"There is this wide belief that the Harvard College Fund goes through and picks people, but that is not true," Locker says.
The special solicitation and reward of large donors is common practice among universities in general and Harvard in particular.
"That's how Harvard sustains itself anyway--through large sums of money given by people who have it," says Dana P. Bennett '99, a solicitor in Leverett House.
Harvard is starting a bit early--before most donors could be expected to make money in their own right--but so far it doesn't seem to have ruffled many feathers.
"Identifying individuals who might make larger contributions is an important and necessary part of any fundraising campaign," Schneider says.
"Ultimately, every senior gift volunteer is working toward the same goal," she adds.