Building Capacity in your Development Office
Gordon CoxThrough discussions with leaders, managers, and stakeholders, a key focus has emerged on building capacity through training, developing, and retaining staff within the sector. The number of professionals working in educational development has dramatically increased. This expansion necessitates recruiting individuals with transferable skills from the commercial and charity sectors while also accelerating the progression of those already within the profession, all within the context of resource constraints.
The survey and its participants
A cover email was sent to approximately 175 development professionals across the Higher Education and school sectors, primarily targeting Directors.
This survey aimed to capture insights from development leaders and teams across the education sector, including Higher Education (HE), Further Education (FE), schools, and other educational charities. However, given the numbers involved—respondents were predominantly from HE institutions, followed by schools.
The survey provided an overview of sector-wide trends while identifying key challenges and opportunities.
The survey received 56 responses, representing a completion rate of around 32%. All but 11 of the participants managed people, and around one quarter worked 100% physically, with an even spread for hybrid working and days per week. Unsurprisingly, over 50% identified as the decision makers for their training.
● Job Titles: Of the 56 respondents, 50 provided their job titles. Among them, 22 were identified as Directors or Chief-level professionals—the most senior advancement figures in their institutions.
● Institutional Representation: 51 participants disclosed their institutions, covering 44 individual organisations: 32 HE institutions, nine schools, and three other entities. Among HE respondents, nine represented Oxbridge colleges.
● Areas of Work: The participants' focus areas varied greatly. The three most significant clusters consisted of fundraisers and senior leaders, likely influenced by the high proportion of Directors who completed the survey.
Check back tomorrow to explore our findings on Training Participation and Sector Preferences.
University College, Oxford
Philanthropy Company provided an interactive half-day workshop on campaign planning and strategy with development professionals as part of our wider project with Univ.
“Philanthropy Company provided valuable insights and recommendations for Univ. They were professional and a delight to work with and importantly, their work had real substance. I would recommend them.”
Felice Nassar, Director of Development, Communications and Alumni Relations
