Best of CASE Europe Region Award
 

Institution: University of Cambridge

Title of entry: Transforming Access and Student Support at Cambridge

About this entry: The University of Cambridge’s Student Support Initiative (SSI) was a pioneering global fundraising campaign focussed on giving all the most academically talented students an opportunity to study at Cambridge, regardless of financial, social, or personal barriers. This was the first exclusively student-focussed fundraising campaign in Cambridge’s 800-year history.

Through strategic donor engagement, innovative fundraising and strong partnerships, SSI raised over £524 million in six years, surpassing its £500 million target. Collaboration across the University, Cambridge in America (our sister development office in the US) the 31 Cambridge Colleges (governed independently from the University) ensured a unified approach. By focussing on three priority areas, Postgraduate Studentships, Undergraduate Financial Support, and Student Life and Wellbeing, SSI significantly transformed student access and support.

The audience was primarily Cambridge alumni, but also included non-alumni, corporates, and trusts and foundations with an interest in excellence in higher education which resulted in over 10,000 donors engaging annually across six continents, with 379 prospects solicited for a major gift. Digital storytelling, personalised outreach, and matching campaigns played a key role in maximising this campaign’s impact.

As a result, thousands of students have benefited from access programmes, increased bursaries, scholarships, and mental health resources, reinforcing Cambridge’s commitment to attracting the brightest minds, irrespective of background.