From the Nominator

"The Bold Ideas Summit served as a brand new way to engage prospective donors and university leadership in co-creating collaborative priorities for our upcoming fundraising campaign. Approximately two years before the anticipated campaign launch, the development team assembled top U-M executives, academic leadership, and 50 of the university’s most engaged prospects at the ground level of the campaign planning process to write the university’s next chapter.   

Before the Summit, multidisciplinary faculty teams from across the university had prepared collaborative ideas in five thematic areas where U-M could address complex world problems. Summaries of these ideas were composed in a workbook and thematic videos designed to invite thoughtful feedback and input before the event.  

The Summit event was centered around listening to ideas, reactions, and feedback from prospects in discussion groups with university leaders, students, faculty experts, and staff facilitators. A visual notetaker captured the conversations in real time on a colorful whiteboard in the front of the room, enabling participants to watch their ideas develop. The day culminated in a celebration dinner on President Santa Ono’s very first day in office.   

The marketing and communications team partnered with the university and development events team to create a branding and communications strategy, marketing materials, and more that captured this innovative and bold approach to the current campaign. Through well-executed writing, graphic design, and multimedia production, including video, we provided a vibrant, energetic, and interactive experience for donors and volunteers that catalyzed future gift conversations and follow-up events in regions across the country."

From the Judges

The panel was particularly fond of the approach of including donors before priorities were established, during the pre-planning, or quiet phase, of the campaign. Cross-collaboration and the collegial nature of the submission were also cited by the judges as important and valuable to the process. The panel is excited to hear about the long-term, tangible outcomes of this type of co-authorship with lead donors.