LONDON (3 May, 2023) – The CASE-Ross Support of Education 2021-22 report, released today by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), finds philanthropic gifts and pledges to 88 higher education institutions in the U.K. and Ireland totalled £1.49 billion in the survey year ending 31 July 2022, denoting an average increase of 31% on the year prior.

Large gifts continue to contribute to the sector’s success. A dozen institutions – more than ever before – raised more than £20 million each in New Funds Committed and of the institutions that provided the data, 191 donors made gifts or pledges of £500,000 or more as new funds during 2021-22. This figure excludes some larger and more established higher education institutions in the U.K.

“The post-pandemic recovery in new funds committed is not only a testament to the dedication of advancement professionals and institutional leaders, but also a demonstration of individual and societal commitment to advancing education," says CASE President and CEO Sue Cunningham. “This has been especially heartening to see at a time when inflation is hitting communities particularly hard.”

Of the institutions that provided a breakdown, individuals (both alumni and non-alumni) accounted for 97% of total donors. However, the report indicates that the average number of alumni donors decreased for the second year, with just 0.8% of the 15.7 million total alumni reported making contributions during the reporting year.

“Those with personal institutional experience can exhibit the most affinity and often go on to become the most generous benefactors,” says Caroline Davis, CASE Europe Co-Executive Director, who experienced this first-hand in the Development and Alumni Relations Office at St George’s, University of London whilst serving as Director of External Relations, Communications and Marketing, prior to joining CASE in November.

Institutions hoping to overcome a decline in alumni giving would do well to actively engage and steward these core stakeholders with a combination of alumni relations and fundraising efforts, particularly focussing on personalised communications, Davis says, as one key finding of the latest CASE-Ross showed 68% of funds received from individuals were received as a result of face-to-face meetings or tailored proposals.

“Covid disrupted in-person gatherings and interactions, forcing advancement professionals to become more creative about engaging supporters,” Davis says. “Personalisation can still be realised remotely, but sometimes it is no substitute for meeting face-to-face.”

Investments made by larger higher educational institutions to fundraising and alumni relations disproportionately contributed to an overall average increase of 6% and 10% respectively over 2020-21 values. The average number of fundraising staff saw a decrease of 2% and the average number of alumni relations staff saw a minimal increase of 1% from the previous year.

TJ Rawlinson, Director of Development & Alumni Relations at Cardiff University and member of the CASE-Ross Survey Editorial Board reflected on the findings: “Sector-wide pressures, like inflation and a tight labour market, are building - and during challenging times, forward-thinking universities should learn from CASE-Ross long-term trends. The 2021-22 Survey demonstrates once again that fundraising success follows the continuity of investment in advancement staffing and activity, especially when such consistency is matched by engaged institutional leadership.”

Other findings from the report data include:

• The total funds received in 2021-22 was £1.08 billion.
• The total funds received from legacy donations totalled £101.8 million in 2021-22.
• Organisations, including companies, trusts and foundations, and lottery, despite only amounting to 3% of total donors, continue to be the leading source of average income for the sector, contributing 56% of funds received.
• Staff costs accounted for 79% of average fundraising investment and 72% of average alumni relations investment.

The CASE-Ross Support of Education Survey is the definitive source of data for measuring philanthropic support for higher education institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Part of the recently rebranded CASE Insights, the Survey collects detailed information about institutional fundraising, donors, and investments in fundraising and alumni relations, to measure and give insight into the impact of philanthropy on the higher education sector.