New Zealand and Australia Universities’ Continued Investment in Fundraising Reaps High Returns

Total New Funds Secured Grew From 2018 to 2019, With Median Value AUD8.3 Million

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education released findings from an annual survey measuring philanthropic impact on the higher education sector, based on data from 33 universities in Australia and New Zealand, the highest participation rate in eight years since the survey began. This increase in participation amounted to a rise in philanthropic funds secured, peaking at AUD783 million. The CASE Support of Education Survey, Australia and New Zealand shows new funds secured grew by 15 percent from 2018 to 2019, with a median value AUD8.3 million, while cash income which typically corresponds to and follows the new funds secured, grew by 11 percent from 2018 to 2019 with a median value of AUD8.1 million.

Other key findings from the 2019 survey data include:

101 cash gifts of AUD1 million and above were received by 23 institutions in 2019, with more than half of these received by just four institutions. For a consistent cohort of 30 institutions[1], the cash gifts of AUD1 million and above showed an increase of 20 percent over 2018 figures.
New bequest intentions confirmed increased 36 percent1 from 2018 to 2019, up from a 28 percent decrease during 2017 to 2018. Go8e and non-Go8 institutions saw increases of 37 percent and 34 percent respectively.
Production and distribution costs of an alumni magazine saw a reduction of 8 percent from 2018 to 2019, following a 13 percent decrease from 2017 to 2018.
While the number of contactable alumni has grown by 11 percent from 2017 to 2019, alumni donors are on an overall downward trend with a decrease of 16 percent during the same time period.