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January 16, 2009, 09:14 AM ET
College Fund Raisers Predict Small Decline in 2009 Gifts
College and university fund raisers anticipate a slight decline in giving in 2009, according to a biannual fund-raising index released by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.
The index, compiled from online surveys of senior fund-raising officials at 242 institutions, found that contributions to higher education were relatively flat for calendar year 2008, with an average growth of 0.3 percent. But fund raisers forecast an average decline of 1.7 percent for the coming year.
John Lippincott, president of the council, has both a glass-half-empty and glass-half-full interpretation of the index’s findings:
On the one hand, he says, even this slight decline represents a significant reversal of the 7-percent average annual growth in donations colleges have achieved over the past 20 years.
“The bad news is that 2009 could be one of only three years in the last two decades that show an actual decline in giving,” says Mr. Lippincott, pointing to past declines of 3.5 percent in 1987-88 and 1.2 percent in 2001-02.
On the other, says Mr. Lippincott, in this economy, a 1-percent decline isn’t all that bad.
“The good news is that amid much more significant declines in other parts of the economy, educational fund raising could stay comparatively constant. And that means philanthropy would be one of the more stable and one of the more important factors in providing educational quality and access at one of our nation’s schools, colleges, and universities.”
Whether the index’s predictions prove accurate or not, the CASE fund-raising index — the second of its kind — does demonstrate a big shift in expectations among fund raisers following the economic meltdown in the fall. The council’s previous index, released in July, showed that six months ago fund raisers estimated that giving had grown by 7.2 percent for fiscal year 2007-2008 and were projecting growth of 5.3 percent for 2008-2009.
— Paula Wasley
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