The Best Advancement Ideas

Lyon College, a private liberal arts college affiliated with the Presbyterian Church and located in Batesville, Arkansas, cooked up an amazing idea to keep alumni engaged using a virtual cookbook.

Monmouth University, a private university in New Jersey founded in 1933, is engaging with different segments of its alumni community through its annual hybrid Wine vs. Stein event — a wine and beer tasting event coupled with trivia, exclusive performances, and much more.

Skidmore College, a private liberal arts college in Saratoga Springs, New York, engaged with micro segments of their alumni community through fun virtual cocktail parties, which were accompanied by exciting conversations.

Governors State University, a public university in University Park, Illinois, is celebrating stories of their alumni through their Jaguar Journal podcast series.

The Advancement team at Pittsburg State University, a public university in Pittsburg, Kansas, embarked on their two-week Great Gorilla Tour road trip in 2019 to meet with their alumni in different cities across the West Coast.

California State University, Chico, a public university in Chico, California, recently won the coveted CASE Platinum Award in 2021 for their alumni-centric idea to engage with constituents through a webinar series.

Westminster Schools of Augusta’s a K-12 school introduced the I Donate My Year Initiative, celebrating the love and loyalty between alumni and their alma mater.

The University of Georgia, a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia, is using its Bulldog 100 list to felicitate the top 100 businesses owned or operated by their alumni.

The Stephen M. Ross School of Business, a business school operated by the University of Michigan, used their Alumni in Residence mentoring program to connect students with experienced alumni who volunteered to be mentors.

Westminster Christian Academy, a K3-12 co-educational Christian school located in Huntsville and Madison, AL, focused on streamlining their donor experience to achieve fundraising success with their Annual Fund.

Mercy High School, an all-girls, private and independent Catholic high school, held the Virtual Garnet Gala 2021, celebrating six decades of Mercy, and raising more than their fundraising goal for tuition assistance of bright Mercy Girls through their alumnae-centric approach.

The Woodlands Christian Academy, a private, college preparatory Christian school in The Woodlands, Texas, virtually broadcast their sporting events to garner support for their teams during the pandemic, while also generating revenue.

Severn School, a preparatory school in Severna Park, Maryland is engaging their alumni meaningfully through its mentorship campaign.

Restoration Academy is a K5-12 School located in Fairfield Alabama, with a mission to provide a quality, private education to predominantly lower-income families. Find out how they raised funds for the scholarships of over 60 children through their Hope for the Holidays Fundraiser.

The Park School of Baltimore, a private K-12 school located in Maryland, drove high engagement through their Virtual Trivia Night.

The Hudson School is a private, K5-12, coeducational day school located in Hoboken, raised funds for a new art studio through their hybrid Art-a-thon initiative.

Holton-Arms, an independent college-preparatory school for girls in Bethesda, Maryland helps its upper-school students become better prepared for college and life after school by facilitating interactions with a panel of young alumnae.

Wartburg College, a private Lutheran liberal arts college in Waverly, Iowa, managed to raise funds and find new donors during the pandemic through their Fund the Fortress fundraising campaign.

Whitman College, a private liberal arts college in Walla Walla, Washington, used their Virtual Whitman initiative as a means to engage their alumni from all parts of the world during the pandemic.

University of the Ozarks, a private university in Clarksville, Arkansas, recently hosted their virtual Homecoming 2020 which successfully engaged with their international alumni community.

Madonna University, a private Catholic university in Livonia, Michigan, tweaked its messaging ahead of their Giving Day and received great support from its alumni community.

Murray State University, a public university, in Murray, Kentucky, hosted Healthy at Home(coming) 2020 - a virtual Homecoming Week, packed with several virtual events, such as reunions, tournaments, campus tour and much more, to keep their alumni refreshed and engaged during the pandemic.

The Evergreen State College, a public liberal arts and sciences college in Olympia, Washington, drove high alumni engagement through their programming, raising awareness on societal and cultural issues.

Wesleyan College, a private, liberal arts women's college in Macon, Georgia, is using their monthly “Lunch & Learn” series to boost engagement with its alumni during the pandemic.

A private Christian liberal arts college in Rochester, New York, Roberts Wesleyan College drove success to its first-ever Virtual Homecoming Week via fun-filled Virtual Class Reunion Pizza Parties.

The College of Wooster, a private liberal arts college in Wooster, Ohio, founded in 1866, hosted Highland Games - Virtual Trivia that drove high alumni engagement.

The University of Puget Sound, a private university affiliated with the United Methodist Church and located in Tacoma, Washington, recently hosted a 5K virtual run for their constituents during their Homecoming and Family Weekend (Stay at Home Edition).

Willamette University, a private university, founded in 1842, in Salem, Oregon, drove high alumni engagement through their WU Stream initiative - an array of virtually accessible resources for their alumni to choose from.

Marietta College, a private, coeducational, undergraduate liberal arts college founded in 1835 in Marietta, Ohio, gathered alumni support through a unique social media campaign to raise almost $200,000 at their Giving Day in 2020.