Advancement teams today face a perfect storm of pressures: rising public skepticism, dwindling alumni engagement and lean staff rosters struggling to keep up with growing demands. Recent data show 79% of advancement leaders cite limited budget or resources as a top challenge, while 75% report current vacancies on their team, 54% rank staffing shortages among their greatest hurdles, and 37% view hiring and retaining talent as a top three priority over the next year.
Underfunding advancement isn’t just a morale problem. It impacts the bottom line. Every $1 withdrawn from an advancement budget corresponds to an $8.25 decline in fundraising outcomes. Conversely, study after study shows that as teams add full‑time staff, production climbs and institutions with larger advancement have consistently shown to be raising more dollars.
The Current Operating Model is Strained
Too often, advancement offices run leaner than they ought to:
Median team size for Fund Management Teams is just 2, and for alumni engagement is just 4 staff members.
Staff‑to‑alumni ratio stands at roughly 1:19,500 which makes personalized outreach almost impossible without technology.
With budgets shrinking since 2016, teams must find new ways to do more with less.
How do we Unlock Economies of Scale
It isn’t just about adding heads; it’s about where you place them. Analysis shows that every ten additional advancement FTEs deliver on average an $0.18 return on every dollar spent—and smaller shops see even bigger marginal gains. Thoughtful staffing allocations—shifting roles toward operations and strategy—boost overall ROI.
Advancement leaders are experimenting with new tactics to shore up capacity:
A winning strategy falters without the right organizational design. When priorities shift, roles and reporting lines must, too. However, only 16% of CEOs focus on matching structure to evolving goals. And in higher education, entrenched silos further stifle collaboration.
The good news? Advancement teams can break through departmental barriers by realigning around shared goals and unified processes.
Framework for Operational Excellence
EAB’s recommended blueprint for resourcing operations rests on three pillars:
Telling the Story to Secure Buy‑In
Numbers alone aren’t enough to win budget battles and convince stakeholders. You need a narrative that speaks leadership’s language. Highlight common barriers (budget, competing priorities), enlist internal champions, and anchor arguments in metrics such as:
Link these short‑term wins (e.g., hours saved) to long‑term outcomes (stronger donor experiences, greater fundraising capacity) to demonstrate how investment in operations directly drives ROI.
High‑performing advancement teams are built by investing smarter in people, processes, and platforms that power performance and maximize return on every dollar spent. In an era of “less with less,” reimagining how we structure and support these teams is no longer optional, it’s become mission‑critical.
THANK YOU
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