GIVING TO UNIVERSITIES IN THE UK AND IRELAND REACHES AN ALL-TIME HIGH OF £1.37 BILLION IN FUNDS RECEIVED IN 2022-23

New funds received remain steady, resulting in the highest historical level for the second year running, according to the 2022-23 CASE Insights on Philanthropy (United Kingdom and Ireland) survey results 

LONDON, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The CASE Insights on Philanthropy (United Kingdom and Ireland) 2022-23 report, released today by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), finds that funds (cash) received by 92 participating higher education institutions in the UK and Ireland hit an all-time high of £1.37 billion in the survey year ending 31 July 2023. New funds committed for university use totalled £1.43 billion, fractionally down (3.5%) from the previous year. These giving totals demonstrate continued and significant philanthropic support to the higher education sector.

“It is heartening to see such a significant level of philanthropic support for higher education in the UK and Ireland despite uncertain and challenging times,” says Sue Cunningham, President and CEO of CASE. “The ongoing fundraising successes in the region can be attributed to the thoughtful partnership between academic leaders, advancement professionals and philanthropists who share a common vision and passion for advancing education to transform lives and society.”

“Philanthropy provides welcome funding – and outstanding potential for growing income – to a sector which is facing rising cost bases and flattening income streams,” adds TJ Rawlinson, member of the Editorial Committee for the CASE Insights on Philanthropy (United Kingdom and Ireland), and Director of Development and Alumni Relations, Cardiff University. “A rising tide has the potential to float many boats, even the smallest ones.”

The report’s data insights include:

New funds committed: Organisations, such as trusts and foundations, companies, and lottery, are the primary sources of philanthropic support to the sector, accounting for 73.0% per cent of committed funds reported in 2023. Gifts from individuals, including alumni and non-alumni, contributed 27.0% of new funds. While individuals (both alumni and non-alumni) accounted for 94.4% of total donors, the number of alumni donors has continued to decline, down 1.3% compared to the previous year. 

The number of institutions raising more than £20 million each in new funds committed has remained the same as the 2021-22 reporting period, an all-time high of 12 institutions. Ten institutions received funds ranging from £10 to £19.9 million, and 14 institutions received between £5 and £9.9 million. Amongst 66 institutions that provided data, 232 donors made gifts or pledges of £500,000 or more during 2022–23 (excluding Oxbridge institutions).

Funds received: The average funds received increased by 25.1% from the previous year. For 2022-23, 40.0% of the average funds received were given by individuals, and 60.0% originated from organisations. The majority (59.8%) of the total funds received were for restricted current use, followed by 17.2% for capital purposes (including property, buildings, and equipment), 15.1% for endowments, and the remaining 7.8% for unrestricted current use. The total funds received from legacy donations totalled £134 million in 2022-23. 

“These outcomes reflect deep engagement and a commitment to long-term institutional investment in delivering advancement programmes that are professional and accountable. continues Cunningham. “All of our CASE Insights research demonstrates that the institutions that are most successful in philanthropic engagement are those where there is a consistency of leadership and an innovative and tailored approach to genuine stakeholder engagement.”

“It is pleasing to see the Survey participation rise this year. Contributions from both newcomers and returning institutions are warmly welcomed,” says Rawlinson, “Participation matters hugely: using a comprehensive data set from across the sector, CASE Insights can best analyse and understand sector trends, and identify best practice. We learn from each other, and we better understand how to bring the impact of university research and education to life for our donors and friends.” 

The CASE InsightsSM on Philanthropy (United Kingdom and Ireland) survey, formerly the CASE-Ross survey, is the definitive source of data about philanthropic support for nonprofit and public higher education institutions in the U.K. and Ireland. CASE, now in its 50th year of supporting advancement professionals, is dedicated to building recognition of the importance of philanthropic support and demonstrating strategic impact, and the difference such support makes to recipient institutions and the many thousands of lives touched by them.  

About CASE 

CASE—the Council for Advancement and Support of Education—is a global, not-for-profit membership association with a vision to advance education to transform lives and society. 

CASE is the home for advancement professionals, inspiring, challenging, and equipping them to act effectively and with integrity to champion the success of their institutions. CASE defines the competencies and standards for the profession of advancement, leading and championing their dissemination and application with more than 97,000 advancement professionals at over 3,000 member institutions in more than 80 countries. 

Broad and growing communities of professionals gather under the global CASE umbrella. Currently, these include alumni relations, advancement services, communications, fundraising, government relations, and marketing. These professionals are at all stages of their careers and may be working in universities, schools, colleges, cultural institutions, or other not-for-profits. CASE uses the intellectual capital and professional talents of a community of international volunteers to advance its work, and its membership includes many educational partners who work closely with the educational sector. 

CASE InsightsSM is CASE’s global resource for educational advancement-related metrics, benchmarks and analytics. Specialised CASE InsightsSM data, standards, and research enable members to make data-informed decisions, demonstrate strategic impact, and highlight success stories, whilst adhering to the ethical practices of the advancement profession. For more information, visit www.case.org/case-insights. 

The CASE InsightsSM on Philanthropy (United Kingdom and Ireland) survey collects detailed information about gift revenue, fundraising costs, and donors to measure the philanthropic performance of universities. In 2023, CASE and More Partnership joined forces to analyse a decade of fundraising trends within the UK higher education sector and offer recommendations for the future. Among a range of sources, the CASE-More UK Philanthropy Report was informed by ten years of data from the annual CASE-Ross survey, the previous name of the CASE Insights on Philanthropy (United Kingdom and Ireland) survey, alongside interviews with leading practitioners, influencers and philanthropists.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., CASE works across all continents from its regional offices in London, Singapore, and Mexico City to achieve a seamless experience for all of its stakeholders, particularly its members, volunteers, and staff. For more information, visit www.case.org.

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