Pam Russell
Director of Communications
CASE
+1-202-478-5680
russell@case.org

May 12, 2009

CASE Graduate Trainee Programme to Boost Higher Education Fundraising

LONDON-Twelve U.K. universities have joined forces with CASE Europe for a new three-year HEFCE-supported graduate trainee programme aimed at increasing the number of fundraising professionals working in higher education-at least 20 graduates are expected to go through the one-year scheme.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England, or HEFCE, funds higher education, research and related activities in English higher education institutions.

From August 24, the universities of Bristol, Oxford, Manchester, Newcastle and Loughborough and University College London will host the first cohort of trainees in a bid to support the next generation of fundraising professionals. The six hosts will guide their graduate trainees through at least three areas of fundraising development activity during the one-year programme, including donor relations, prospect research, and implementation of strategies to secure financial support. Each of the six universities will also be paired with a co-host institution where fundraising activities are newer, and the interns will undertake a one-month secondment at that institution.

CASE, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, is the professional organisation for those working in alumni relations, communications, fundraising, marketing and other areas. It has launched this graduate trainee programme with support from HEFCE's matched-funding scheme that will increase the culture of giving to universities, and in response to the growth of fundraising activity in the sector.

"The aim of this programme is to develop high-calibre fundraising professionals in the higher education sector, in a sense to grow our own fundraisers specific to the sector," said CASE Vice President for International Operations Joanna Motion. "We want to raise the profile of fundraising so it becomes an attractive career option for talented people, and this is particularly important in the current economic climate where graduates need to be aware of all the opportunities available to them. The long-term benefits to the HE sector are likely to be widely felt, with a further 24 universities becoming involved in years two and three of the scheme."

The basic salary for trainees is £18,000, and CASE Europe will part-fund these trainee places by 50 percent in the first year. CASE will also provide ongoing training programmes and a learning support group for trainees.

CASE Europe will be rolling out a number of other programmes in the next few months as part of the matched funding scheme for voluntary giving 2008-2011.

For media enquiries, please contact CASE Europe Marketing and Communications Manager Tom Hazell on 020 7448 9955. Alternatively, please contact Owen Morris at Communications Management on 01727 733887 or owen@communicationsmanagement.co.uk.

Job and application information for the graduate trainee scheme.

About the matched funding scheme for voluntary giving 2008 to 2011:

HEFCE is administering a government-led matched funding scheme that aims to increase voluntary giving to higher education providers. All higher education institutions and directly funded further education colleges in England have been invited to participate in the scheme.

Eligible gifts to participating institutions will be matched through a fund of £200 million. Such institutions will receive matched funding according to their place in one of three tiers, each with a different funding ratio and cap suitable for institutions with differing degrees of fundraising experience.

The scheme-the first in the U.K.-started on 1 August 2008 and runs for three years. It is open to all English HEIs and directly funded FECs.

CASE Europe's Involvement:

CASE Europe has been awarded a grant by HEFCE to provide an extensive and enhanced training and support programme for the institutions participating in the U.K. government's matched funding scheme for voluntary giving.

The training will draw on support from experienced practitioners in the U.K. and worldwide. It will include:

• Series of regional and national workshops
• Conferences
• Expert forums
• Study visits
• Scholarships
• Networking opportunities
• Online and in-person seminars

About CASE

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education is a professional association serving educational institutions and the advancement professionals who work on their behalf in alumni relations, communications, development, marketing and allied areas.

CASE was founded in 1974 and maintains headquarters in Washington, D.C., with offices in London (CASE Europe, 1994), Singapore (CASE Asia-Pacific, 2007) and Mexico City (CASE América Latina, 2011).

Today, CASE’s membership includes more than 3,600 colleges and universities, primary and secondary independent and international schools, and nonprofit organizations in 76 countries around the globe. This makes CASE one of the world’s largest nonprofit educational associations in terms of institutional membership. CASE serves more than 70,000 advancement professionals on the staffs of its member institutions and has more than 17,000 professional members on its roster.

To fulfill their missions and to meet both individual and societal needs, colleges, universities and independent schools rely on—and therefore must foster—the good will, active involvement, informed advocacy and enduring support of alumni, donors, prospective students, parents, government officials, community leaders, corporate executives, foundation officers and other external constituencies.

CASE helps its members build stronger relationships with all of these constituencies by providing relevant research, supporting growth in the profession and fostering 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.

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