4 key data trends shaping higher education fundraising

As advancement teams navigate a challenging fundraising landscape, new data from EAB’s analysis of the 2023 Advancement Investment and Performance Initiative (AIPI) dataset uncovered strategies that high-performing shops use to drive results. Successful teams are investing strategically in staffing, donor cultivation, and compensation to stay ahead.

Here are four critical insights from this year’s findings:

1. Increasing staff drives results

High-ROI advancement shops grow their teams to fuel fundraising success. EAB’s data shows that for every additional FTE, shops add an average of $909K to their annual production. Shops that prioritize staffing see the highest returns, indicating that investing in team size leads to greater fundraising capacity.

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2. Prioritizing major gift productivity pays off

Top-performing shops focus on closing a high volume of major gifts, not just waiting for large, one-time donations. By encouraging major gift officers to efficiently manage portfolios and maintain high productivity, these teams ensure a steady stream of significant gifts, building long-term financial stability.

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3. Overall giving decline concentrated to key gift bands

Despite an overall dip in total giving from FY2022 to FY2023, key giving bands below $1M saw growth, and gifts between $10M and $24.9M surged by 28.8%. This data signals that while top-tier gifts remain volatile, focusing on major gift throughput at all levels can keep fundraising performance strong.

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4. Offering competitive salaries retains top talent

Advancement teams that align salaries with market rates retain their best performers. EAB’s salary analysis indicates that competitive compensation helps shops hold on to high-performing staff, ensuring continued fundraising success.

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Discover more strategies for success

These insights offer just a glimpse of what’s driving success for today’s top advancement teams. For a deeper dive into the data and recommendations, explore our full analysis and consider participating in EAB’s Advancement Investment and Performance Initiative, available for Advancement Advisory Services partners.

Edward Issertell

Senior Analyst, Research Development

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