The annual CASE Insights on Voluntary Support of Education (VSE) survey reveals that higher education institutions received a total of $61.50 billion in charitable donations, demonstrating continued donor confidence despite economic fluctuations and increased scrutiny of higher education.
Alumni giving saw the most significant increase among donor categories, rising 7.5 percent from the previous year. Foundation giving led the growth with a 13.3 percent increase, while contributions from donor-advised funds grew by 12.1 percent. However, corporate donations decreased by 7.3 percent.
“At a time when higher education faces financial and political scrutiny, this sustained giving is a powerful vote of confidence,” said Sue Cunningham, President and CEO of CASE.
The survey, which has tracked philanthropic support for U.S. higher education for 67 years, shows that nearly half of all endowed gifts were designated for student financial aid. When combined with gifts restricted to academic divisions and faculty and staff positions, these priorities represented 87.2 percent of total endowment contributions.
Research continues to be a priority for donors, with 43.6 percent of gifts restricted for current operations directed toward this purpose.
The findings reveal that philanthropy remains stable as a percentage of institutional budgets, with charitable gifts representing 10.2 percent of total educational and general expenditures in 2024, compared to 10.5 percent a decade ago.
