International Fundraising on the Rise Urgency for Engaging Alumni and Prospects Abroad Grows
To meet ever-growing campaign goals and fill budget gaps, advancement leaders have realized their domestic fundraising strategies aren’t enough. Many universities have started to look abroad for additional philanthropic revenue.
In recent years, international fundraising has become more attractive to higher education advancement because of an increase in international students with enrollment growing from 2008 to 2016.
At the same time, the burgeoning ranks of millionaires abroad offer universities an untapped pool of major and principal gift level prospects.
# of MillionairesNat'l Wealth (USD)Japan2.8 Million$30 TrillionChina1.6 Million$35 TrillionGermany1.6 Million$9.7 TrillionFrance1.6 Million$6.6 TrillionAustralia1.1 Million$6.1 TrillionSources: Neil Ruiz and Jynnah Radford, “New Foreign Student Enrollment at U.S. Colleges and Universities Doubled Since Great Recession,” Pew Research Center, November 20, 2017.; Universities UK International, “International Facts and Figures,” May, 2017.; Derek Scissors, “Is China's Economic Power a Paper Tiger?” The National Interest, November 27, 2017.; Elizabeth Redden, “For International Students, Shifting Choices of Where to Study,” August 24, 2018.; Alex Morell, “The 18 Countries with the Most Millionaires,” April 18, 2017. Jeff Desjardins, “Ranked: The 10 Wealthiest Countries in the World,” May 4, 2018.
Top Challenges for International Advancement Staffing Models and Organizational StructuresWhile the numbers are attractive, there are a variety of challenges around engaging international alumni and prospects, ranging from identification to data verification to cultural sensitivities and knowledge gaps. To better understand…