Philanthropic giving to universities in the United States increased by 3% in 2024, according to CASE Insights on Voluntary Support of Education. Can your academic institution be a part of this trend? Absolutely!

With today’s challenging political and economic backdrop, academic leaders are increasingly relying on university fundraising to support the post-secondary experience for students and researchers alike. In fact, college fundraising accounts for an average of 10.2% of an institution’s educational and general expenditures.

Without strong support from alumni, foundations, and non-alumni individuals, universities risk losing their important role in preparing the leaders of the future. It’s the leaders of these academic institutions who must find creative and effective measures to keep the giving going strong.

In this article, you’ll learn the fundamentals for creating a university fundraising strategy that works. After reviewing the common challenges to development efforts, we’ll cover best practices to inspire meaningful giving with tools that save your valuable resources. You’ll be able to craft a plan to execute for the benefit of your university — and the future leaders enrolled.

How Is University Fundraising Structured?

Development professionals responsible for university fundraising know their work is multi-faceted. There are many different sources of college fundraising, including:

  • Alumni giving: This method works directly with the individuals most invested in your institution: former students! Alumni giving focuses on engaging graduates to support the next generation of leaders.
  • University foundations: Leadership can set up non-profit organizations to directly support the university through contributions from non-student donors.
  • Endowments: With endowments, universities invest financial gifts and use the income to support their institutions for the long term. Often, this investment income must be used for a specific purpose, like updating buildings or funding research.
  • Grants and institutional giving: Many individuals, corporations, and governments offer grants for universities and colleges. These funds typically require an application and evaluation process.
  • High-impact donor relations: Cultivating top donors demands extra effort from leaders. Developing strong relationships with high-value donors can inspire continued giving and make it easier to ask for large or urgent contributions.
  • School- or program-specific efforts: These targeted, time-bound campaigns are especially effective when working with a segmented audience of your alumni.

Read the full article about university fundraising at Higher Ed Dive.