Summary
Some of the key findings from the 2008-09 Ross-CASE survey were:
UK universities received over half a billion pounds in philanthropic cash in the academic year 2008-9.
UK universities received £511 million in philanthropic cash income in 2008-9, up from £430 million in 2007-8. The total amount of cash income received has increased by 19 per cent since 2007-8 and 34 per cent since 2006-7.
The number of people and organisations donating to universities has increased 24 per cent in the last two years.
In 2008-9 163,547 people and organisations chose to make a gift in support of higher education, up from 132,292 in 2006-7.
Philanthropy is increasingly significant in terms of total income to universities, now equivalent to around 2.3 per cent of its expenditure.
Not all funds affect the income and expenditure account, with significant amounts reflected instead in the balance sheet as capital assets or endowments.
The amount of new pledges secured by universities has fallen in the last year, but is still 4 per cent higher than two years ago.
In total, UK universities secured £532 million in new philanthropic funds in 2008-9, sharply down from the 2007-8 figure of £675 million. However, the median new funds secured by universities showed a more modest decline from £445,000 in 2007-8 to £433,000 in 2008-9.