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Recommendations will outline ethical and responsible data collection

March 7, 2022

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Council for Advancement and Support of Education is partnering with three leading fundraising organizations to develop best practices about the collection, storage and use of data on race, ethnicity, and gender identity in charitable fundraising. 

CASE, Apra, the Association of Advancement Services Professionals, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals will create recommendations for responsibly collecting data on race, ethnicity, gender identity, and pronouns.

Data help today’s advancement teams understand and engage with diverse alumni and donors. But too often, processes and systems aren’t optimized to collect this information in transparent, responsible ways. The new guidelines this partnership will create, to be released in December 2022, will give development professionals guidance to ethically handle this key demographic data.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Apra, AASP, and AFP on crucial work to create these resources for data on race, ethnicity, and gender identity. These data help advancement professionals deeply understand their audiences—and, guided by best practices, fundraisers can engage diverse stakeholders in thoughtful, meaningful ways,” says Cara Giacomini, CASE’s Vice President of Data, Research, and Technology. 

Higher education and data leaders will spotlight the project this week at CASE’s DRIVE/ Conference in New Orleans. The March 9 keynote session, “Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Data Collection—Ethical Considerations and Recommended Practices,” will feature Giacomini; Therese Callaghan, Associate Vice President of Information Technology at Rutgers University; Lori Hood Lawson, Vice President of Advancement Insights at UC Innovation; and Shalonda Martin, Senior Director of Data Integrity & DEI Council Chair, University of Southern California.

CASE, Apra, AASP, and AFP’s partnership agreement began in February 2022, and the collaborative work to draft resource documents will occur in phases throughout 2022. 

This data partnership builds on each association’s work in research, data, and diversity and inclusion. Last year, Apra's Ethics and Compliance Committee released its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Data Guide outlining best practices in the ethical collection, storage and usage of DEI data.

The work will also be underpinned by CASE’s Global Reporting Standards, a common set of standards, guidelines, and definitions for reporting the results of educational philanthropy activities at schools, colleges, and universities across the globe. The Standards are part of AMAtlas, CASE’s global resource for advancement research, metrics, and analytics. 

In 2021, CASE launched its Opportunity and Inclusion Center to focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in advancement. With it, CASE aims to help institutions connect with their diverse constituencies and create pathways for current and future employees of diverse backgrounds. 

Learn more about CASE’s research and AMAtlas at https://www.case.org/resources/amatlas.

Learn more about the OIC at https://www.case.org/oic-opportunity-and-inclusion-center.