Since 1957, the CASE Insights on Voluntary Support of Education has collected data on fundraising at U.S. higher education institutions.

The CASE Insights on Voluntary Support of Education (previously Voluntary Support of Education) has collected data on fundraising at U.S. public and private colleges and universities as well as a select group of private K-12 institutions since 1957. It is the authoritative source of data on charitable giving to higher education institutions in the U.S. CASE has managed the survey since 2018, having acquired it from the Council for Aid to Education, which managed it from 1957–2017.

In 2022, CASE partnered with the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) to administer the CASE Insights on Philanthropy in Independent Schools (previously Voluntary Support of Education Independent Schools survey) on the NAIS Data and Analysis for School Leadership platform.

CASE encourages any U.S. institution of higher education to participate in the Voluntary Support of Education survey. The data are used to estimate national trends and for benchmarking by individual institutions.

How to Participate

Participation in the survey is free. Visit the Voluntary Support of Education Documentation and Support page for more information about the different higher education survey versions, what data are required to participate, and the optional sections and questions participants can choose to complete. In 2022, the survey was updated to align with the CASE Global Reporting Standards.

The survey is hosted on the CASE Insights Surveys website. A survey account, which is separate from a CASE member account, is required. Email the CASE Insights team to request a survey account or to change an existing survey contact. Include your institution’s name, city, and state, and your name, email address, and phone number. If you already have an account but have forgotten your password, there is a password reset link on the CASE Insights Surveys login page.

Annual Survey Schedule

Late June: The VSE survey opens for data input. Participants may also request to complete prior-year surveys in which they did not participate.

October 1: Survey deadline for higher education institutions.

To request a deadline extension, email the Insights team. Include the institution's name, city, and state, your name and contact information, and the requested deadline extension date.

February: Official release of key findings from the survey

April: Release of the annual report

Additional Resources

As a benefit, CASE members have access to the past 20 years of Voluntary Support of Education survey data in the CASE Insights data portal for benchmarking. Email the Insights team if you do not yet have a data portal account.