Habitat has also been working harder to cultivate corporate donors, which are increasingly looking for ways to get their employees involved in volunteer work.

But Mr. Lichtenstein had a superb touch for cultivating wealthy donors and board members.

"You have to spend money to make money, and if you don't cultivate new donors, you die," he said.

Most universities try to cultivate donors of smaller gifts soon after they graduate because it is hard to predict who will be successful later on.

At the same time, the Democratic Party must take advantage of the opportunity to cultivate small donors over the next four years.

Q. How do you go about cultivating major donors?

He recalled that the budget included more money to cultivate donors but said he did not know what specifically was being done.

The hope is to cultivate donors in the president's circle into legacy givers who will include the Lighthouse in estate plans.

Last year, the organization tested a program to cultivate individual donors, called One Campaign, in 19 clubs.

The chancellor is also beefing up the university's central development office and encouraging all the presidents to cultivate donors.