The survey data provides insights into the fundraising efforts of a random sample of 120 academic departments with data broken out by academic field and size and type of department, for public and private colleges, by college tuition level, and for personal characteristics of the chair, such as age and gender.
The study gives highly specific data for various kinds of fundraising efforts, including but not limited to auctions, performances, lectures, sponsored travel, departmental alumni reunions, dinners and cocktail hours, workshops, boot camps, certificate programs and more. The study provides specific data on the use of each, as well as overall data on total funds raised. In addition, the study provides both data and commentary on the best fundraising methods and results, as well as the level of cooperation between academic departmental fundraising efforts and similar efforts by advancement and other college or university-wide departments.
Data in the report is derived from a survey of 140 academic departments from 120 colleges and universities in North America.
Just a few of this comprehensive 120 page report’s findings are that:
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32.76% of the academic departments in the entire sample have staged fundraisers
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Departments in institutions with lower tuition fees (less than $6,500 and between $6,500 and $13,000) are more active in fundraising (41.94% and 45.16%, respectively have conducted fundraisers) compared to those with higher tuition fees
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Psychology departments show the highest participation in fundraisers (30%), followed by Healthcare and Communications departments (21.43% and 20%, respectively)
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Dinners, lunches, and cocktail hours are the most common fundraising activities, with 19.83% of department chairs in the entire sample reporting such events.