How Active Are Academic Departments in Fundraising?

p strongDepartment-level fundraising is meaningful but far from universal, and participation is highest at some lower-tuition institutions./strong/p p Primary Research Group found that 32.76% of academic departments in the sample had staged a fundraiser. Departments at institutions charging less than $6,500 were more active, with 41.94% reporting fundraisers the share rose to 45.16% among institutions charging $6,500 to $13,000./p p The pattern may reflect greater need, closer local relationships or a more entrepreneurial role for chairs. Psychology departments had the highest participation in fundraising at 30%, followed by healthcare at 21.43% and communications at 20%. These differences make field-specific benchmarking more useful than a campus-wide average./p p Departments should coordinate with advancement before approaching donors or alumni. Clear gift rules, contact ownership and a short list of fundable priorities reduce competition and protect long-term relationships. Chairs also need to distinguish one-time event revenue from gifts capable of supporting recurring needs./p p Fundraising is most credible when it connects donors to a visible educational outcome&mdashstudent travel, equipment, a lecture series or research experience. The goal is not to turn every chair into a professional fundraiser, but to give departments a safe and productive way to mobilize their communities./p p  /p