WASHINGTON, D.C., AND ATLANTA, GEORGIA – June 27, 2023 – CASE and the African American Development Officers Network, Inc. have jointly announced a transition in the hosting of the annual Conference on Diverse Philanthropy and Leadership. AADO has made a strategic decision to focus on new projects designed for the broad, not-for-profit community they serve. CASE will continue holding the conference, which is next scheduled for April 8-10, 2024, in Chicago. AADO will launch its new conference on June 10-12, 2024, in Atlanta.

"We at CASE believe organizations must be at the forefront of creating workplaces where colleagues feel a sense of belonging to develop inclusive excellence. If the advancement profession is not encouraging inclusive environments, we will not be able to deliver on the success that truly diverse communities bring to our institutions and to the communities with which we work,” said Sue Cunningham, President and CEO of CASE. “We value AADO’s mission to provide professional development and networking opportunities for advancement professionals of color and are grateful for our long and fruitful collaboration. CASE appreciates AADO’s contributions and looks forward to new opportunities in the future.”

Over the course of the partnership’s 11 years, the two nonprofits have demonstrated their shared commitment to providing educational and networking opportunities that support the needs of underrepresented professionals in advancement.

“AADO appreciates the partnership with CASE on the Conference on Diverse Philanthropy and Leadership. Together, we have provided training, worked to build advancement capacity, and helped develop a diverse professional pipeline for the future,” said Birgit Smith Burton, Founder and Executive Director of AADO. “We have valued this collaboration and look forward to continuing to work on other opportunities together.”

Supporting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in advancement is a key focus area in CASE’s strategic plan “Championing Advancement: CASE 2022–2027.” CASE’s Opportunity and Inclusion Center is driving change and providing social justice solutions through various initiatives, which include the Conference on Diverse Philanthropy and Leadership, as well as the recently released Advancement Inclusion Index, a first-of-its-kind tool that measures DEIB progress in advancement policy and practice. 

“Advancement professionals from historically underrepresented and excluded groups face pervasive systemic barriers throughout their careers that prevent them from attaining opportunities in advancement, said CASE Vice President of People, Culture & Talent Rob Henry. “The Opportunity and Inclusion Center is providing advancement professionals from underrepresented backgrounds with resources that create meaningful change in their own careers and at their institutions. We are excited to continue offering the Conference on Diverse Philanthropy and Leadership and look forward to delivering its educational and networking opportunities for many years to come.”

About CASE

CASE—the Council for Advancement and Support of Education—is a global, not-for-profit membership association with a vision to advance education to transform lives and society. 

CASE is the home for advancement professionals, inspiring, challenging, and equipping them to act effectively and with integrity to champion the success of their institutions. CASE defines the competencies and standards for the profession of advancement, leading, and championing their dissemination and application with more than 97,000 advancement professionals at 3,100 member institutions in 80 countries. 

Broad and growing communities of professionals gather under the global CASE umbrella. Currently these include alumni relations, development services, communications, fundraising, government relations, and marketing. These professionals are at all stages of their careers and may be working in universities, schools, colleges, cultural institutions, or other not-for-profits. CASE uses the intellectual capital and professional talents of a community of international volunteers to advance its work, and its membership includes many educational partners who work closely with the educational sector.  

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., CASE works across all continents from its regional offices in London, Singapore, and Mexico City to achieve a seamless experience for all its stakeholders, particularly its members, volunteers, and staff.  

About AADO

AADO’s members are professionals of color and allies that have designated fundraising and/or development as their primary responsibility in their organization.

AADO’s mission is to provide professional development, education, employment support, mentorship, and networking opportunities for fundraisers of color. Currently, led by a team of profoundly committed and accomplished volunteers, there are over 3,000 members across North America. In determining the strategy for the next 20 years, AADO’s sights are set even higher with plans to leverage its leadership position, industry credibility, and network to truly facilitate industry-wide change.

AADO will launch its new fundraising conference June 10-12, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia.  www.aadonetwork.com