"This event was a long time in the making for a prestigious annual event that we support called The Alice and Clifford Spendlove Prize in Social Justice, Diplomacy, and Tolerance. It was established at UC Merced in 2006 to honor a scholar, author, artist, or citizen whose work exemplifies the delivery of social justice, diplomacy, and tolerance in the diverse local and global society and who would be a role model and inspiration for students, faculty, and the community surrounding UC Merced.
The $15,000 prize was made possible through an endowment gift from Sherrie Spendlove in honor of her parents. This is the 15th recipient of the Spendlove Prize Award.
This event was a two-part event that included a virtual recorded program for 100 guests and a private showing and reception on a separate day for 400 guests that included the UC Merced community of students, staff, faculty, local community members, and friends of the university.
To plan this event, we worked closely with the Dalai Lama's personal assistants. They were very emphatic as to how the event would evolve and were wonderful partners in guiding our staff on the processes that they would expect.
The outcome was an intimate and interactive Zoom experience and a separate video showing at a private viewing and reception. This event took two years of planning but actually began 12 years ago with a personal letter to the Dalai Lama."
From the Judges
This a great approach to making an on-campus tradition accessible to alumni around the globe. Incredible reach. Impressed with the integration of live talent, giveaways, and alumni giving into the event. Top-notch advancement strategy!
