Major gift officers in university advancement voluntarily leave their positions for similar roles at other institutions at an alarmingly high rate—once every 18 months, on average. But workplace compassion can help retain fundraisers, according to research. Here’s how advancement leaders can create positive change to increase team members’ satisfaction and retain talented gift officers. 

The seeds of alumni support are sown even prior to enrolling in college.  Formative pre-college experiences play an important role in shaping pro-social habits, mindsets, and dispositions that predict later-life support for one’s alma mater.

The landscape of interim leaders is varied, but there are some commonalities across the position such as the increasing likelihood that interims will be expected to act as change agents for the institution.   

Last year saw transformative gifts given to certain community colleges (who no longer wistfully sing “If I Had a Million Dollars”). How can two-year institutions continue to illustrate return-on-investment value to increasingly savvy donors?

Boston University launched the Center for Antiracist Research in the middle of a movement.  Yet, planning for the center—which officially began its work on July 1, 2020—extended back nearly a year, when author, professor, and anti-racism authority Ibram X. Kendi came to Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S., on a speaking tour for his acclaimed 2019 book  How to Be an Antiracist. 

Advancement professionals at Delta College, Clark College, and Central Community College talk about the benefits of participating in CASE’s VSE and AEM surveys, including benchmarking against peers, maintaining an organized database, and proving your college’s success to leadership, lawmakers, and the community.

In North America, the beginning of the fall semester has been rife with controversy, COVID-19 outbreaks, and an increased focus on health and safety. How are advancement professionals adapting to the situation, what about their job duties has changed, and how are they balancing the short-term needs of constituents with the long-range goals of their institutions?

CASE Stellar Speakers are faculty members who earn average combined scores of 4.5 and above (on a 5-point scale) on their evaluations for a session at the conference listed. 

How do higher education institutions display the value of the research being done on campus in a world where it is only getting more difficult to hold someone’s attention?

For members seeking information on a variety of advancement topics, the CASE Library’s Advancement Resource Catalog provides a central stop for resources on topics including campaign planning, engaging non-traditional alumni, and the latest research in the world of advancement.