RICHMOND -- It's all about money.

Finding it, spending it and doing without it.

The problem is, no one seems to know how much of it we're talking about.

"We're working with a moving number," Radford University President Penelope Kyle told Radford's board of visitors Wednesday.

The board is meeting in Richmond to make the university's case to state lawmakers.

The number that's moving is how much Radford's budget will be cut in the coming fiscal year. Gov. Tim Kaine has recommended a 15 percent cut, a little more than $7.5 million. But there is another economic forecast on the way and no one expects it to be brighter than the one the governor used to craft his budget. And the General Assembly has not taken its cut at the budget yet.

Nevertheless, the board of visitors approved some changes -- consolidation of programs and departments, the suspension of one major -- that will save some money.

Last week, Provost Wil Stanton talked about saving more with fewer adjunct faculty, fewer concentrations within majors, fewer elective classes, open jobs left unfilled and the possibility of some majors being cut. But Stanton did not offer many details.

Kyle said details would not be announced until the General Assembly session has ended and the size of the university's budget cuts is clear.

Until then, Kyle said, administrators will be "loosely working toward" absorbing the governor's recommended cut. And the university will be trying to raise some money on its own.

Cathy Greenberg, vice president for university advancement, is leading the largest group of fundraisers Radford has ever had -- six, counting her. One of those is dedicated to raising money for athletics. Another got a bonus from the Radford University Foundation because she raised more than $1 million in one year. Greenberg's group is running ahead of last year's fundraising pace, but halfway through the year, they had raised about 47 percent of their goal of $2.9 million.

"We're still optimistic," Greenberg said. "We think we can hit goal." That may be easier now that Albert Mah, currently manager of advancement operations, has been named the foundation's first full-time executive director. In June, the foundation had more than $53 million in assets. Greenberg had been overseeing all of that as well as leading the university's fundraising efforts.

Kyle said that when she came to Radford, three state schools were behind Radford in fundraising. Now there's only one.

Radford hopes to make up ground with a campaign connected to the university's centennial, by getting more fundraisers on the road and by finding new ways to ask for contributions.

"We're going to look under every rock we can," Greenberg said.

When a University of Virginia fundraiser sought a contribution from Kyle, a graduate of Virginia's law school, Kyle sent the fundraiser to talk to Greenberg and her troops. That's how they learned that UVa receives about $12 million a year from classes returning for reunions.

Traditionally, Radford hosts reunions 50 years after a class graduates. In June, the university will host 10th, 25th, 30th, 35th and 50th reunions. Those coming back after 35 years are the prime targets, Kyle said. They are generally too young to be worried about retirement but old enough that their children are out of the house.

This year, Radford is soliciting a senior class gift for the first time, asking each class member to give $20.09.

More students and parents are contacting the financial aid office looking for help, Kyle said, but finances are not driving students away. Radford began the spring semester with 7,337 undergraduate students. That's 183 more than in spring 2008. But it's 632 fewer than last fall.

The governor's budget proposal increases student financial aid and Kyle thinks that and the low cost of attending Radford will benefit the school and its students.

"We are an incredible bargain," Kyle said.

For Virginia residents, only one of the commonwealth's 15 public four-year universities has lower tuition, fees, room and board than Radford. But that may be a problem, too. About 92 percent of Radford's students are from Virginia. In-state students pay about $9,000 per year less than out-of-state students. Neither covers the full cost of their education. Universities make up the difference through fundraising, grants, investments and government funding.

On Wednesday, Radford's board of visitors met just two blocks from Virginia's Capitol. Today, some of them plan to join Kyle and nearly 40 Radford students to celebrate Radford University Day at the General Assembly by contacting all 140 delegates and senators.