Big Donors Step up for Higher Ed

Endowment returns and overall giving disappointed last year, but colleges and universities saw a surge in eight- and nine-figure donations. From January through December of 2016, donors made 194 gifts of $10 million or more to higher education (up from 124 a decade ago) for a total of $6.2 billion. This includes 23 gifts of at least $50 million. Marts & Lundy, the fundraising consulting firm behind the findings, forecasts growth in gifts to higher ed averaging 6 percent for each of the next two years. On the other hand, the Council for Aid to Education recently reported a decline of almost 9 percent in alumni contributions in FY 2016. 

One theory for the divergent trends is that institutions are directing resources away from annual-fund campaigns in favor of major-gift fundraising. Another theory: Schools are struggling to attract gifts from their youngest graduates. 

The Chronicle of Philanthropy (04/03/17)