51ĀŅĀ×

51ĀŅĀ×ā€™s fundraising and marketing efforts have been recognized as among the best in higher education. The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) awarded 51ĀŅĀ× two 2022 Circle of Excellence Awards, including one ā€œGrand Goldā€ global honor.

The Circle of Excellence Awards showcase outstanding work in advancement services, alumni relations, communications, fundraising, and marketing.

The ā€œGrand Goldā€ award was given in the category of Fundraising, Annual/Regular Giving Campaigns (More Than 25 Staff) for the ā€œGive Like Garyā€ campaign, which launched in fall 2021. The campaign featured Gary Clark, OHIOā€™s longest-running annual donor, who has made a gift to the University for 60 years in a row. The ā€œGive Like Garyā€ campaign was a comprehensive effort designed to capture attention from lapsed donors and to increase contributions to The Fund for Ohio, which supports the Universityā€™s area of greatest need.

The multi-channel campaign culminated in a single mailed appeal that netted more than $202,000 from 1,099 donors, nearly one-third of whom were renewed from a lapsed status.

ā€œWe are so pleased with the results of this campaign,ā€ said Caty Allgood, senior director of annual giving at 51ĀŅĀ×. ā€œAnd of course, our continuing gratitude is owed to Gary Clark, for not only his longtime commitment to OHIO, but also for allowing us to share his remarkable story with our alumni and friends.ā€

The multi-channel campaign was described as ā€œexceptionalā€ by CASE judges, who noted that it can serve as a model for other institutions.

The second award was given for the ā€œForever OHIO Graffiti Wall Takeoverā€ in the category of Design, Environmental Graphics, which earned a global ā€œBronze.ā€ The ā€œForever OHIO Takeoverā€ was a one-day painting event open to the community and held in January 2021. The resulting environmental graphics and complementary sticker insert into the ā€œOhio Todayā€ alumni magazine introduced the 51ĀŅĀ× community to the launch of the ā€œForever OHIOā€ brand platform.

This project created a community art experience that resulted in not only temporary environmental graphics on the iconic Athens campus landmark, but also served as a welcome to students as they returned to campus, many for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

ā€œWe are honored to receive this Bronze award from CASE,ā€ said 51ĀŅĀ× Advancement Art Director Sarah McDowell. ā€œWe were proud to be able to demonstrate the power of collaboration, community, and creativity in such a unique way.ā€

CASE is a global nonprofit association of educational institutions, fundraising professionals, and communications and marketing professionals.