Kent State University transformed its phone center into a multichannel Alumni Engagement Center that’s revitalized the way it interacts with constituents. The new center has enriched relationships with alumni, friends, and partners—transitioning from transactional to transformational partnerships. Here’s how it works.  

Relationships with corporate partners follow the same cycle as donors: qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. At each stage, communication is key. Use these strategies to develop effective written materials for corporate partners. 

CASE Insights has launched a major initiative in Latin America to foster greater professionalization and standardization of advancement practices in higher education. Learn about the project and hear from Mónica Manzanilla, Vice President for Institutional Advancement at CETYS University in Mexico, a trailblazer in fundraising in the region and a participant in the benchmarking project.

Twenty years ago, Sir Eric Thomas served as chair of the U.K. government’s Task Force on Voluntary Giving to Higher Education, and his resulting report, Increasing Voluntary Giving to Higher Education, became commonly referred to as the Thomas Report. Here, Adrian Beney of More Partnership explores the impact of the report and the state of philanthropy in the U.K. today.

Public regional universities are becoming a popular choice for college students because they are accessible both geographically and financially. They are located across all 50 states, and while we may not hear much about these institutions in the national media, they are more than meeting the mission of higher education with cutting-edge pathways for diverse student populations. Find out how four of them are doing it.

Donors and fundraisers have unique perspectives. Through carefully cultivated relationships, they come together with a shared vision. Here, a seasoned advancement professional and a long-time philanthropist share their perspectives on what makes for a fruitful relationship. 

This article is based on a well-known theory that every story ever told follows one of seven basic plots. By understanding and embracing these plots, we can craft stories that will inspire our advancement audiences to: engage, attend, apply, accept, volunteer, mentor, donate!

Advancement professionals are diligently focusing on DEIB initiatives within their teams.  And more and more of them are beginning to look outward as well. Two advancement professionals with wide experience working in the DEIB space offer practical strategies to more effectively identify, involve, solicit, and steward alumni of color.

Fundraising today has become increasingly digital. In the last few years, more advancement teams have created roles devoted specifically to digital engagement. Digital gift officers (or the similarly focused donor experience officer) aim to connect with mid-level donors through email, video, social media, virtual meetings, and more. Here’s a look at what teams have learned so far about the challenges and promise of digital engagement with donors.

There’s a long-held belief in fundraising that major donors, especially new major donors, do not give large unrestricted amounts of cash to organizations. But could there be a way to shift this paradigm in advancement about unrestricted giving? To help donors consider an unrestricted major gift, practitioners must frame the need for such support in a tangible way that gives the individual something to contemplate. That involves drafting a comprehensive case and making a strategic ask for an unrestricted gift.