Independently or as part of a larger study, GG+A will work with you to identify a cohort of peer and aspirant peer institutions and conduct a rigorous quantitative study to identify drivers of high performance and opportunities for philanthropic growth.
We help clients turn comparative data into actionable insights
By working to create a cohort of peers and aspirant peers and to develop proven data collection instruments, benchmarking will help your institution better understand itself and its performance.
GG+A consultants will work with you to identify a cohort of peers and aspirant peers for the study based on important factors such as overall fundraising success, geographic location, development structure, or institutional history. We then work with you to determine what type of survey would best answer your questions and serve the unique needs of your institution. Upon return of the data, GG+A’s dedicated benchmarking analysts will review the data for quality control and highlight variances that may indicate opportunities for improved performance, both across the board and in specific program areas. Thoughtful and rigorous benchmarking can provide real insights into how your organization is doing on numerous fronts and help to develop concrete steps to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your program.
Benchmarking can provide candid perspective on your organization and your sector.
We Understand Your World
Benchmarking studies can help a wide range of institutions including colleges and universities, independent schools, health systems and hospitals, arts and cultural groups, voluntary organizations, and many more, and may be commissioned independently or as part of larger studies. For complex organizations such as universities, we can conduct studies at both the overall institutional level and with individual schools, units, or divisions. Surveys cover a variety of topics including fundraising success; funding mechanisms and resource deployment; alumni relations, parent, corporate and foundation, and planned giving programs; and much more. Quantitative benchmarking surveys can also be paired with qualitative benchmarking studies to provide a deeper look into other institutions’ operations. The benchmarking data provides the basis for our consultants’ recommendations about how best to leverage your strengths and determine areas for improvement.
Our Services
Benchmarking Studies
Unit-Specific Benchmarking Studies
Complex institutions may benefit from gaining objective insight on performance of their advancement operations at the individual school, unit, or division level, in addition to for the institution overall. These studies may be valuable both for high-performing units that represent a large portion of the institution’s overall fundraising and for underperforming units with high growth potential.
Qualitative Benchmarking Studies
Separately or as a complement to a quantitative benchmarking project, qualitative studies can provide nuance and detail on best practices learned from high-performance programs at peer and aspirant peer institutions
Our Clients
Our clients include colleges and universities, independent schools, academic medical centers, healthcare systems, arts and culture enterprises, social service and advocacy groups, and religiously affiliated organizations. Here is a sampling:
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
- American University
- The Art Institute of Chicago
- Association of American Medical Colleges
- Barack Obama Foundation
- Dartmouth College
- King’s College London
- Kingswood Oxford School
- Lyric Opera of Chicago
- Middlebury College
- Rush University Medical Center
- Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute
- University of California, Santa Barbara
- University of Rochester
- University of Virginia
- Yale University School of Medicine