About the Voluntary Support of Education (VSE) Survey

The CASE Voluntary Support of Education (VSE) survey is the authoritative source of data on giving to higher education institutions in the US with 63 years of rigorous survey data. Nearly 1,000 institutions respond each year.

The 2020 survey collected data for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2019, and ending June 30, 2020 (with a few institutions reporting on different fiscal calendars). Data shown are cash received, not pledges or commitments.

This presentation outlines your institution’s data alongside aggregate data from the overall survey population and your AMAtlas Peers. (See below for more information on AMAtlas Peers.)

Key findings from the VSE survey are from US and a small number of Canadian institutions. Data are presented in a standardized format with minimal analysis. Further analysis can be provided by CASE’s AMAtlas team using facilitated cohort groups and including an individualized call with your institution. Contact Jenny Cooke Smith for more information.

Higher education and AMAtlas peer results are presented as median figures in this presentation.

AMAtlas Peers

Algorithm Weights

Cumulative Percentage Change in Funds Received (Total Support in VSE aligns with the CASE Global Standards definition of Funds Received)

Funds Received includes:

• Gifts and grants to your institution, both for current operations and for capital purposes, regardless of form (cash, products, property, securities, etc.);
• Gifts and grants to affiliated foundations and organizations created to raise funds for the institution;
• Securities, real estate, equipment, property, or other non-cash gifts, to be evaluated at the fair market value placed on them by an independent appraiser, not the cash income therefrom;
• Deferred gifts (but not pledges or bequest intentions);
• Cash surrender value of life insurance contracts;
• Insurance premiums paid by donors;
• Cash payments returned as contributions from salaried staff.

In FY2020, Sample Institution decreased funds received by -15.1% compared to the previous year. 50% of institutions within your AMAtlas peers and 48.8% of all Higher Education Institutions had positive change from the previous year. This graph examines Cumulative Percentage Change, which was calculated by setting the first year of VSE participation since 2016 as the baseline. If your institution first submitted data in any year after 2016, that will be the base year. For AMAtlas peers and All Higher Ed, the first year baseline is always 2016.

Philanthropic Support by Source

• Alumni - Former students - full- or part-time, undergraduate or graduate - who have earned some credit toward one of the degrees, certificates, or diplomas offered by the reporting institution.
• Corporations - Gifts from corporations, partnerships, and cooperatives that have been organized for profit-making purposes, including corporations owned by individuals and families and other closely held companies. This category also includes company-sponsored foundations - that is, those created by business corporations and funded exclusively by their companies. Gifts from industry trade associations are also included in this category.
• Foundations - Personal and family foundations and other foundations and trusts that are private tax-exempt entities operated exclusively for charitable purposes. It does not include company-sponsored foundations, which fall under the category of corporations.
• Other Individuals - All persons, including governing board members, who are not classifiable as “Alumni,” “Parents,” or “Grandparents.”
• Other Orgs - Includes Religious Organizations - gifts from churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, and other houses of worship, as well as their denominational entities, hierarchies, and service groups; Fundraising Consortia - entities that have been formed by a group of cooperating institutions or organizations for the purpose of facilitating their fundraising activities; any other organization not defined as a “Corporation” or “Foundation.” This category also includes gifts from Donor-Advised Funds.
• Parents - Gifts from persons other than those defined above as “Alumni” who are the parents or guardians of current or former students at the institution. Grandparents are also included in this category.

Hover over graph to see details.

Alumni Donors

• Alumni of Record (Uncontacted) - Number of living alumni for whom the institution believes it has a valid address or way to contact and are not part of Alumni Solicited or Alumni Donors.
• Alumni Solicited (not donors) - Number of alumni who were contacted in some formal manner (mail, phone call, visit, etc.) during the reporting year but did not make a contribution during the reporting year.
• Alumni Donors - Number of alumni who made one or more contributions during the reporting year.

Hover over graph to see details.

Philanthropic Support by Purpose

• Build/Equip/Prop - Outright gifts of both real and personal property for the use of the institution; gifts made for the purpose of purchasing buildings, other facilities, equipment, or land for use of the institution; gifts restricted for construction or major renovation of buildings or other facilities; and gifts made for retirement of indebtedness.
• Current Ops (R) - Outright gifts for current operations that the donor has restricted for specific purposes or programs- such as an academic division, research, or student financial aid - but upon which no further restriction has been placed.
• Current Ops (U) - Outright gifts given by donors without any restriction, regardless of any subsequent designation by the institution.
• Deferred Gifts - Includes only deferred gifts established or added to in the reporting period, including charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts (including those administered outside the institution), gifts to pooled income funds, and remainder interests in property. Amounts are Present Value.
• Endowment (R) - Includes outright gifts added to the endowment funds of the institution by donor direction, from which the income is limited by the donor for specific purposes or programs.
• Endowment (U) - Includes outright gifts restricted by the donor for endowment, but for which the donor has made no restriction regarding the use of the income produced by the endowment, regardless of any subsequent allocation the institution may make.
• Loan Funds - Outright gifts restricted by donors to be available for loans to students, faculty, and staff. Does not include gifts used to retire institution debt.

Hover over graph to see details.

12 Large Gifts as a % of Total Support

These figures do not include “Other Organizations,” as the survey currently does not collect the three largest gifts from this source.

In 2020, 33.6 percent of funds received came from the three largest gifts from each source: bequests, corporations, foundations, and individuals. Over time, major gifts have become a larger portion of funds raised. Pay careful attention to giving bands to ensure enough donors are continuing to upgrade into mid and major giving levels.

Next Steps

Downloadable Source Data