The State of Advancement 2025: What’s changing and how teams are adapting

The data is clear: Advancement is evolving fast. Institutions are redefining what success looks like, balancing shrinking budgets with growing expectations for personalization and measurable results.

To better understand how institutions are adapting, Gravyty surveyed higher education leaders spanning Alumni Relations, Annual Giving, and beyond. The findings from the 2025 State of Advancement Report paint a clear picture of both the challenges and the opportunities shaping the next era of fundraising and engagement.

Here’s what we learned and how to put the insights into action on your campus.

Donor retention is the new acquisition

Over half of advancement leaders say they’re shifting focus from acquisition to retention, prioritizing mid-level donors and re-engaging those who’ve given in the past but fallen off. It’s a shift driven by capacity challenges and the rising cost of acquisition.

What we know: Retaining donors costs far less than acquiring new ones and builds more sustainable long-term growth.

Try this:

  • Start with a quick audit: Identify donors who gave last year but not this year. A simple spreadsheet or CRM filter is enough to flag re-engagement opportunities.
  • Revisit your “thank-you” workflow: If you don’t have capacity for personal calls, use short Gratavid videos or automated thank-you emails to show impact.
  • Add one retention touchpoint per quarter: Even a simple “impact update” or student story can rekindle engagement without a new campaign.

Example: Boston College High School focused on deepening relationships with existing donors instead of expanding acquisition, and saw Giving Day revenue rise 49% year-over-year despite limited staff.

AI and automation are driving efficiency

AI is moving from pilot programs to practical, everyday use. Over half of institutions already use automation for outreach or reporting, and 61% say they’re optimistic about AI’s potential to transform advancement.

What this means: AI and automation free up time for staff to focus on strategy and relationships instead of repetitive work.

Try this:

  • Automate post-event thank-you emails or Giving Day video reminders.
  • Add predictive modeling to help flag donors most likely to re-engage or upgrade.
  • Use AI-powered virtual assistant tools to automate FAQs and reminders

Example: St. Olaf College replaced its traditional phonathon with a student-led, automated outreach model powered by Gravyty’s Raise and Gratavid, boosting response rates and freeing staff to focus on strategy.

Cross-department collaboration is key

Nearly half of respondents report limited alignment between advancement and alumni relations teams, but those that do collaborate see stronger engagement and retention.

The impact: When departments share data and strategy, donors and alumni get a consistent experience, and teams avoid duplicating work.

Try this:

  • Bring advancement, alumni relations, and career services together once per semester to align messaging and calendars.
  • Connect systems so alumni, career, and advancement teams share one real-time view of donor activity and events, reducing overlap and duplicate asks.
  • Launch a joint campaign, like pairing event follow-ups with a giving appeal or inviting athletic alumni to support student-athlete career programs, to test cross-team results.

Example: The University of Tennessee unified advancement, alumni, and career services under one engagement platform, leading to a 300% increase in student-alumni connections and a more consistent donor experience.

Career and mentorship programs deepen engagement

60% of respondents say career and mentorship programs are among their most effective alumni engagement tools.

The takeaway: When alumni see real value, career advancement or networking, they’re far more likely to stay involved and give back.

Try this:

  • Start with a simple “career stories” email series that highlights alumni willing to mentor others.
  • Promote quick “micro-mentoring” options to increase participation beyond formal programs.
  • Highlight stories where alumni mentors helped students land jobs or internships, then follow up with a message inviting them to support similar opportunities for the next class.

Example: Ohio University’s Bobcat Network connected students and alumni through mentoring and career programs, driving 180% higher platform engagement and stronger affinity among recent grads.

Measure impact beyond dollars raised

73% of respondents plan to reevaluate how they measure success in the next 3-5 years, focusing on engagement, retention, and ROI, not just revenue.

Why this matters: A clear understanding of what’s driving participation helps leaders advocate for resources and demonstrate impact.

Try this:

  • Track engagement by counting event attendees, platform logins, or mentorship matches before layering in giving data.
  • Connect attendance or volunteerism data to giving records to see which activities predict donations.
  • Build a dashboard that visualizes engagement-to-donor conversion trends over time.

Example: University of California San Diego used data from its online donation forms to track and optimize participation, tripling donor conversions while creating a clearer link between engagement and giving.

The bottom line

The 2025 State of Advancement Report findings make one thing clear: success now depends on smarter collaboration, technology that scales human connection, and a renewed focus on long-term relationships.

No matter where your team is on its advancement journey, these strategies can help you work smarter, measure impact, and create more meaningful experiences for your community.

👉 Explore the full report: Download the State of Advancement 2025
👉 See how Gravyty can help you put these ideas into practice: Meet with our team
👉 Join a solution showcase session: See our solutions in a quick, no-pressure, group environment

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