Many agree that collecting, storing, and analyzing qualitative data is vital to advancement’s growth and an important balance to departments’ continually growing quantitative data capabilities. But is there a method that’s scalable? How can advancement professionals work with data that is, by its definition, difficult to measure? 

Alumni relations teams that executed innovative programs in 2019 faced a big question in 2020: How could they continue those projects amid the pandemic? Here’s how five teams grappled with that—and the key lessons their experiences reveal about creatively and strategically problem-solving when contexts change.

The University of Illinois Foundation's chatbot, silent reading parties for UCLA alumni, Minecraft graduations, virtual potlucks for advancement staff, and more.

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. 

It started as a conversation between two CASE trustees during a board dinner.

I believe in the power of one-on-one visits and strong cultivation to build relationships with new audiences.

The art of academic development is very much like taking an extended trip.

Understanding where somebody's coming from and articulating that understanding diminishes 90 percent of the problem.