Increasing fundraising efforts see universities’ annual total reach over £1bn
Melanie May | 30 April 2019 | News
Universities in the UK and Ireland are fundraising more than ever in an attempt to remain financially sustainable, with over £1billion raised in 2017/18, according to CASE Europe’s annual Ross-CASE survey.
Reported levels have increased from £350m secured by 75 universities in 2004/05 to £1.08bn secured by 100 universities in 2017/18.
CASE Europe‘s 2019 Ross-CASE survey also shows a significant increase in fundraising levels by ‘Developing’ institutions, which have seen a 51% increase on the previous year. Meanwhile, ‘Emerging’ institutions have seen a 15% increase. The number of universities other than Oxbridge now raising £5m a year has also nearly doubled over the past ten years – from 17 to 31.
Universities in Scotland secured the most new funds, raising more than £61.3m, with those in Ireland raising more than £33m in new funds secured, and Welsh universities more than £8.2m.
Amounts raised in England ranged from £269.8m by the London region, to £36.6m in the South West and £1.7m in the East of England.
Other findings from the 2019 Ross-CASE survey and report include:
- For the first time on record a university crossed the £300m threshold for new funds secured in a single year
- The average value of an institution’s largest pledge was £2.39m (up from £1.87m in 2016/17)
- Of the £1.08bn, total new funds from the top three largest pledges contributed £353m (£311m in 2016/17)
- Cash income from legacies has increased by 19% (following a decrease of 11% from 2015-16 to 2016/17)
However, despite significant increases in fundraising levels over the past 10 years, the number of people who donate to their university remains fairly static – currently at 1.3%. Last year also saw a slight dip in donations.
Sue Cunningham, President and CEO, Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), said:
“As funding sources for higher education are increasingly under pressure, engagement with donors has become fundamental to the success of universities.
“Creating a culture of philanthropy with current students and alumni helps ensure new students are able to experience the opportunities that others before them enjoyed.”Advertisement
Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, Vice-Chancellor, University of Glasgow and Chair of the CASE Europe Board of Trustees, said:
“The increase in fundraising levels is a vote of confidence by donors that our sector can change the world for the better. Donating to universities supports life changing research and transformational education opportunities for those who might not otherwise have such access.”
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.