51ĀŅĀ×

One of the worldā€™s largest nonprofit education associations has once again recognized 51ĀŅĀ× Advancementā€™s communication and marketing efforts as among the regionā€™s best.

51ĀŅĀ× earned three awards during the 2020 Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District V Conference, held Dec. 14-17 in Chicago. CASE is a global nonprofit association of educational institutions that focuses on best practices in the field of advancement.

51ĀŅĀ× Alumni Association received two awards related to the Volunteer Alumni Admissions Network (VAAN), specifically for their work on the Postcard Project. Due to the nature of the pandemic, many graduating seniors in the class of 2020 missed the usual celebratory milestones. VAAN volunteers sent these graduating seniors congratulatory postcards welcoming them into the alumni community.

OUAA received the Silver award for Volunteer Engagement for the Senior Postcard Project, which highlighted a sense of community and inclusion during the isolation of the pandemic. The project received special praise for the newly formed connections between seniors and alumni, as each senior received two handwritten postcards which were paired with similar interests whenever possible, especially for geographic location. 

OUAA also received the Gold award for Alumni Relations Pivot for the Senior Postcard Project. Referred to as ā€œthe most successfulā€ way to meaningfully welcome the class of 2020 to the alumni community, the Senior Postcard Project showed the innovation of OHIOā€™s volunteer engagement and the dedication of alumni volunteers.

ā€œIt is an honor to receive these awards,ā€ said Erin Essak Kopp, assistant vice president, Alumni Relations and executive director, OUAA. ā€œIt not only shows the dedication of our alumni team and their ingenuity, but also the compassion and community of our alumni. In these difficult times, itā€™s a special thing that so many Bobcats were able to come together and welcome the newest members to their alumni family.ā€

51ĀŅĀ× Advancementā€™s communications and marketing team received the Bronze award for Fundraising Publications for its 51ĀŅĀ× Foundation 2019 Report on Giving. Praised for its welcoming structure and historical connection, the report gives an overview of private support for fiscal year 2019 and provides short narratives illustrating donorsā€™ generosity in action.

ā€œItā€™s an honor to be recognized by CASE for the Foundationā€™s annual report,ā€ said Joseph Pauwels Jr., assistant vice president, Advancement Services. ā€œItā€™s such a collaborative project, involving teams from within Advancement as well as throughout the University. And, of course, we wouldnā€™t have anything to report without the support of our alumni and donors.ā€

To read more about the District V awards, go to the website. District V is the Great Lakes region, composed of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin.