Rupa Kotecha-Smith
marketing & communications manager
CASE Europe
+ 44 (0)20 7448 9955
kotecha-smith@case.org

Pam Russell
director of communications
CASE
+1-202-478-5680
russell@case.org

For Immediate Release
26 September 2011

CASE Europe with Ross, 1994 Group Release Fundraising Guidelines for UK Higher Education

LONDON-CASE Europe with the Ross Group and the 1994 Group of Development Directors recently released gift acceptance guidelines for development professionals working at higher educational institutions in the United Kingdom.

These core set of principles were created following a review of existing practice among members and will assist fundraisers and other advancement professionals as they develop or fine-tune the fundraising processes and priorities within their own institutions. Kate Hunter, executive director of CASE Europe, says the review of gift acceptance practices was driven in part by the continuing growth in scale and importance of private gifts to educational institutions in the UK.

"Donations to higher education are becoming a more established part of UK philanthropy," Hunter says. "We believe that a set of guidelines on the ethical principles in relation to gift acceptances will be helpful as the profession matures and more institutions build fundraising programmes and relationships with donors."

She says she welcomes the endorsement of several UK higher education groups, including Universities UK and the 1994 Group.

Nicola Dandridge, chief executive officer of Universities UK, says her organisation "endorses and commends the new guidelines to their members and encourages them to consider them in relation to their own institutional processes and procedures."

"It is important that the practice of fundraising and the relationships between institutions and donors respect inherent principles associated with our sector," Dandridge says. "Those principles include academic freedom, particularly in relation to preserving the independence of research and scholarship, and the integrity of our teaching, learning, admissions, management and other procedures."

Adds Paul Marshall, executive director of the 1994 Group: "Gift income is an essential ingredient to the success of UK universities. Philanthropic donations help to drive research and provide opportunities for students. However, philanthropic fundraising can sometimes be complex, and institutions may have to negotiate a range of complicated issues. The guidance provided by this set of principles will be extremely useful and will aid institutions as they work to maximise the benefits of philanthropic giving."

About CASE

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices in London, Singapore and Mexico City, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education is the professional organization for advancement professionals who work in alumni relations, communications, fundraising, marketing and other areas.

CASE is one of the largest nonprofit education associations in terms of institutional membership. Its membership includes more than 3,400 colleges, universities, independent elementary and secondary schools, and educational associates in 74 countries around the world. It serves nearly 65,000 advancement professionals on the staffs of its member institutions.

CASE helps its members build stronger relationships with their alumni and donors, raise funds for campus projects, produce recruitment materials, market their institutions to prospective students, diversify the profession and foster public support of education. CASE also offers a variety of advancement products and services, provides standards and an ethical framework for the profession, and works with other organizations to respond to public issues of concern while promoting the importance of education worldwide.

About The Ross Group
The Ross Group is a network of leading development directors working in higher education (HE). It works closely with CASE—the Council for Advancement and Support of Education—and is the developer of the Ross-CASE Survey of Fundraising which is published annually and is the most comprehensive source of information about fundraising trends in UK higher education.

About the 1994 Group
Established in 1994, the Group brings together nineteen internationally renowned, research-intensive universities. The Group provides a central vehicle to help members promote their common interests in higher education, respond efficiently to key policy issues, and share best methods and practice.

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