CASE Insights on Fund Management in partnership with FundMiner

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CASE and FundMiner’s two-year research initiative examined fund-management practices across higher-education institutions through surveys, roundtables, benchmarking, and practitioner interviews. Its goal was to identify ways to standardize fund management, honor donor intent, and communicate how gifts are used.<br /><br />The findings show that many institutions are still developing their programs: 74% describe their approach as reactive or basic, and only 22% of respondents to CASE’s Spring 2024 survey reported having formal fund-management policies. Common challenges include unspent funds, unclear ownership, limited staffing, fragmented data systems, manual reporting, and difficulty demonstrating impact. Fund management is interdisciplinary, involving advancement, finance, academic units, financial aid, and others, yet training and shared accountability are often insufficient.<br /><br />The presentation emphasizes that fund management is both an ethical responsibility and an institutional risk-management priority. Donor expectations matter: 80% of donors reportedly want evidence of impact before continuing their support. Institutions should move beyond asking whether funds were spent to assess whether they were used as intended and contributed to institutional goals.<br /><br />Recommended practices include establishing clear policies and roles; routinely monitoring balances and utilization; sharing information across campus; investigating why funds remain unspent; assigning owners and follow-up actions; and using technology to consolidate data and support ongoing compliance and reporting. Donor communications can improve by reporting on more fund types, reaching broader donor groups, and collecting compelling stories from students, faculty, and other beneficiaries. Institutions should also seek donor feedback and measure more than report delivery or open rates.<br /><br />Because staffing models and institutional resources vary, there is no single best approach. The research encourages leaders to make fund management a shared strategic priority, provide regular role-specific training, and build campus awareness through practical guides, compliance sessions, and ongoing engagement.

Keywords

fund management

higher education

donor intent

fund stewardship

institutional risk

policy standardization

unspent funds

donor communications

compliance reporting

impact measurement