Volume 9 (2024-25)

Journal of Education Advancement & Marketing Volume 9 consists of four, quarterly 100-page issues, published in print and online.

Volume 9 Number 1

Editorial
Simon Beckett, Publisher
Practice Papers:
Leading thriving teams: How the Washington State University Foundation is structuring frontline fundraiser positions for retention and recruitment
Brooke E. Ledeboer, Jennifer R. Miltenberger, Keith Powell and Don Shearer, Washington State University Foundation

The Washington State University (WSU) Foundation undertook a transformative restructuring of frontline fundraiser positions to enhance retention, recruitment and operational efficiency. By addressing key areas such as titles and job descriptions, accountability and productivity and salaries and budgets, the WSU Foundation aimed to create a thriving and equitable work environment for its fundraising teams. Implementing standardised titles and roles, a fixed accountability grid and a revised funding model ensured fairness, clarity and improved resource allocation. Challenges, including communication gaps and salary disparities, were acknowledged and addressed. The restructuring efforts aimed to boost employee retention and professional growth and strengthen relationships with academic leaders and donors. The WSU Foundation's dedication to overcoming obstacles and learning from challenges ultimately led to the successful implementation of the restructuring, benefiting WSU and the communities it serves.
Keywords: fundraising; restructuring; employee retention; recruitment strategies; higher education fundraising; philanthropic campaigns
Analysing a campaign as a lens to the future: A case study
Paul Brown and Austin Morgan, North Carolina State University

On 31st December, 2021, North Carolina State University concluded a successful, nearly ten-year US$2.1bn fundraising campaign, breaking past both the initial US$1.6bn goal and the US$2bn stretch goal. Simultaneous with celebrating their success, the institution looked back at donor behaviour across its campaign period for insights to leverage in future advancement operations. This paper analyses the reviewing of donor behaviour in NCSU’s ‘Think and Do’ campaign. The paper starts by giving background information and then presents the findings. By analysing donor behaviour throughout the campaign, NCSU discovered how institution-specific priorities allowed leadership to strategise around the next campaign, as well as how alumni and donors can best be reached.
Keywords: campaign; data; analytics; donor behaviour; partnership
Branding a new university: The development of Atlantic Technological University’s brand identity
Seán Duffy, Atlantic Technological University

This paper analyses how Atlantic Technological University (ATU) successfully created a unique brand identity for this newly established university located in the west and north-west of Ireland. The opportunities and challenges presented by such a large task are reviewed. Developing a new higher education brand uniting three education institutes, each with over 50 years of history, required a team effort and considerable communication and engagement skills to ensure that all stakeholders supported the project. A strategic partnership between three Institutes of Technology, the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology Sligo and Letterkenny Institute of Technology, was formed in 2012 and was known as the Connacht-Ulster Alliance (CUA). The goal of the CUA was to establish a university of size, scale and impact for its region, which would make a substantial contribution to higher education nationally and internationally. Developing a brand for the new university involved dedicated and motivated internal teams supported by an external branding consultancy company. This case study outlines the work of the team responsible for developing the brand identity, along with the lessons learned which ultimately resulted in a successful launch of a brand for a new university — ATU. The approaches and considerations for branding a new institution may also apply to rebranding an existing entity.
Keywords: branding; identity; university; Ireland; rebranding
Strategic collaboration: Using multimedia projects to inspire giving and steward donors
Jennifer Eburg, UConn Foundation, et al.

In 2021, the UConn Foundation began creating multimedia packages to show the impact of philanthropy. These packages are a collaborative effort between the foundation's Marketing and Communications Department and development officers. By taking the time to establish a partnership built on trust and respect, they have honed the process and developed strategies and best practices to identify story leads, create multimedia packages and use the packages effectively for fundraising and stewardship purposes. This paper analyses the UConn Foundation's process and how to apply these practices in their own organisations.
Keywords: fundraising; donor engagement; stewardship; multimedia; video; stories
From legacy systems to modernisation: A case study on migrating to a new customer relationship management system
Christian Elsberry and Trevor Price, University of Idaho

This paper presents a case study of how one mid-size institution of higher education found themselves modernising their database of record with a new customer relationship management (CRM) system, while managing the realities of limited funding and staffing, changing strategies and organisational legacies of longstanding policies and processes. At their core, changes to systems are organisational changes. Software systems are updated in line with the changing technological improvements in global cultures and their intersection with the evolving needs of institutional strategies. At its best, a system and software update's primary purposes are to serve and amplify the people who design, build and work within those systems. As with everything involving change, there needs to be an honest assessment of the organisation's strengths and weaknesses in the areas of cultural readiness for the necessary human engagement and support for the updated systems, an actionable plan hung firmly on the vision and strategies outlining the specified changes and, most crucially, an evolving staffing alignment of skilled professionals to business needs. CRM conversions are a worthy test of these three essential pillars of successful systems change.
Keywords: advancement services; systems change; customer relationship management; CRM conversions; organisational readiness; data migrations; CRM staffing
The age of personalised video: Driving enrolment at Villanova School of Business
Cathy J. Toner and Monica Allen, Villanova School of Business

In today's highly competitive college application landscape and heavily connected world, standing out has never been more important for higher education institutions. Coupled with Gen Z's appetite for personalised social media content — particularly videos — colleges and universities across the country are facing unique challenges on a scale unheard of just a decade ago. This paper analyses how, in order to address this problem, the Villanova School of Business (VSB) introduced personalised video content into its recruitment process for early action accepted candidates as well as prospective graduate students. This innovation tool has set VSB apart and provided a creative way to share its personal approach to higher education. The paper discusses the success of this tactic over the last few years, which has affirmed key aspects of VSB's understanding of prospective undergraduate and graduate student audiences. Video continues to be an essential and effective tool for engaging Gen Z and millennial audiences. Students and parents notice and appreciate personalised content. The paper describes how students want to feel a connection with the schools they select. Universities should use personalised video to differentiate themselves from their peers and build or strengthen relationships with individuals they want in their community. Showing prospective students that their institutions are investing in them as individuals can make all the difference in encouraging them to see themselves at a specific institution and persuading them that there is a home for them in higher education.
Keywords: college admissions; college recruitment; college applications; personalised video content; creative marketing
No dollar left behind: Leveraging major gifts during days of giving
Kate Gigliotti, Harvard University and Shela Levante, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

Major gifts are crucial to the success of any comprehensive campaign and giving days are crucial to building institutional awareness and annual philanthropy. This paper analyses how Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts merged the two together to leverage multiple six-figure gifts into days of giving that raised historic funds and participation. Through the power of relationship building, peer-to-peer fundraising and volunteer activation, this paper will share how a rural college inspired a community to give and how you can do it too. Whatever size ‘major’ is for you, embrace the opportunity to leave no dollar behind, impact more students and build excitement along the way.
Keywords: annual giving; campaign strategies; donor relations and stewardship; major gifts
FURst Aid: Advancement opportunities from hybrid public outreach series
Jens Odegaard, Oregon State University, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine

FURst Aid is a series of free, hybrid events for animal lovers. Attendees learn practical first aid and preventative care skills from a diverse pool of experts at the Oregon State University (OSU) Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine (CCVM) to help them look after their furry friends. This case study will cover how the FURst Aid series offers public outreach, engagement and service, as well as continuing education to professionals (including CCVM alumni). It will also elaborate some practical tips and lessons learned for offering a successful hybrid event series. Though produced by a small advancement team and on a tight budget, the series yields great results and reaches a wide spectrum of audiences. By offering all events free of charge, economic barriers to the public's participating in and receiving benefits from this service are greatly reduced. From an advancement perspective, the series has enabled the college as well as the OSU Foundation to engage with a strategically important community for marketing, alumni relations and fundraising efforts. Readers will learn how to tap into their own experts to engage their own core communities, and considerations to plan, advertise and deliver a hybrid event series.
Keywords: marketing; alumni relations; events; fundraising; digital engagement; public service