University Fundraising in Britain is an account of the culture change in British universities as people from all walks of life rallied to the cause of maintaining the quality of teaching and research through fundraising, in the face of the unprecedented expansion of student numbers. It recounts how a few individuals began to adapt professional fundraising to an academic environment, describes the impact of transatlantic ideas of ‘best practice’ and their adaptation to local circumstances through the work of a few individuals from the UK and North America, and how the academic leadership, government policy and influential volunteers came together to expand philanthropy as an important source of revenue in colleges and universities throughout the UK. It documents the expansion of student numbers in the USA and UK and the differing financial models supporting the higher education sector. When New Labour found the existing funding model of higher education to be unsustainable, one response was to seek new ways to kick-start university fundraising, and to encourage philanthropy. University leaders were quick to respond and to follow the early pioneers such as the universities of Edinburgh and later Oxford and Cambridge. The result was a significant increase in non-governmental sources of income and a new profession of university fundraisers. William Squire was the first development director at the University of Cambridge and the book incorporates many of his personal experiences in the changing world of university fundraising. Whilst University Fundraising in Britain is a work of social history that primarily focuses on university fundraising, many parts of the book apply wherever there is a need to attract funds for all kinds of charitable and cultural activities. The book has a foreword by Sir Adrian Cadbury, former Chancellor of Aston University and a well-known industrialist and philanthropist.

The research aimed at investigating how the discourse of fundraising is organised by universities in the UK. The study has been undertaken from a Critical Discourse Analysis perspective using two theoretical approaches namely argumentation and evaluation which have been utilised in analysing and understanding the mechanism of this discourse. The data was collected from the alumni webpages of five UK universities: Cambridge, Oxford, Edinburgh, Saint Andrews and University College London. From the argumentation perspective, the analysis revealed the macro structure of the argument as revolving chiefly around claims, goals, values, circumstances and means premises, which capture what the universities value and hold dear, why they care about such and the practical steps required to achieve such goals. While the argumentation approach unravels the macro structure of the discourse of the universities and how they persuade their alumni and friends to make donations, the evaluation theory was used in investigating the specific internal structure of the discourse, analysing more delicately and sensitively the specific values that the universities promote in their arguments. From the analysis, six evaluative categories: significance, capacity, variety, people, flexibility and novelty were identified as cumulatively constituting the core discursive and persuasive strategies of the universities. The findings of the research therefore suggest that the discourse of fundraising in UK universities takes a promotional posture revolving chiefly around argumentation and evaluative strategies to solicit funds from alumni, friends and the public.

What is charity? How does it operate, who does it benefit and what should we expect it to do? This important book helps to tackle the most common misunderstandings and misconceptions of charitable activity in contemporary British society, especially insofar as these affect the thinking of politicians and policymakers. The authors present and discuss over a dozen studies, including public attitudes to giving, large datasets on the geography and funding patterns of third sector organisations, and interviews with a wide range of donors, charity leaders, fundraisers and philanthropy advisers. This data enables them to explore the logic of charity in terms of the distribution of resources across causes and communities in the UK, and the processes behind philanthropic decision-making, to reveal a picture of charitable activity at odds with widespread assumptions.

Charitable fundraising has become ever more urgent in a time of extensive public spending cuts. However, while the identity and motivation of those who donate comes under increasingly close scrutiny, little is known about the motivation and characteristics of the ‘askers’, despite almost every donation being solicited or prompted in some way. This is the first empirically-grounded and theorised account of the identity, characteristics and motivation of fundraisers in the UK. Based on original data collected during a 3-year study of over 1,200 fundraisers, the book argues that it is not possible to understand charitable giving without accounting for the role of fundraising.

Applying the principles of marketing to nonprofit organisations and the fundraising sector is vital for the modern fundraiser who wants to increase profitability and diversify their fundraising efforts in this challenging industry. This comprehensive how-to guide provides a thorough grounding in the principles underpinning professional practices and critically examines the key issues in fundraising policy, planning and implementation. This new edition of Fundraising Management builds on the successful previous editions by including an integrated theoretical framework to help fundraisers develop a critical and reflective approach to their practice. Also new to this edition are how-tos on budgeting and making a strong and compelling case for investment, two vital core skills, as well as comprehensive coverage of digital fundraising and fundraising through social media. The new edition also accounts for recent changes in the fundraising environment, notably in the UK, the introduction of a new fundraising regulator and new thinking on professional ethics. Combining scholarly analysis with practical real-life examples, Fundraising Management has been endorsed by the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, and is mapped to the Certificate and Diploma in Fundraising, making it the definitive guide to best practice both in the UK and globally. This is a clear, problem-solving guide that no fundraising student or professional should be without.