Higher Education

Consistently setting national giving trends and best practice standards, fundraisers in higher education repeatedly break the eight- and now the nine-figure gift barrier.

The arena for ambitious and breathtaking campaign goals, higher education has positioned philanthropy to have transformational potential. At the same time, the decline in alumni participation gives many pause; globalization necessitates an international approach to fundraising; and the growing cost of higher education, decreasing enrollment at many institutions, and the need for student support remain at the forefront of the national conversation. The higher education landscape is complex – large public research universities, small private colleges, emerging community college systems – each institution faces unique challenges that require tailor-made solutions. From colleges just setting their course on a culture of philanthropy to universities with well-charted paths, our clients can benefit from campaign services, executive and professional level recruiting, staff structuring and buildouts, interim management, alumni engagement planning, and fundraising assessments. With each engagement, we keep an eye towards building the culture and structures necessary for students of all backgrounds to reach their greatest potential and receive a high-quality education that prepares them for today’s diverse world.

The Development Guild team was flexible and responsive, and kept us on track even when we had to pivot to being entirely virtual. They presented a strong pool of candidates, and we are very happy with our new Director of Development for the Eastern U.S. We would never have been able to recruit such a great candidate without Development Guild.

- Bruce Flessner, Vice President of Development

Because Development Guild counseled us on our $40M capital campaign, they knew us well and understood the kind of leader we needed in a Vice President for Institutional Advancement. The Development Guild team was fantastic; they always helped us anticipate new developments and kept us fully informed throughout the search. They were easy to work with and fit in beautifully with our team. They could not have done a better job! 

- Toni Hays, President

There are lots of search firms to choose from but when I needed to build my advancement team, I chose Development Guild. Their ability to identify and engage talent who not only have the required professional experience but are also a strong culture fit is unparalleled. I can always count on Development Guild to represent us well to candidates; I look forward to partnering with them again for future searches.

- John Malcolm, Vice President, Institutional Advancement

Our Higher Education Clients

  • American College for Financial Services
  • American University of Beirut
  • American University in Cairo
  • Babson College
  • Barnard College
  • Bennington College
  • Bentley University
  • The Boston Conservatory at Berklee
  • Brandeis University
  • Bridgewater State University
  • Buffalo State College
  • Bunker Hill Community College
  • Cambridge College

  • Chatham University

  • City College of New York
  • Colby College
  • College of the Holy Cross
  • Columbia University School of Nursing
  • Drew University
  • Emerson College
  • Emmanuel College
  • Fisher College
  • Fitchburg State University
  • Harvard Medical School
  • Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
  • Hofstra University
  • John Hopkins University, School of Medicine
  • Keene State College
  • Lesley University
  • Massachusetts College of Art and Design
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
  • McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT
  • New York University
  • New York Law School
  • Northeastern University
  • Olin College
  • Quinnipiac University
  • Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study
  • Regis College
  • Rhode Island School of Design
  • Sacred Heart University
  • Simmons University
  • Smith College
  • St. Lawrence University
  • Suffolk University
  • SUNY New Paltz
  • UMass Medical School/UMass Memorial Healthcare
  • University of Massachusetts Amherst
  • University of Massachusetts Boston
  • University of Massachusetts Foundation
  • University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • University of Massachusettts Dartmouth
  • University of Miami
  • University of Rhode Island Foundation
  • University of Utah, Moran Eye Center
  • Vassar College
  • Wagner College
  • Weill Medical College of Cornell University
  • Wellesley College
  • Wentworth Institute of Technology
  • West Point Association of Graduates
  • Wheaton College

Other Practice Areas We Serve