Asia-Pacific Universities Record Growth in Donors and Giving

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Aug. 17, 2017

Asia-Pacific Institutions Report Record Growth in Donors and Giving

Universities Investing More in Fundraising, Alumni Relations

SINGAPORE—Universities in Australia and New Zealand are investing more in their advancement operations—specifically fundraising and alumni engagement—amid growing institutional awareness of the powerful impact of philanthropy.

The Charitable Giving to Universities in Australia and New Zealand report reveals that surveyed institutions increased their overall investment in fundraising[1] and alumni relations[2] by 11 percent and 15 percent respectively, in 2016 over 2015. In addition, these institutions increased fundraising staff from 418 in 2015 to 450 in 2016, an increase of 8 percent. Alumni relations staff numbers grew slightly from 247 in 2015 to 252 in 2016.

Growing investment in fundraising and alumni relations operations is one of several trends highlighted in the new report on higher education giving in Australia and New Zealand by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). The report also notes the continual growth of philanthropic giving in 2016 among the surveyed institutions, which includes the Group of Eight[3], which are leading research universities in Australia, and other non-Go8 institutions.

Notably, annual fund[4] income secured increased by 55 percent at non-Go8 institutions from 2015 to 2016. Go8 institutions saw a significant rise in the value of large gifts and pledges with a 47 percent increase in the amount of the largest pledge secured and an 83 percent increase in the amount of the largest cash gift received from 2015 to 2016. Institutions also recorded a peak in the total number of donors and alumni donors, reaching 66,007 and 34,507, respectively, in 2016.

“At CASE, we work with universities across the world so we are in a good position to say that this year’s philanthropic giving to higher education in Australia and New Zealand is outstanding,” says Tricia King, vice president of global engagement for CASE. “From what we can see, institutions are increasing their investment in and understanding of philanthropy to great effect. The numbers speak for themselves."

CASE has developed a strong and active partnership with Universities Australia, and will continue to develop programs for senior academic leadership and professionals working in the field. This includes the inaugural Philanthropy Symposium held in Melbourne last December, followed by a one-day master class in Canberra, Australia earlier this year.

Upcoming programs in the pipeline include a half-day workshop for vice-chancellors.

The report also highlights trends in philanthropic giving within the higher education sector based on analysis done on data collected from 24 institutions in Australia and one institution in New Zealand over three years (2014, 2015 and 2016).

Sue Cunningham, president and CEO of CASE, says the report bears testament to the good work of those working to advance education and to the donors whose impactful support is making possible educational opportunities that transform lives.

“Philanthropic engagement and support offers significant opportunities for the sector to develop and strengthen university teaching and research,” said Cunningham. “It is critical that we can track and analyze the outcomes in order to celebrate success, acknowledge the remarkable generosity of those who have invested and to provide insights and learning into best practice for the broader educational community."

Tim Dolan, vice principal (Advancement) of the University of Sydney, and chair of the Committee of Chief Advancement Officers of the Group of Eight and friends, agrees on the importance of philanthropists who work together with and through universities to deliver tangible outcomes and improve society.

“The strong growth in major giving has helped drive the acceleration of philanthropic revenue. They have raised the confidence of institutional leadership both in what universities can achieve in partnership with their donors and in the ability of their advancement professionals to support and sustain those key relationships,” said Dolan.

Adds Belinda Robinson, chief executive of Universities Australia, “The excellent results in the report demonstrate the high standard of advancement and development professionals working in Australian universities. UA encourages all its members to participate in the next survey round in 2018."

Next year’s Charitable Giving to Universities in Australia and New Zealand survey is scheduled to be administered in the first half of 2018.

Notes to editors

Definitions

1 Investment in fundraising: The costs associated with the efforts to gather new funds secured and cash income received. It includes the cost of the staff (staff expenditure) undertaking the fundraising and the other costs (non-staff expenditure) of running and maintaining the fundraising operations. When the cost of both staff expenditure and non-staff expenditure is combined this equals the total fundraising expenditure.

2 Investment in alumni relations: The costs associated with engagement activity with alumni and community, including staff and non-staff expenditure.

3 Group of Eight: The Group of Eight (Go8) is a coalition of research-intensive Australian higher education institutions (refer to the Go8 website for further information https://go8.edu.au/ ).

4 Annual funds: Gifts obtained through mass participation often directed to general operations and/or designated university priorities.

About the Charitable Giving to Universities in Australia and New Zealand Survey

The Charitable Giving to Universities in Australia and New Zealand Survey is annually commissioned by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education in Europe.

Presenting findings from the Charitable Giving to Universities in Australia and New Zealand Survey 2016, the aim of the research is to provide a picture of charitable giving to a group of 25 universities in Australia and New Zealand between 2014 and 2016.

This is the fifth survey of this kind and participation has increased from eight to 25 universities from 2012 to 2016.

About CASE

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education is a professional association serving educational institutions and the advancement professionals who work on their behalf in alumni relations, communications, development, marketing and allied areas.

CASE was founded in 1974 and maintains headquarters in Washington, D.C., with offices in London (CASE Europe, 1994), Singapore (CASE Asia-Pacific, 2007) and Mexico City (CASE Latin America, 2011).

Today, CASE’s membership includes nearly 3,700 colleges and universities, primary and secondary independent and international schools, and non-profit organizations in more than 80 countries around the globe. This makes CASE one of the world’s largest non-profit educational associations in terms of institutional membership. CASE serves more than 85,000 practitioners.

To fulfill their missions and to meet both individual and societal needs, colleges, universities and independent schools rely on—and therefore must foster—the good will, active involvement, informed advocacy and enduring support of alumni, donors, prospective students, parents, government officials, community leaders, corporate executives, foundation officers and other external constituencies.

CASE helps its members build stronger relationships with all of these constituencies by providing relevant research, supporting growth in the profession and fostering support of education. CASE also offers a variety of advancement products and services, provides standards and an ethical framework for the profession and works with other organizations to respond to public issues of concern while promoting the importance of education worldwide.

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