors when it has raised enough money to address a particular disaster.

Ms. Christen said some people at the foundation were wary about telling donors that money was being spent overseas.

"We put together a target donor list and a conservation plan, telling donors how they would benefit in tax savings as well as cleaner air."

Early on, he told donors that their money would help counteract negative images of Americans abroad.

"The instruments undoubtedly will be part of the story we tell potential donors," he said.

"I'm loosening up," he often tells donors at fund-raising events.

The head of the alumni fund-raising group is telling donors not to give.

But he told donors in an e-mail on Sunday that the religious leaders' endorsement had given his campaign "a shot in the arm."

Be sure to tell prospective donors about new tax regulations that make giving more attractive financially.