Donations to Colleges Falter Due to the Recession, Study Finds

Donations to colleges dropped in 2008, and predictions are that 2009 will bring more of the same, according to a new survey of chief financial officers by The Chronicle of Higher Education.

More than half of the 189 college officials who provided data said their annual-gift receipts are down from last year, with 17 percent saying such gifts were down more than 10 percent. The Chronicle of Higher Education worked with Moody’s Investor’s Service to conduct the study over the past two weeks.

Still, three-quarters of respondents say they have no plans to lower their annual or overall fund-raising goals.

The special report includes additional stories and interactive features, including an article about some colleges that continue to receive major gifts.

To learn more about how year-end fund raising is faring at other institutions, see The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s most-recent update.

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