Free to CASE Members

Introduction to Integrated Advancement is for professionals new to educational advancement and working in any advancement job function, including Advancement Services, Alumni Relations, Fundraising, and Communications and Marketing.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Differentiate between the core disciplines that make up educational advancement
• Identify the core competencies advancement professionals must develop
• Define the principles, ethics and job responsibilities that encompass each discipline
• Review the key resources that support advancement professionals in their career journey
   

This course is estimated to take between 1.5-2 hours to complete.

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Designed for professionals new to fundraising, this on-demand onboarding course will provide the foundational knowledge needed to further your career and support the fundraising work at your institution. 

Modules include:

• Introduction
  Fundraising is a team sport built on ethics and a healthy culture of philanthropy. This intro module will identify the ethics, players, and steps of the donor cycle that provide the foundation required for a healthy culture of philanthropy and successful fundraising.
• Components of Annual Giving
  Annual giving is a foundational component of many development offices. This module dives into the components that support a successful annual giving program, including setting data-informed goals, segmenting constituents, messaging, and giving programs.
• Strategies of Annual Giving
  Following from Components of Annual Giving, this module examines the pros, cons, and how-to of direct mail, phonathons, digital fundraising, giving days, engagement-to-giving, and student philanthropy.
• Stewardship and Donor Relations
  Stewardship is absolutely critical to successful fundraising, and if you are doing it well, it should be happening all the time. This module dives into how to elevate your stewardship with small changes, and considers the unique needs of different types of donors, from first-time to loyal donors.
• Major Gifts and Pipeline Development
  Major gifts account for up to 80-90 percent of donation dollars most institutions will receive, making it imperative that organizations have a strong pipeline and system for identifying, cultivating, and stewarding major donors. This module will take you through the process from identification to stewardship.
• Campaigns
  A campaign can be a great way to generate excitement, increase engagement, and accelerate fundraising efforts. This module will walk you through the steps of a successful campaign from initial planning to campaign closure.
• Corporate Fundraising
  This module will identify the differences between corporate philanthropy, corporate sponsorship, and corporate partnerships, and equip you with strategies for building relationships with corporate partners, crafting compelling proposals, and closing gifts that support the goals of your institution and the corporations.

Each module is estimated to take between 30-45 minutes to complete.

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Designed for professionals new to alumni relations, this on-demand course will provide the foundational knowledge needed to further your career and support the alumni relations work at your institution. You’ll come away with the knowledge and skills needed to cultivate alumni affinity, host impactful events, and steward volunteers.

Modules include:

• Introduction
  Explore the integral role of alumni relations within the broader context of advancement and philanthropy. Participants will learn how fostering strong alumni connections contributes to creating a culture of philanthropy, essential for the sustained growth and support of educational institutions.
• Affinity Engagement
  Alumni affinity is foundational to the work of alumni relations because it serves as the glue between alumni and their institution. In order to best serve alumni, it is critical that you first understand the multitude of ways that alumni affinity can be instilled and the strategies for achieving it. In this module you will learn about the types and approaches to affinity engagement.
• Regional & Global Engagement
  Extending your alumni efforts across regional and global borders allows you to tap into new markets for prospective donors and students by meeting alumni where they are and building institutional affinity. In this module, you will learn how to align your engagement efforts around the world with your institution’s strategic priorities, implement best practices, and identify key performance indicators.
• Young Alumni Engagement
  Introducing institutional affinity to students and young alumni serves as the gateway to volunteer and prospect stewardship. In this module you’ll learn about the purpose and importance of engaging this core constituency and identify best practices and programs for engaging them.
• Alumni Events
  Creating meaningful events for your alumni is a major part of alumni relations efforts. In this module, you’ll learn about the key features that make an impactful event, recognize the principles and practices for successful event planning, and identify key performance indicators to track and measure success.
• Volunteer & Board Management
  To truly grow your alumni relations efforts, you will need a talented group of alumni volunteers and board members supporting you. In this module you’ll learn the difference between task forces, committees, alumni boards, and councils, get familiar with best practices for volunteer recruitment, orientation, management and appreciation, and identify strategies for engaging a varied group of volunteers in these efforts. 

Each module is expected to take between 30-45 minutes to complete.

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Designed for professionals new to educational marketing and communications, this on-demand onboarding course will provide the foundational knowledge needed to further your career and support your work.

Dive into the dynamic fields of marketing and communications, exploring how these distinct yet interconnected functions can be optimized to advance your institution's mission and strategic goals. Learn from industry experts and discover best practices for branding, public relations, crisis communications, and marketing campaigns. Gain insights into the essential skills of content creation, brand management, research, and digital strategy. Equip yourself with the knowledge to enhance your institution's reputation and engage key audiences effectively. 

Modules include:

• Introduction
  Explore the distinct roles and objectives of marketing and communications, gain insights into how each function contributes to the institution's goals, and learn how these functions are commonly organized and operate to support student enrollment, alumni engagement, and institutional advancement.
• Comprehensive Marketing Strategies
  Dive into the strategic approaches for enhancing student enrollment, fostering strong alumni relations, and driving advancement marketing. You’ll learn effective techniques to attract prospective students, engage alumni through meaningful interactions, and implement successful fundraising campaigns.
• Comprehensive Communications Strategies
  Explore key communications verticals essential for educational institutions. You will learn methods for effective internal leadership communication techniques, strategies for managing crisis communications, and best practices for media relations. Develop the skills needed to navigate complex communication challenges, ensuring clear, consistent, and impactful messaging across all levels of the institution.
• Marketing Research
  Learn about the different types of marketing research and explore research methods, research tools, and research analysis. Equip yourself with the knowledge and skills to conduct the robust marketing research that drives informed decision-making and effective marketing.
• Branding
  What makes an institutional brand? Explore the concept of an institutional brand, understanding its significance and impact. This module covers the development of a brand platform, including key components such as brand identity, values, and messaging. Additionally, participants will learn about brand and reputation metrics, gaining insights into how to measure and enhance the institution's brand perception and reputation effectively.
• Content Strategy & Storytelling
  Learn how to develop a content strategy that aligns with institutional goals and resonates with target audiences, and dive into what makes effective storytelling and how it must be a critical element of your content strategy.
• Conclusion
  Reinforce your learning by revisiting the key points from each module.

Each module is estimated to take between 30-45 minutes to complete.

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Designed for professionals new to Advancement Operations (also known as Advancement Services and Development Services), this course provides a practical introduction to the essential data management practices that drive successful advancement. Participants will learn the fundamentals of organizing, analyzing, and leveraging donor information to support fundraising goals. Equip yourself with the knowledge to enhance your institution's mission and grow your own skills and career.

Modules include:

• Introduction
  Get to know the who, what, why and how of advancement operations in educational institutions.
• Information Management, Data, and your Database
  Explore effective strategies and best practices for data collection, storage, and security. Equip yourself with the knowledge to optimize their institution's data management processes, enhancing operational efficiency and decision-making.
• Insight and Analytics
  Explore how to collect, analyze, and interpret data to gain actionable insights into donor behavior, fundraising performance, and engagement metrics. Learn about the essential tools and techniques for data analysis, and how to leverage analytics for strategic decision-making.
• Reporting and KPIs
  Explore the critical aspects of generating and utilizing reports and key performance indicators (KPIs) within an advancement office. Learn how to create comprehensive reports that provide valuable insights into fundraising activities, donor engagement, and overall advancement performance, and get equipped to enhance the effectiveness of your advancement office.
• Prospect Research and Pipeline Management
  Learn best practices to identify and evaluate potential donors, leveraging various research techniques and tools., and explore strategies for effectively managing the donor pipeline, ensuring a steady flow of prospects through cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship stages.
• Gift Processing and Management
  Learn how to accurately record, acknowledge, and report gifts, ensuring compliance with legal, ethical, and institutional requirements. Equip yourself with the skills to streamline gift processing and enhance donor relations through effective management practices.
• Conclusion
  Reinforce your learning by revisiting the key points from each module.

Each module is estimated to take between 30-45 minutes to complete.