Years of research have demonstrated that diverse, inclusive teams are more productive, more innovative, and more likely to retain and recruit talent.

Advancement leaders who want to move the needle on inclusion at their organizations can turn to CASE’s Advancement Inclusion Index. The Index is a first-of-its-kind assessment tool to measure progress on inclusion and belonging in advancement.

With the Index, advancement teams can input information about their diversity and inclusion documents, practices, groups, and resources, to establish a baseline and then track their progress. The Index focuses on four key dimensions of creating a sense of belonging for the profession: strategy and methods; culture and climate; advancement policies and practice; and talent management and training.

The Index, which was developed by CASE’s Opportunity and Inclusion Center, volunteers and DEI consultants  was just recognized with a 2024 Power of Associations Award from ASAE, the Center for Association Leadership. These awards celebrate associations that go above and beyond to benefit professions, communities, and the world.

The Index gives CASE members the chance to “achieve, foster, and maintain inclusive excellence within educational philanthropy,” says Ben Fiore-Walker, Senior Director of the OIC. “Institutional efforts for inclusion and belonging should begin with an impartial baseline assessment of the existing documents, practices, groups, resources, and responses that are designed to ensure diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environments.

Beginning in early 2021, CASE developed the Index in partnership with volunteers and piloted it in August 2022 at institutions around the globe. In March 2023, it became available to CASE members and member institutions have begun using the Index to examine their work.

“If you want deeper insights into diversity and inclusion best practices across the industry and where your institution is in relation to those, this is the best tool that I know of to do so,” says Leilani Lewis, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, University of Washington Advancement, U.S. Lewis was one of the CASE volunteers who participated in the Index. 

With tools like the Index, CASE members can create inclusive workplaces at which staff thrive and drive the relationships with alumni, donors, and students that strengthen education institutions globally. 

Explore how teams around the globe have started using the Index.