For marcomm leaders, it’s key to articulate where you want your team’s work to go—but then bridging the gap between intention and transformation takes a structured approach. That’s where a gap analysis framework comes in. It allows leaders to identify barriers to growth and develop clear, actionable paths to overcome them.

Writing to key donors and prospects on behalf of institutional leaders is a high-stakes endeavor. People give to people, as the saying goes, and a personal, well-written letter is an important building block of donor-centric, relationship-based fundraising.

Building a university brand is not like painting a house, but both pursuits require similar preparation.

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—a first-of-its-kind assessment tool—was just recognized with a Power of Associations Award from ASAE. Learn more.

Using emojis to tell students that a Princeton University professor won a Nobel Prize would have been anathema a few years ago, even among social media teams like ours. Getting students interested in a news conference about the award would have been a serious challenge. Not so in October 2015, when we celebrated economist Angus Deaton's achievement and featured moments—both funny and laudatory—from his press conference in a Snapchat story. It opened with a smiling photo of him and a caption complete with tiger face and thumbs-up emojis.

Natural disasters can shake campuses and communities—but careful planning and a focus on developing strong internal and external relationships can set the stage for quick action and relief.

After three years as director of communications for a startup company, in late 2014 I traded a spacious open-plan office and perks such as yoga and unlimited vacation days for a newly created position at my alma mater.

Cross-campus alumni relations is a lot like space flight. You may have several satellites—your unit communicators and alumni and development officers—receiving and transmitting information with alumni, but without regular maintenance and care, you could be losing valuable data.

Imagine watching the following scene unfold on an organization's Twitter feed: Several staff members have been pulled into a meeting and fired. One of them is the brand's social media manager, and she's holding her mobile device. She begins live-tweeting—and not from her personal account: "Just overheard our marketing director (he's staying, folks) ask, ‘How do we shut down Twitter?'"

Nearly a decade ago, while working in development, I earned a master's degree in public affairs. Now, as I consider my career goals, I wonder: Should I pursue another master's? A doctorate? A law degree? Pursuing additional education is almost always a good thing, but time, money, family, and professional workload are important considerations. Before making such a highly personal decision, contemplate these four critical questions.