Real-terms growth in philanthropic giving to UK universities of 60 per cent since 2012 is “remarkable” given that the sector’s fundraising workforce has grown by under 50 per cent over the same period, according to a report.
Recommendations from a CASE-More UK Philanthropy report, called Accelerating Ambitions: a decade of giving to higher education and how it informs the future, include that the sector should “develop more formalised training and progression routes for advancement professionals”.
Since 2012, when a review of UK higher education philanthropy was published, led by Dame Shirley Pearce, “there has been growth in new funds committed of 93 per cent in absolute terms and growth in real terms of 60 per cent”, says the report.
“Growth in giving has been mostly consistent since 2012, but Covid caused a drop both in activity and giving. In 2022, however, giving was 6 per cent higher than before Covid in 2019. Whether future growth is stifled as a result of the hiatus in cultivation activity remains to be seen.”
