As the field of institutional advancement matures, as operations grow in complexity, and as the expectations of advancement professionals evolve, it behooves organizations to continually respond and adapt in order to ensure relevance and effectiveness. Over the past 10 years, NC State has done just that. We’ve developed structures, built best practices and productive relationships in a decentralized environment that together, through blood, sweat and yes, even some tears, have enabled the advancement team to thrive. While we are proud of the culture that’s been established, it’s one that we don’t take for granted and work hard to sustain. We believe some of the lessons we’ve learned along the way, specifically in areas related to talent acquisition and development, HR and finance, as well as strategic planning and organizational management, are worth sharing and hopefully they can be helpful for other organizations too!