text: Mon 28 Mar 2011 11.14 EDT First published on Mon 28 Mar 2011 11.14 EDT
  While the UK may not have the experience in educational fundraising that north American universities have (Nick Blinco, director of development and alumni relations at the University of Brimingham, said at the Guardian Higher Education Summit that UK HEIs were about 30 years behind the US) Adrian Salmon argues that universities are, at their core, "fully-fledged charities, just like Oxfam, or the NSPCC."
  In a recent blog for the network, he argued that "the only difference is that we're what are called 'exempt charities' ... exempt from registration because our governance structures are deemed exceptionally strong."
  If universities, as Salmon says, have "stopped thinking of themselves as, first and foremost, educational charities," does this suggest that fundraising, philanthropy and alumni relations staff are not adequately supported in their efforts to communicate with donors and their own institutions?
  Do fundraisers have the skills to capitalise on the year-on-year increase in charitable giving? And what can the sector learn from those universities who have mastered fundraising?
  CASE is the international membership organisations for professionals working in fundraising, alumni relations, communications and marketing in the education sector. Prior to this Kate worked as head of communications at Queen Mary, University of London and in public relations roles at the Royal Shakespeare Company.