Cambridge Fundraising Success

Funding reached record levels this year, according to a study by the National Centre for Social Research.

British universities secured £774 million in funding in the academic year 2011-2012. This year alone there was a 14.4% increase from the 2012-2011 figure of £676 million. This figure also represents a 33% increase from 2009-2010.

Please give generously: Oxbridge has swept the board in terms of donations

Oxford and Cambridge cornered a massive 45% of donations, showing the success of their respective funding campaigns. Cambridge launched its 800th Anniversary campaign in 2005, the target of which was £1 billion by 2010: easily surpassed.

Meanwhile, Oxford’s ‘Oxford Thinking’ campaign was launched in 2004. Telethon campaigns employing students to contact alumni have been used extensively with great success.

Last year, Oxford alumnus Michael Moritz made a whopping record-breaking donation of £75 million to the university he once attended. Like many others, Moritz cites the fall in government funding to universities as a key factor in his donation: “The increase in tuition fees certainly accentuated the need for scholarship programmes.”

Whilst Cambridge and Oxford have been very successful with fundraising, other institutions have struggled. The gap between the highest and lowest performing universities has widened; the study shows that a high proportion of the funding is going to a relatively select group of institutions.

Other Russell Group unis like Durham have done well out of their alumni

Six universities raised more than £20 million, whilst almost thirty secured less than £100,000. The Russell Group’s overall share of donations increased markedly to 38%.

Dean, a first year medic, told The Tab: “Cambridge is better than other universities. Are you sure that this is news?”

Will, a first year lawyer, said, “I hope that the success of fundraising means that the funding for low income students is at least maintained and hopefully increases, with more grants and scholarships being awarded.”

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What do you think? Is it right that Oxbridge receive more donations than other universities?

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