Report: Challenges Remain for Higher Education Fundraisers

Charleston, S.C. (April 18, 2012) - Blackbaud today announced the availability of the 2011 Index of Higher Education Fundraising Performance, a report that provides a summary of Key Performance Indicators of annual funds at more than 100 public and private institutions. The analysis is conducted annually as part of Target Analytics' donorCentrics Collaborative Benchmarking service for higher education organizations. Metrics are based on historical transactional information and are standardized across institutions to provide the most accurate, unbiased comparative performance information available in the sector.

Download the report at www.blackbaud.com/higheredfundraising.

"Most measures were in positive territory compared to 2010 results and there is evidence that the worst of the economic decline is behind us," said Shaun Keister, co-author of the report, and vice chancellor of development and alumni relations at the University of California-Davis. "Programs are beginning to grow again, despite challenges with reactivating lapsed donors and acquiring new ones."
Key findings include:

• Most KPIs experienced modest increases in fiscal year 2011. In some cases, this was a bounce-back year and in other metrics it was a second year in positive territory, which in general, indicates programs are recovering from the recession and benchmark lows experienced in fiscal year 2009.
• Revenue showed a median positive change of 6.1 percent and overall retention rates were up slightly as well, demonstrating a donor base that has stabilized.
• Some key measures have not rebounded, mostly notably reactivation, which continues to erode regardless of economic status, along with participation rates, which continue their decline.

"The Great Recession of the past few years dramatically impacted trends in higher education, and those trends are now, in general, reversing back to pre-recession levels," said Jenny Cooke, director of higher education benchmarking for Target Analytics, a Blackbaud company. "Although, when it comes to participation rates and the ability to inspire lapsed donors, the economy has much less impact, and the trends continue in negative territory despite better economic news."