As 2024 draws to a close and the festive season approaches, it’s the perfect time to step back from the everyday rhythm of the working week and reflect.
I often encourage my CASE colleagues to take their holiday for their own health and well-being and, thereby, for the success of our association. Stepping away from our to-do lists allows us to recharge, refresh, and return to our jobs renewed. Taking a break from work makes us better at our work. I am still perplexed, after living in the USA for nearly 10 years, by the relative reticence to taking time off here, relative to other places I have lived! A work in progress methinks.
I see a similarity in celebrating anniversaries. During 2023, many CASE staff members spent time planning for our 50th anniversary. And throughout this year, we have been marking our anniversary with a book launch, celebrations, and special programming. With myriad priorities before us, why did we take this time to remember and reflect on the last 50 years?
The answer is much like my thoughts on enjoying time away from work. Taking that step back, for our staff and our members, allowed us to take stock of how much we have accomplished together in these 50 years—our international growth across every continent; setting our professional standards: CASE Global Reporting Standards; benchmarking and analysing member data through CASE Insights surveys, research, and benchmarking in fundraising and alumni relations, and our new Framework for Brand and Reputation metrics; in-person and online education programmes serving our members worldwide; providing advocacy on behalf of the profession in all regions; and more. We’ve celebrated our community at our flagship gatherings around the globe this year, and invited advancement professionals to share your stories of how CASE has impacted your life and career. See some of these memories and stories and share yours.
Celebrating this Golden Jubilee has provided renewed energy and focus for the future as we continue to advance our profession guided by “Championing Advancement,” CASE’s strategic plan. It outlines our ambitions in six key areas: Educational Programming; Global Membership; Data and Research; Thought Leadership; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging; and People and Culture.
As we look ahead to the next 50 years, I encourage you to join me in contributing to our CASE Future Fund. Launched this year the Fund provides an opportunity to invest in the future of our profession by supporting the next generation of advancement professionals through scholarships, CASE’s internship and graduate trainee programs, and support for innovations to build and strengthen advancement in new and emerging markets.
To all of you who have availed yourselves of CASE member benefit programmes, and to those who have volunteered your time to make them a success, I offer my sincere thanks. And to others who are thinking about stepping into a new or higher level of involvement in our beloved organisation, now is your time! I know from experience that it can change your life.
As we begin to usher out 2024, allow me this last opportunity to wish you all—my esteemed colleagues working across the advancement fields —a happy anniversary and a splendid next 50 years!
“Celebrating this Golden Jubilee has provided renewed energy and focus for the future as we continue to advance our profession.”
Tags
Article appears in:
November - December 2024
DIGITAL-ONLY ISSUE - Using data, visualizations, and infographics to reach donors and alumni.
Plus communications strategies for corporate relations professionals, the story behind one university's new alumni center, a look inside CASE's new Latin America benchmarking project, and more.
