Index of Higher Education Fundraising Performance 2009

Read a complete summary of the Index of Higher Education findings (PDF). 

Downward Trends of 2008 More Pronounced in 2009, Economy Continues to Take its Toll

According to the Target Analytics Index of Higher Education Fundraising Performance, the trends that were present in 2008 continued in 2009, while a few more key measures saw declines for the very first time as the economy continued to challenge many annual fund programs.  Donor counts continue to erode, with the median change down another 4.7 percent in 2009, as participation rates also continue their decline.  Increased marketplace competition, coupled with a stagnant economy, continue to force donors to make tough decisions about which organizations they will support. 



The most noticeable change in the 2009 Index was the erosion in revenue.  After many consecutive years of “donors down and dollars up” for higher education annual fund programs, 2009 marked the first year that revenue actually declined, and did so in a significant way.  Overall, the change in median revenue was down 13 percent.  For retained donors this median change was 12.9 percent, and for reactivated donors an even starker decline of 15.9 percent.  This is the big and all too common story of 2009 among higher education annual fund programs. 



Generally speaking, nearly every negative measure in 2009 public institutions had larger declines than private institutions (a general reversal of 2008 when private schools trended to have deeper declines).  Overall challenges with donor counts, participation, and reactivation continued in 2009, but the added twist of revenue declines among all populations of donors is a new challenge that programs will need to address in 2010 and beyond. 

For more information, please download the full report (PDF), or watch a recording. You can also review an archived version of the 2008 summary of the Index of Higher Education findings.

Participation
For more information about participation in the Higher Education benchmarking, contact Amanda Gotschall at Amanda.Gotschall@blackbaud.com or 404.627.0568.

Media Contact
For press inquiries or permission to reproduce, contact Melanie Mathos, Blackbaud, Inc. 843.216.6200 x3307 melanie.mathos@blackbaud.com

Findings from recent and future reports can be found at www.blackbaud.com/targetanalytics.

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