Pros Advise Not to Overlook International Students as Potential Donors

Ellen Sullivan, executive director of international advancement at Boston College, described the Middle East as a region “where the number of [Boston College] students and alumni are small, but the personal resources are great.”SAN FRANCISCO — No matter how many or few international students enroll at any given U.S. college and university, they should all be considered prospects for charitable gifts to their institutions. And, much of the information about these individuals’ wealth is obtainable for practically nothing.

That was the consensus among multiple panelists at a conference titled, “International Fundraising: Giving Without Borders,” that was convened by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) last week. CASE is the professional association for K-12 and higher education advancement professionals who work in alumni relations, communications, fundraising, marketing and related areas.

Among foreign countries, China is the No.1 sender of students to U.S. institutions, according to the Institute for International Education. In 2012-13, the most recent year for which statistics are available, about 29 percent of international students in this country were from China, followed by India and South Korea at 12 and 9 percent, respectively. Saudi Arabia came in at 5 percent.

People from abroad tend to pay more tuition than their U.S. peers — in 2012-13, about 64 percent of international students used personal and family monies — so college fundraisers have increasingly looked to their families for large donations in recent years.

Ellen Sullivan, executive director of international advancement at Boston College, told CASE conference-goers that in two years, she has already secured a $5 million donation from an international source. She has also identified prominent Muslim families outside this country who have sent children to Boston College, a Jesuit-led, liberal arts institution.

At the CASE fundraising conference, Sullivan described the Middle East as a region “where the number of [Boston College] students and alumni are small, but the personal resources are great.”