Identifying the roles of university fundraisers in securing transformational gifts: lessons from Canada

As university public funding diminishes so the need for private funding increases commensurately. We investigate how a purposive sample of 16 professional university fundraisers in Canada successfully secured large (>$5m CAD) transformation donations from high-net-worth Canadian philanthropists. Using an inductive process, we articulate three key roles (the 3Ns – Networker, Negotiator and Knowledge-broker) professional fundraisers use for securing transformational gifts. Collectively, these roles indicate the relational nature of transformational giving; gifts arise from a co-created dyadic process of fundraiser–philanthropist interaction. The recommendations have major implications for how university development teams are developed, structured, trained and rewarded. We suggest further research investigates how trust develops between fundraisers and transformational gift-givers, and the motivations for transformational giving.