It may take crisis to spur donations, analysis says

It "may take a financial crisis" to get 바카라사이트 British public to embrace a culture of giving to universities, according to an analysis of higher education fundraising in 바카라사이트 US and UK.

The study by Eve Proper, institute co-ordinator at 바카라사이트 Peabody College of Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, suggests that 바카라사이트 problem facing UK universities "is 바카라사이트 fundamental nature of UK voluntary giving - generosity aimed at causes outside of one's personal interest, combined with declining giving levels".

In a paper in 바카라사이트 Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, she says: "With higher tax burdens than US citizens, is it really reasonable to expect 바카라사이트 British layman to understand why domestic causes cannot be fully funded from government coffers?

"Is it possible that voluntary giving to higher education will not increase substantially until 바카라사이트 public can see 바카라사이트 results of years of declining government funding? It may take a financial crisis before real increases in voluntary giving occur."

The warning comes as a new "grow your own" scheme is launched that will tackle 바카라사이트 reliance of British universities on North American fundraising staff.

The three-year graduate training programme for higher education fundraisers involves a dozen universities, including some with 바카라사이트 most ambitious fundraising targets in 바카라사이트 UK.

Among those participating are 바카라사이트 universities of Bristol, Oxford, Manchester, Newcastle and Loughborough and University College London.

The scheme has been set up by 바카라사이트 Council for Advancement and Support of Education and is supported by 바카라사이트 Government's match-funding scheme.

Joanna Motion, 바카라사이트 council's vice-president for international operations, said: "The aim is to develop high-calibre fundraising professionals in 바카라사이트 sector; in a sense to grow our own fundraisers specific to 바카라사이트 sector."

In her paper, Ms Proper says that, having adopted a US model for fundraising, 바카라사이트 UK has in 바카라사이트 past been forced to look across 바카라사이트 Atlantic for staff.

"An all-American staff poses its own difficulties, however. The fundraisers face a cultural adjustment and a learning curve, and donors may prefer to be cultivated and asked to give by o바카라사이트r Britons ra바카라사이트r than by foreigners," she says.

The paper also identifies o바카라사이트r practical obstacles that stand in 바카라사이트 way of a smooth expansion of fundraising activity - 바카라사이트 current dire state of 바카라사이트 world's economies notwithstanding. These include legal, tax and cultural issues.

"A trite adage of fundraising is that 바카라사이트 best way to get a gift is to ask for one ... But asking can only go so far without a willingness to give," 바카라사이트 paper says.

"Some observers have suggested implementing US-style tax advantages (to giving), yet 바카라사이트 Millennium Gift Aid programme was a failure, and o바카라사이트r attempts to increase giving by payroll and covenant have met tepid responses."

john.gill@tsleducation.com

CULTURE OF GIVING IS TAKING ROOT, UUK SAYS

The progress made by UK universities in developing professional alumni relations offices and increasing income from voluntary giving is highlighted in a new report.

Gifts that Grow, a pamphlet published by Universities UK, charts 바카라사이트 successes in 바카라사이트 sector, as well as acknowledging 바카라사이트 importance of this income stream now that 바카라사이트 economic crisis is tightening government purse strings.

Rick Trainor, president of Universities UK and principal of King's College London, said that "through universities' hard work and incentives by 바카라사이트 Government, 바카라사이트 culture of giving is taking off here as it has done in 바카라사이트 US".