Dear Colleagues:

The last year (2025) was a significant and, in many ways, challenging one for educational institutions and their annual giving programs. While 80% of institutions reported an increase in annual fund revenue, 52% experienced a decrease in donor counts, a trend that has persisted for several decades. More than 43% reported budget and/or hiring freezes, even as the need to recruit, develop, and support fundraising staff and volunteers felt more important than ever.

At AGN, our mission is to support educational institutions in developing sustainable sources of philanthropic support. We do this by helping their advancement staff learn the timeless principles and current best practices of annual giving. Over the past 12 months, we were proud to support thousands of fundraising professionals from more than 500 organizations through our research, training, and consulting services, as well as our membership program, which provides ongoing access to training and professional development. Some of the highlights we are most proud of include:

• 35,032 readers of our email newsletter
• 10,299 followers on our LinkedIn page
• 3,200 attendees of 40 live interactive training webinars, workshops, and forums
• 3,126 participants in our research initiatives, including our Strategic Priorities Survey, Program Performance Survey, Staff Salary Survey, and monthly perspective polls
• 414 participants in our Annual Giving SPACE Certification program for newcomers to the field
• 228 career opportunities on our job board
• 121 nominees for our 8th Annual “Best in Annual Giving” Sample Awards

As we enter the new year, we are incredibly optimistic about what lies ahead for educational institutions and their annual giving programs, while remaining thoughtfully aware of the challenges they may face. At AGN, we are deeply committed to helping institutions, especially our members, rise to meet those challenges and to prepare their teams for success in both the short and long term.

Thank you for being an important part of the industry’s most respected community of annual giving professionals. Here’s to the good work that lies ahead.

Sincerely,

Dan Allenby
President & Founder
Annual Giving Network