Philanthropy costs up, funds flat, but fear not it’s just a blip

The annual review of ANZ uni fundraising finds reasons to be cheerful

Last year the 26 institutions surveyed raised $630m in “new funds” – down 6 per cent from 2017, which was up 15 per cent more than in 2016.

“Year-over-year variations in fundraising are common … large gifts or pledges, often secured in the early stages of a campaign, drive numbers up in one year, leading to a comparative decline in the subsequent year,” is the advice of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

The decline in new funds, donations delivered and promises made, was matched by a drop in 2018 cash income down, 7 per cent, to $491m. The falls are not for want of investing. Survey participants spent $97m on fundraising and $53m on alumni.

Overall the Group of Eight collect most of the money, $339m of the $491m total.

Half of all “new funds” for all institutions are specifically for research, in line with the “general trend of donors’ moving away from blank cheque gifts and instead being more targeted and intentional with their giving.”


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