By Shayna Freisleben
After a record-breaking year of Annual Giving, the Office of Advancement was honored in September with the annual award for excellence by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. CASE is an organization headquartered in Washington D.C. that serves as a resource for professional development, information and standards in the fields of education fundraising and communications and alumni relations, according to its website.
The Office of Advancement will receive an official certificate at the CASE conference in January, Director of the Office of Advancement Ed Hu said.
The Annual Giving program is significantly aided by the volunteer work of parents, students and alumni, Director of Annual Giving Alan Ball said. Last year, the campaign raised $6 million.
“A program such as Annual Giving allows for ample opportunities, student diversity, the best faculty, well-equipped classrooms and labs,” Ball said.
CASE presented the award to both Harvard-Westlake and the Sloan School of Business at MIT after an abstract was submitted for award consideration.
Ball credits the award to the gradual evolution of the Office of Advancement.
“We work especially hard at making sure that each and every family is treated as an individual,” he said. “We like to celebrate the good things about home life with families as well as maintain sensitivity to changes in family situation as well as donorsâ personal needs.”
In addition to training new volunteers, a portal to contribute online has been installed on the school website.
The Annual Giving program is vital in order to subsidize the $4,100 cost for each student on top of tuition, Ball said.
Over 250 parent volunteers contribute to the capital campaign by placing phone calls, writing thank you notes, as well as attending phonathon events and fundraisers throughout the year.
The Office of Advancement plans to develop a Grandparent Council and include parents of alumni in the phonathon efforts, Ball said.
“Teamwork is the key to the success we have, along with strong leadership that is provided by [President Thomas C.] Hudnut and [Head of School] Jeanne Huybrechts,” Senior Advancement Officer Jim Pattison said. “Itâs always gratifying when hard work is recognized.”
