# Donations to UK universities rise above £1 billion for first time

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2017/05/04/donations-uk-universities-rise-1bn-first-time/
- Published: 2017-05-04T07:44:39+01:00
- Author: Melanie May

**Philanthropic income to UK universities rose a record-breaking 23%, reaching over
£1bn for the first time last year.**

The annual [Ross-CASE Survey of Charitable Giving to Universities](http://www.case.org/Samples_Research_and_Tools/Benchmarking_and_Research/Surveys_and_Studies/Ross-CASE_Survey.html)
reported the increase across 110 participating UK universities.

While the value of donations rose, a slight decrease of 0.5 percent was seen in 
the overall number of donors year on year, with a significant proportion of the 
new funds secured from large gifts and pledges. The total amount gifted from legacies
was £104.7 million from 1,179 legacy donors.

## Advertisement

Alumni donors (177,798) accounted for 80 percent of individual donors (223,256).
As in previous years of the 15-year research project, new funds secured from alumni(
£322m) account for significantly more than non-alumni individuals (£149m) while 
new funds secured from trusts and foundations (£442m) far outweigh companies (£82m).

Comparing the survey data for 2015-16 to the previous year, findings show that investment
in fundraising and alumni relations reported an increase of 16 percent and 10 percent,
respectively. The report also shows a 27 percent increase in the number of donors
pledging gifts worth £500,000 or more, up from 189 to 240.

The report was compiled by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education 
and also reveals where funds were spent. This included supporting the development
and recent rollout of a genetic test to improve childhood cancer treatment at The
Institute of Cancer Research, supporting dementia research at the University of 
Edinburgh and restoring the McEwan Hall in Edinburgh.

Other projects include funding new scholarships to enable Londoners from disadvantaged
backgrounds to study at the University of London and supporting talented students
from Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda to study for a master’s degree at the University
of Manchester in subjects that aren’t available in their home country.

Sue Cunningham, CASE president and CEO said:

> “Surpassing 1 billion pounds is a testament to the hard work of more than 2,100
> fundraising and alumni relations professionals, the academic institutions they
> support and the philanthropic donors who believe in investing in the important
> work of universities. These dedicated professionals are advancing education in
> profound ways and transforming lives and society in the process.”

Tricia King, vice president, global engagement at CASE, said:

> “Philanthropic giving is now at the heart of UK university culture. University
> fundraising is dependent upon building long-term relationships with donors, and
> their investment over time demonstrates a powerful belief in the capacity of universities
> to tackle world problems. It’s particularly pleasing to see that our alumni make
> such a major contribution. It’s clear that they, more than anyone, have experienced
> the benefits of university study and it’s gratifying that they want to give back.”

![Loading](https://fundraising.co.uk/wp-content/plugins/page-views-count/ajax-loader-
2x.gif)