Whose departure hits philanthropic revenue hardest: advancement leaders or presidents?

Chief advancement officer (CAO) and presidential turnover isn’t just a personnel problem—it compromises fundraising performance. Without stable leadership, campaigns stall, donor cultivation suffers, and fundraisers lose clarity on priorities.

Data from EAB’s Advancement Benchmarking reveal that leadership turnover carries a steep price tag for advancement.

CAO departures: A double-digit revenue hit

When chief advancement officers (CAOs) leave their roles, their departures create a leadership gap that leaves the institution’s top donor relationships without defined stewardship or accountability. It also disrupts strategy and decision-making, increasing the risk of stalled momentum and weakened performance across the advancement team. EAB research found that the median shop experiences a 12.4% decline in fundraising production the year after the CAO leaves.

Why is the impact so sharp?

• New initiatives are paused while interim or new leadership evaluate the division
• Donors are left uncultivated by advancement
• Advancement staff face uncertainty about expectations, direction, and leadership

In an environment where CAO turnover is elevated, many institutions are navigating recurring cycles of volatility, never fully regaining momentum before the next transition occurs.

Presidential turnover: A smaller, but still significant revenue erosion

Presidential turnover surprisingly doesn’t influence fundraising results as much as advancement leadership turnover. The average presidential tenure is now just six years, and institutions are experiencing leadership transitions more frequently. Inconsistent institutional leadership makes it difficult to coalesce around a unified vision: a critical factor in securing principal gift and transformational gift donor support. It’s no surprise that fundraising performance suffers as a result. EAB research found that the median advancement shop loses 4% ($6M) in fundraising revenue the year after a president departs.

While the percentage drop is smaller than with CAO turnover, presidential transitions create a different kind of disruption:

• Donors reassess institutional direction
• Campaign priorities may be reworked to reflect new strategic priorities
• Advancement leaders must reestablish alignment and trust

Fundraiser turnover is a direct revenue risk

Even individual fundraisers affect the bottom line. The opportunity cost of losing a single fundraiser during a campaign is nearly $3.75M. What’s more, shops spend an estimated 250% of a fundraiser’s annual compensation to replace them.

But the true cost extends beyond recruitment expenses. When fundraisers depart, institutions lose:

• Established donor relationships and trust
• Institutional knowledge about prospect strategy and timing
• Momentum on active solicitations
• Team morale and portfolio collaboration

The question is not whether transitions will happen, but how prepared your institution is to protect philanthropic performance when they do. Institutions must treat talent management as a core component of revenue strategy to sustain philanthropic momentum during periods of transition.

Bolster your advancement talent strategy to mitigate leadership transitions

For guidance on reducing leadership and fundraiser turnover, explore EAB’s Strategic Talent Management Resource Center for Higher Ed Advancement Leaders, including:

Employee Value Proposition Discussion Guide and Workshop
Introduction to the employee value proposition and its role in recruiting and retaining top talent

Chief Advancement Officer Onboarding Center
Resources to support incoming chief advancement officers and help them establish cross-campus partnerships

Building an Effective President–CAO Partnership: New President Onboarding Guide
Strategic recommendations for CAOs onboarding new presidents, including best practices for orienting leadership to the advancement landscape

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Elana Charlson

Analyst, Research Discovery & Design

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