University fundraising ramps up with match funding

Fundraising | Celina Ribeiro | 24 Jun 2009

Universities have stepped up their fundraising efforts in response to the government’s match funding programme, according to a report by Universities UK.

Telephone campaigning has been enthusiastically adopted across universities in the UK according to the Gifts that Grow report, which highlights the growth of university fundraising and pushes for greater public acceptance of the idea of donating to higher education.

Links with businesses are also being more vigorously sought by universities as they attempt to raise income during the economic slump and maximise their use of the government’s £200m, three-year match funding offer which was launched in August 2008.

Many universities are trying to increase their regular giving base, as the most recent figures on income – for the year 2006/2007 – show that major gifts are dominating voluntary income, at a total of £520m for the sector versus an annual giving figure of £25m.

Oxford University’s record £1.25bn campaign has already involved more than 20,000 donors and brought in, as of March 2009, £679,000. Meanwhile Bristol University saw an increase of 27 per cent in response rate from donors to direct mail and telephone contact between the period of August-December 2007 to August-December 2008 as it works towards its £100m fundraising goal.

Universities UK president Rick Trainer said that he hopes that the report will help dispel the notion that giving to university is in competition to giving to other charity types, arguing that universities complement the work of other organisations.

Secretary of state for innovation, universities and skills John Denham said the match funding was designed to build on pre-existing trends. “Voluntary giving contributions to higher education institutions have increased considerably in the last few years. The UK is world-leading in terms of research, teaching and innovation, and over time I would like to see us up there with the best in terms of private philanthropy too,” he said.

Who's Who: Celina Ribeiro

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