The Notre Dame University Alumni Association in Indiana, U.S., hosted its first Global Day of Service in 2023—drawing more than 3,500 volunteers for projects in 26 countries.

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.

The 2022 Circle of Excellence Award-winning fundraising campaigns took creativity to a new level, using ingenuity to create targeted campaigns, events, annual giving appeals, and more that engaged audiences. Here's what made these projects effective.

Rates of mental health issues among college students have been rising for a nearly a decade—made worse by the pandemic. Now, more colleges and universities are discussing, focusing on, and prioritizing mental health initiatives. Here’s how advancement teams are working to support students’ mental health today, by raising awareness and sharing information, mobilizing donor and alumni support, and promoting wellness campuswide.

In August 2020, the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, launched ChangeMakers, a strategy to encourage UQ’s alumni across 190 countries to engage with the university and fellow alumni from anywhere in the world. The ChangeMakers alumni community hosts events, fosters mentorship relationships, and encourages volunteerism. More than 70 alumni have become ambassadors to help spread the word.

To celebrate Singapore Management University’s 20th anniversary, its alumni, students, and staff put their best feet forward. In September 2020, the university launched a monthlong virtual race fundraiser with the goal of raising SGD$400,000 for students impacted by the pandemic. 

All Day Hall Day offers 24 hours of activities and giving opportunities.

Advice on anniversary planning and popular institutional swag items. 

CQUni launched its 30 Minutes a Month program in 2018 and the goal is to get recent graduates to complete a small task—something that takes approximately 30 minutes—each month from March to November.

What is race equity as it applies to education institutions? How are advancement teams approaching this work, which experts say involves a wholesale transformation of organizational cultures? How are institutions and individuals moving forward in the name of equity?