Advancement State of the Sector Presentation
Bring your cabinet and board up to speed on the forces reshaping advancement
Chief advancement officers (CAOs) are navigating a complex and shifting landscape. Giving totals remain strong, yet dollars are increasingly concentrated in principal gifts. Donor counts are declining, while campaign goals are rising. Public confidence in higher education remains fragile. At the same time, AI experimentation, corporate partnerships, and generational wealth transfer are redefining how advancement teams must operate.
CAOs are often charged with bringing new presidents, cabinet members, and board directors up to speed on this evolving environment. But it can be difficult to distill market shifts, benchmarking data, and emerging risks into a clear, strategic narrative.
EAB’s Advancement State of the Sector presentation helps advancement leaders communicate today’s challenging forces to key stakeholders. This high-level briefing provides an overview of the most important trends shaping higher education advancement and what they mean for institutional strategy, campaign planning, and fundraising investment.
What we’ll cover
The Advancement State of the Sector is designed for advancement teams, cabinets, and boards and can be delivered on campus or virtually. The executive-level presentation synthesizes EAB research, benchmarking data, and sector analysis into a concise, actionable briefing.
Key themes include:
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A changing fundraising landscape
Charitable giving remains historically strong, yet growth is increasingly driven by megagifts. A rising share of dollars comes from $1M+ contributions, while donor participation continues to fall. Advancement leaders face growing pressure to build principal gift pipelines while sustaining long-term donor engagement. -
Generational and public perception shifts
The coming $124 trillion wealth transfer will reshape philanthropy. But wealth is highly concentrated, and younger generations bring different expectations around transparency, impact, and digital engagement. At the same time, public confidence in higher education has declined, raising new challenges for communicating institutional value. -
New operating realities for advancement teams
From AI experimentation across frontline and back-office functions to heightened interest in corporate and foundation partnerships, advancement shops are evolving rapidly. Yet many teams face flat or constrained investments, creating tension between rising campaign ambitions and limited staffing capacity. -
Escalating campaign expectations
Campaign dollar goals have risen dramatically over the past decade. Presidents and boards continue to push for larger campaigns, even as donor pipelines grow more fragile and time to first major gift lengthens. Institutions must balance ambition with realism and long-term sustainability. -
Pipeline and engagement risks
Advancement leaders report stagnating or declining alumni participation, shrinking small-dollar giving, and longer paths to major gifts. Engagement strategies—particularly with younger alumni—have not always kept pace with digital-first expectations.
Throughout the presentation, EAB contextualizes these trends with benchmarking insights and guiding questions to help leadership teams align around priorities, risk tolerance, and investment strategy. The goal is not simply to inform, but to ensure your president, cabinet, and board share a common understanding of the advancement environment and the strategic implications for your institution.
Interested in requesting an Advancement State of the Sector presentation?
If you’d like to schedule a presentation and are an Advancement Advisory Services partner, please log in and fill out the form below, or you may contact [email protected] or your Strategic Leader. If you are not yet a partner, learn more about how EAB works with CAOs to build a better advancement shop and maximize fundraising impact.