IHEP

Philanthropy and Endowments

What role does philanthropy play in higher education?
While philanthropy has played a significant role in the development of higher education in the United States, countries in much of the rest of the world have only recently begun to incorporate philanthropy into the financing of higher education. As a point of comparison, as of 2004 over 200 universities in the United States had endowments worth more than $200 billion, while only five in the United Kingdom had endowments this large (Labi 2004). Even taking into account the smaller size of the British higher education system, the gap between the two systems is huge.

Many countries are increasingly turning to philanthropy in an attempt to fill the gap between the rising costs of higher education and limited state funding. Examples can be found around the globe, including the establishment of endowments at African universities, the initiation of fundraising campaigns at universities in Europe, Australia, and China, and the establishment of mechanisms for corporate philanthropy in support of research in Europe (Teferra 2005; Hunt 2007; Business/Higher Education Roundtable 2006; European Foundation Centre 2006).

What resources are available on these topics?
The literature on philanthropy in higher education is extensive. The resources presented here are not comprehensive but instead focus on key issues and recent developments in the field. First, a list of general resources is provided. Then, Web sites that deal with philanthropy in higher education are divided into the following categories: (1) Philanthropy in Europe; (2) Philanthropy in the United States; (3) Global Philanthropy; (4) Corporate Philanthropy; and (5) Examples of Successful Advancement Offices.

Resources

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