CASE at 50
This is the second in our series of excerpts from CASE at 50: A Narrative History of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. The book, by Rob Moore, highlights special moments and seminal stories from the organization’s first 50 years. The excerpt below appears in Chapter 3: A Rolling Start.
The first [CASE] conferences reflected the professionals of the parent organizations [the American Alumni Council and the American College Public Relations Association]:
- Conference on Governmental Affairs
- Conference on Corporation and Foundation Support
- University-Related Foundations Conference
- Interpreting Our Institutions to the Public
- Administering and Marketing a Deferred Gifts Program
- Managing the Alumni Program
- Communications Program for Student Recruitment
- Alumni Travel Programs
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“My first interaction with CASE was at the initial conference in Chicago,” recounts Bill Walker, who had been an ACPRA member before the merger as a result of his communications role at Saint Louis University. “I was blown away by what a different kind of organization it was. ACPRA was really a lot of nuts and bolts; at CASE, there was a richness to it because of the interactions of the various professions.”
This interaction, a cohesive approach to the advancement disciplines, indeed became a signature of the new association and a perspective that guided subsequent activities. Another abiding aspect of CASE became obvious at the first Assembly.
“Some of the best things about CASE are the conversations you have between sessions—halls, bars, lobbies,” adds Walker. “Some of the best friendships I have are with people with whom I interacted at CASE events. The culture of CASE is to share everything to try and help our colleagues, not to be so jealously competitive that you’re unwilling to share things.”
That openness—frequently blossoming into deep friendships—has been central to the CASE persona from the beginning. “The relationships at CASE go beyond the work; they turn into parts of our life,” asserts Jo Agnew, who eventually served as the inaugural Chair of the CASE Asia-Pacific Board, as she goes on to describe her relationship with Joanna Motion, who later became Executive Director of CASE Europe and Vice President of International Operations for CASE as a whole. Lorna Somers, Executive Director of the Mohawk College Foundation (Ontario, Canada), echoes the strength of these friendships. “Joanna and I are sisters from a different mother. Our approach to the work, our vision for CASE, our energy, were all so aligned.”
Indeed, this culture of professional engagement and generosity led to the CASE acronym evolving to mean “copy and share everything,” though Jake Schrum, an early volunteer who became Board Chair when he was President of Texas Wesleyan University (U.S.), prefers “caring about something extraordinary.” Unfortunately for Schrum, the latter never gained staying power.
Share your CASE story, learn our history, and purchase CASE at 50 here.
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Article appears in:
May-June 2024 Issue of Currents
FINDING THE RIGHT WORDS: Best practices for responding in high-stakes situations. Also, how to diversify your donor pipeline, why mentoring matters, and harnessing the narrative with the seven basic plots of storytelling.