At a recent CASE conference, Christine Pina had the chance to work with early-career professionals—the future of the profession, she says. The experience left a big impression on her.

“Energy, enthusiasm, intellect—we need that,” says Pina, Chief Advancement Officer at Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, Connecticut, U.S. “I want to be launching good people who are  ready for the next challenge. Our institutions deserve that.”

That’s what led Pina to support CASE’s Future Fund, a philanthropic initiative to support and shape the future of the profession. Launched in 2024 as part of CASE’s 50th anniversary celebrations, the Future Fund will:

• pave the way for future leaders through scholarships for CASE programs, 
• catalyze growth in CASE’s internship and graduate trainee programs,  
• build capacity for growing advancement in new and emerging markets, and  
• support the creation of new resources to spark innovation.
   

“The Future Fund will give advancement professionals the tools, knowledge, and resources to meet the challenges of tomorrow,” says H. Ryan Steele, CASE Director of Donor Experience. “It’s an opportunity to strengthen the profession, creating a ripple effect that extends to institutions and communities around the world.”

So far in 2024, the Future Fund supported the Virginia Carter Smith Scholarship for newcomers to the profession. CASE awarded 50 scholarships (in honor of its 50th anniversary year) to advancement professionals from Taipei to Ghana to Mexico. 

“Embarking on my new role as a grants officer [at a community college], I recognize the importance of a CASE conference for both my professional and institutional needs,” wrote one scholarship recipient, who is eager to learn about engaging diverse constituencies. The opportunity to interact with “peers facing similar challenges will be invaluable,” they shared. 

For Pina, giving to the Future Fund was a way to pay forward the support she found early in her career through encouraging colleagues and programs like CASE’s Summer Institute in Educational Fundraising. 

“A huge takeaway for me was being able to build a professional network that allowed me to ask questions that relied on their wisdom and experience,” she says. “[CASE] gives people a great foundation for understanding how we do this work so it best supports our institutions, donors, and volunteers. That’s important.”

Learn more about the Future Fund and how to join the movement to shape the next 50 years of advancement at case.org/futurefund.