CASE Honors Wesleyan’s Fund-Raising Efforts

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) has awarded Wesleyan the CASE-Wealth ID Award for Educational Fund Raising: Overall Performance. Wesleyan competed in the Private Liberal Arts Institutions category.

Wesleyan shared this distinction with eight other institutions, including Wellesley College and Williams College.

“Wesleyan is already ranked highly for academic excellence, but now it demonstrates exemplary support of private education through its fund-raising performance,” says Mark Bailey, director of development communications.

CASE, a nonprofit education association, supports educational institutions by enhancing the effectiveness of the alumni relations, communications and fund-raising professionals who serve it. In 2002, Wealth ID, a provider of wealth screening services and fund-raising solutions, joined CASE as a sponsor of the Educational Fund Raising Awards.

Barbara-Jan Wilson, vice president for University Relations, says Wesleyan’s Board of Trustees, President Doug Bennet, the alumni and parent volunteers, and the University Relations staff are vital members of Wesleyan’s fund-raising effort.

“This development team represents a rare convergence of talent, skills, dedication, and energy,” Wilson says. “Like the Yankees in 1927 and 1998, you have to see them perform to fully appreciate how important they are to the institution.”

This year, of the 970 eligible institutions, 274 college and universities were considered meritorious, and 46 were recognized for the CASE-Wealth ID Awards for Educational Fund Raising in 18 categories.

The awards program recognizes Overall Performance and Overall Improvement in educational fund raising based on data submitted to the Council for Aid to Education’s “Voluntary Support of Education” survey.

Judges analyzed three years of data in their review of institutions. They selected the winners based on a multitude of factors: the pattern of growth in total support; evaluation of what contributed to the total support figure; overall breadth in program areas; pattern of growth in each program area; pattern of donor growth among alumni donors and other individual donors; impact of the 12 largest gifts on total support; total support in relation to the alumni base; and the type of institution.

Wilson says that the CASE Award also recognizes Wesleyan’s overall fund-raising performance and its record-setting $281 million Wesleyan Campaign. The funds will support financial aid, faculty, facilities and programs.

“What is best about the CASE Award, I think, is the fact that this honor was awarded not for what Wesleyan received, but for what so many alumni, staff, and friends gave,” Wilson says. “The more we give, the more we receive. That’s the Wesleyan experience.”

The judges also look for indications of a mature, well-maintained program.

“Wesleyan’s fund-raising program has innovated and improved over several years,” Bailey says. “Today’s fund-raising program at Wesleyan is focused, client service oriented, and competes with the best programs in America and abroad. The CASE Award confirms Wesleyan’s growing leadership in this area.”

Delegates from Wesleyan will receive the award during the CASE Annual Assembly July 16 in Miami Beach, Fla.