Sweet Briar once again receives CASE award for excellence in fundraising

Each year, the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education recognizes educational institutions who show exemplary improvement and effort in their fundraising. This year, Sweet Briar College won an Educational Fundraising Award for overall performance in the category of private liberal arts institutions with endowments under $100 million. In addition, the College was honored for overall improvement in fundraising.

This is the second time in three years that Sweet Briar has been honored with the award for overall performance. In fiscal year 2018, the College raised $18 million, marking the third year in a row Sweet Briar had met or exceeded its fundraising goals. Since 2015, the College has raised $53.7 million.

An expert panel of volunteer judges selects winners based on a number of factors, including growth in total support, donor growth among alumni/ae donors and other individual donors, the impact of the 12 largest gifts on total support and total support in relation to the alumni/ae base. In selecting Overall Fundraising Improvement winners, judges use these factors and others to find significant program growth across the three years of data. Institutions are evaluated compared to institutions similar in size and type.

Institutions do not apply for this award, but are selected from among schools who submit the Voluntary Support of Education Survey, which has collected data on fundraising at North America’s educational institutions since 1957.

“We are so grateful to the alumnae and friends of the College for their continued generosity, and I am personally so thankful to the tireless efforts of our amazing team,” said Mary Pope Maybank Hutson ’83, vice president for alumnae relations and development. “The commitment, courage and unwavering devotion to Sweet Briar sends a strong message across America and abroad and brings great distinction to our institution.”

President Meredith Woo echoed that sentiment. “The extraordinary efforts of our fundraising staff continue to lead Sweet Briar into the future. Everyone at the College is indebted to them for their hard work and dedication.”