Smartideas

What We Can Learn From Giving to Higher Education

It’s the enduring appeal of the scholarship.

It is a way for one person to help another person realize their potential.

The volume of giving to higher ed is down. The percentage of annual alumni giving has declined over the past three decades. Those that continue to give, however, show a preference for scholarships.

Donors to higher ed show less interest in unrestricted giving, endowments (including endowed chairs) and capital improvements. Yet, interest in scholarship support remains strong. In the surveys we conduct, we see most alumni saying no when asked about their interest in supporting their alma mater. However, when, a few questions later, we ask if they are interested in supporting students, the responses shoot up. See the difference? They’re not interested in subsidizing the institution but they are interested in investing in student potential. Might we all learn from this?

People give to people. Give each potential donor the opportunity to help one person served by your mission – not funds, pillars, buckets or categories of support – and watch what happens. Ask people to give to help realize the potential of those you serve – not because they are disadvantaged but because they have so much more to give and to be – and watch what happens.

People give to help people get to a better place – an even playing field or a place in the sun where they can do their best work, where they can prove their potential, where they can show their mettle, demonstrate their grit and overcome misfortune or the circumstances of their birth. Give them an opportunity to show they have more to give because they began with less.

Show each potential donor how to fuel the potential of those you serve and watch what a difference it makes – in giving, in adhering to your mission, in developing philanthropic partnerships and in building communities of shared purpose.

Philanthropy is innately personal. People will give generously within their means when shown how they can help put others back on their feet and pointed toward their destiny.

Charity is about giving alms. Philanthropy is about unleashing potential.

Jim Langley is the president of Langley Innovations. Langley Innovations provides a range of services to its clients to help them understand the cultural underpinnings of philanthropy and the psychology of donors and, with that knowledge, to develop the most effective strategies and tactics to build broader and more lasting communities of support. Jim has authored numerous books including his most recent book, The Future of Fundraising: Adapting to New Philanthropic Realities, published by Academic Impressions in 2020.