Graduate programme to boost Higher Education fundraising

Sixteen universities will participate in a HEFCE-supported trainee programme, offering eight graduates professional fundraising training which will be used to advance the act of philanthropy in the HE sector.

The scheme, launched in 2009 by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) with support from a HEFCE matched-funding scheme, aims to increase voluntary giving to higher education (HE) providers.

The universities of Oxford, Leeds, Southampton, Bristol, Manchester, Nottingham, Loughborough and King’s College London will each host a hand-picked trainee that has shown the drive and determination needed to help secure financial support for universities, as they are urged to look for new revenue streams.

The eight hosts will guide their graduate trainee through at least three areas of fundraising development activity during the one-year programme, including donor relations, prospect research, and implementation of strategies to secure financial support. These universities will also be paired with a co-host institution where fundraising activities are newer – and the trainees will undertake a one-month secondment at that institution.

CASE Europe's Executive Director, Kate Hunter, explains: "Universities in the UK generate £59 billion for the economy, in addition to providing the vital research that improves our lives and our environment. However with cuts in central funding, HEIs are increasingly looking for other sources of income to support this work. Philanthropic fundraising has an increasingly significant role to play in university finances, with income reaching over half a billion pounds for the first time in 2008-09.

"The graduate programme was a terrific success in its first year, with four of the six original trainees now employed by university development departments and the remaining two using their new skills in jobs within the not-for-profit sector. We are delighted that we have been able to expand the number of places available in this second cohort and that we are launching the careers of high-calibre fundraising professionals."

Kerry McCollum was one of the 2009 trainees hosted at Loughborough University. The university has now employed her full time as an Annual Fund and Donor Stewardship Co-ordinator.

Kerry said: "I will admit that it was a major learning curve at first because the breadth of work that goes on at universities is astonishing. One of the challenges in my job is to find the best way to communicate that to potential donors and to find out what aspect of the university's work will appeal to them. I think that attitudes to higher education fundraising in this country are changing and people are more aware of the important role research plays in improving our lives."

The basic salary for trainees is £18,000 and HEFCE part-funds trainee places. CASE Europe also provides ongoing training programmes and a learning support group for the trainees.

CASE is the professional organisation for advancement professionals at all levels who work in alumni relations, communications, fundraising and marketing.

Today CASE's membership includes more than 3,400 colleges, universities, independent elementary and secondary schools, and educational associates in 61 countries around the world.