It’s critical that development officers at colleges and universities identify the best opportunities for harnessing alumni volunteerism. A December 2009 study by the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund and VolunteerMatch offers some compelling data to demonstrate the importance of volunteerism to fundraising:
- The average amount given by volunteers is more than 10 times that given by non-volunteers
- The rate of volunteering increases with education (36% of Americans with high school diplomas, 56% with four-year degrees, 61% with post-graduate degrees)
- 63% of Americans cite a renewed sense of the value and importance of service to their community
- 66% believe “true philanthropy” involves giving both time and money
Early this year, we connected with Jim Langley, founder and president of Langley Innovations, and past vice president of advancement at Georgetown University, and asked for his advice on how advancement shops at colleges and universities can harness the power of alumni volunteerism.