Last year, the AB50C Awards honored 50 exceptional leaders. But who are they beyond their roles? We spoke with these leaders to uncover the stories, passions, and perspectives that shape them and what truly sets them apart.

Why He’s an AB50C Champion

For Jeff Baynham, advancement is about making the work behind the scenes work better.

From overseeing the systems and data that power NC State’s advancement operation to helping fundraisers and engagement teams turn information into action, Jeff has spent over two decades building the infrastructure that makes relationships possible.

As Associate Vice Chancellor for Advancement Services at NC State, he leads a team of 40 professionals across advancement information and technology, analytics and reporting, gift agreements, endowment reporting, gift and biographical records, and more.

It’s complex work. But for Jeff, the purpose is simple: give advancement professionals the tools and information they need to create impact.

That mindset earned him recognition as an AB50C Data Dynamo.

‍“We live, breathe data. Our job is to make the data come to life and to help our fundraisers and engagement folks utilize it in an effective way so that they’re successful.”

Beyond the Title

Jeff will tell you he stumbled into advancement.

But looking back, that “stumble” was really a series of decisions that gradually led him toward a career he didn’t know he was looking for.

His professional journey began in banking. He had a finance degree, a job at a bank, and what looked like a perfectly sensible career path.

Then a colleague mentioned that she volunteered with the Alumni Association at Western Kentucky University and invited him to volunteer too.

That conversation and volunteerism changed everything.

Jeff discovered that there was a career where he could combine his skills in finance, technology, and management with something he genuinely cared about: supporting an institution and the people connected to it.

He decided to take a chance.

And 21 years later, he’s still here.

What Winning AB50C Meant to Him

Jeff’s reaction to receiving AB50C recognition was one of genuine humility.

He knows how many talented professionals work in advancement, and he has spent his career alongside many of them.

Being recognized among that group meant something. The Data Dynamo category was particularly fitting.

Data is at the centre of Jeff’s world, from CRM systems and gift processing to Day of Giving dashboards and the information fundraisers rely on to build stronger relationships.

The award now sits on a shelf about seven feet from his desk. He sees it every day.

A small reminder of the work that happens behind the scenes and the people who make it possible.

Finding His Way into Advancement

Jeff’s first advancement role was Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving at Western Kentucky University.

Working at a smaller institution meant wearing a lot of hats. He managed the phonathon, handled President’s Circle solicitations, traveled for fundraising, planned events, and took on whatever else needed to be done.

He loved it.

Then, two years into the role, another opportunity appeared.

A position in advancement services opened up, and Jeff was initially part of the search committee looking to fill it. During the process, one of his fundraising colleagues pulled him aside.

‍“Hey Jeff, I think you could do that job. Have you thought about it?”

He started thinking about the skills he already had.

There was a financial component. He understood finance. There was data and technology. He was comfortable with systems. There was management. He had years of experience from banking. The more he considered it, the more the role made sense.

Jeff withdrew from the search committee, applied for the position, and got the job.

That was in 2007.

The decision would shape the next two decades of his career.

He stayed at Western Kentucky until 2016 before joining NC State, where he has built an advancement services career centered on one fundamental question:

How can we make the work of advancement easier, smarter, and more effective for everyone?

Building the Engine Behind Advancement

Today, Jeff oversees three primary areas as Associate Vice Chancellor for Advancement Services, leading a team of 40 professionals within an advancement organization of approximately 250 people.

His team touches nearly every part of the advancement operation.

Every gift to NC State flows through his office. So does every biographical update to the database. His team oversees the advancement information and technology function, CRM, data analytics and reporting, gift agreements for new endowments and funds, campus naming opportunities, and more than 4,500 endowment reports sent to donors each year.

Jeff describes his role this way:

‍“I always say that everything but asking for the money or planning the event kind of falls into my space. We’re the foundation and the engine that fuels our fundraisers and engagement staff.”

It’s a role where no two days look exactly alike.

And that’s precisely how he likes it.

A 22-Month Transformation at NC State

One of the clearest examples of Jeff’s work behind the scenes is NC State’s major advancement in CRM transformation.

The project took 22 months, involving more than 90 staff members and 320+ end users across the university. The team contributed more than 21,000 hours, alongside 15,000+ hours from the implementation partner, to replace a 30-year-old legacy database and ecosystem.

But for Jeff, a CRM implementation isn’t just a technology project.

It’s a people project.

A change this disruptive requires buy-in, patience, and grace. Jeff’s focus throughout the implementation was on the people using the system, knowing that even the best technology won’t succeed without adoption.

The transformation introduced seven product integrations, new reporting tools, and a stronger infrastructure for advancement data. But ultimately, success comes down to one thing: whether the people using it feel supported through the change.

For Jeff, leading with users in mind is what turns a technology implementation into meaningful transformation.

The Work That Matters

Jeff loves solving problems.

But more than that, he enjoys identifying problems before they become problems.

Understanding what fundraisers and engagement professionals will need and putting the right systems, data, and processes in place before someone has to ask for them is where he finds much of his satisfaction.

But the deeper motivation behind the work comes from somewhere else.

It comes from seeing what advancement ultimately makes possible.

Jeff remembers being at commencement and hearing the President ask how many graduating students were first-generation college students.

Nearly half the students raised their hands.

For him, that moment put everything into perspective.

‍“You’re not only changing the life of that student, you’re changing the entire family’s life. That gives me goosebumps every time.”

That’s why the data matters.

The CRM migrations, dashboards, gift processing, reporting, and data governance aren’t simply operational tasks.

Behind all of it are students whose lives can be transformed because someone chose to invest in them.

AI: Preparing for What Comes Next

Technology is also reshaping how Jeff thinks about the future of advancement.

His team has already developed a catalogue of curated AI prompts for fundraisers and engagement professionals and created closed GPTs populated with institutional policies and processes.

They’re also evaluating enterprise AI solutions that could eventually operate directly within the CRM.

For Jeff, the goal isn’t to rush toward AI simply because it’s new.

It’s to understand how the technology can be used responsibly while protecting the data his team stewards.

He sees the current moment as the beginning of a much larger shift.

‍“Your job is going to change, just like your job changed when the computer was created.”

The technology may change the way advancement professionals work, but Jeff believes the industry will continue adapting just as it has before.

An Initiative He’s Proud Of

With 21 years in advancement, Jeff has plenty of initiatives he could point to.

But one of the clearest examples of his team’s work is NC State’s Day of Giving.

The university recently completed its eighth Day of Giving, raising:

📈 $43 million

🎁 18,000+ gifts

👥 Nearly 11,000 donors

For Jeff, however, the most important detail is that the campaign doesn’t actually happen in a single day.

‍“We call it a day, but it’s not a day. We start in earnest as early as December to get everything ready.”

Jeff co-chairs the initiative with the annual giving team and oversees the data that supports the campaign.

It brings together many of the things his team does best: data, technology, analytics, coordination, and operational execution.

And when the campaign finally goes live, all that behind-the-scenes work becomes visible through thousands of donors choosing to participate.

Rapid Fire

Where It All Comes Together

Jeff’s work rarely takes center stage.

He isn’t the person asking for the gift or standing in front of a room of alumni. He’s often several steps behind the scenes, making sure the data is accurate, the systems work, the agreements are in place, and the people doing the relationship-building have what they need. And that’s exactly where he wants to be.

For Jeff, silence is success.

When nobody is calling because the system works, the data is right, and the process is doing what it should, that’s a good day. Because behind that quiet operation is something much bigger.

A fundraiser who has the information they need.

A donor who receives the right experience.

An institution that can make a stronger case for support.

And somewhere, a first-generation student standing on a commencement stage, raising their hand and representing not just their own achievement but the transformation of an entire family.

That’s the engine Jeff has spent 21 years building.