Trends in Private Giving to Colleges and Universities

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ACE and TIAA Institute collaborated on a project to examine trends in philanthropic giving to higher education and to support leaders’ strategic consideration of philanthropy as a financial sustainability tool.

As part of this effort, we are pleased to issue Key Issues Facing Higher Education Philanthropy​, authored by Dr. Una Osili, Professor of Economics and Philanthropic Studies, Associate Dean for Research and International Programs, Indiana University. Released at ACE2019 in March 2019, the paper explores changes in how Americans are giving to higher education and provides useful insights for higher education donors, leaders, and policymakers.

The paper addresses the following questions:

  1. How are the patterns of philanthropy to higher education changing?
  2. How do economic and socio-demographic factors explain the changes in giving to higher education over time?
  3. What fraction of Americans are giving, how much are they giving, and how will these factors impact higher education giving?​
Download the report (1.6 MB PDF)​


​Additionally, in partnership with TIAA Institute, ACE hosted a roundtable discussion on Monday, March 12, 2018 during ACE2018, ACE's 100th annual meeting. “Trends in Private Giving to Colleges and Universities” brought together more than 50 senior higher education leaders from around the country for a dialogue exploring findings and insights from the 2017 report, Achieving Success in Postsecondary Education: Trends in Philanthropy​, released jointly by TIAA Institute and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. Amy Holmes, senior philanthropic advisor and manager at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, presented the findings of the report.​

hear Amy Holmes' presentation​
More From the ACE-TIAA Institute Collaboration

​Too Important To Fail, Too Big to Be Complacent: An Analysis of Higher Education Market Risks and Stressors

Current market trends in higher education show that troubled institutions have been plagued by declines in enrollment, increased market prices, and poor retention rates. Yet less than 10 percent of just over 2,300 institutions nationwide are in serious risk of closing or merging, according to a new analysis of eight years data from the National Center for Education Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).

However, in Too Important to Fail, Too Big to Be Complacent: An Analysis of Higher Education Market Risks and Stressors, co-authors Robert Zemsky, professor of education at the University of Pennsylvania, and Philip Rogers, senior vice president at ACE, find that institutions that are struggling, but not in immediate danger of closing, also face challenges. The brief also outlines strategic options for colleges and universities, and encourages a national conversation focused on affirming and strengthening higher education's value proposition.

The brief was produced with support of the TIAA Institute, as part of a collaboration between ACE and the TIAA Institute designed to surface and evaluate the implications of economic trends for college and university sustainability.

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​Round Table: Trends in Private Giving to Colleges and Universities

Hear Amy Holmes' pr​esentation at ACE2018 in the player below.


Round Table: Trends in Private Giving to Colleges and Universities

Click below to hear Amy Holmes' presentation at ACE2018.