CASE Fundraising Index Predicts Nearly 4 Percent Decline in 2008-09 Modest Growth in 2009-10

Educational fundraisers will likely see an average decline in giving of 3.9 percent for the 2008-09 academic year, according to the CASE Fundraising Index, a biannual forecasting tool.

CASE Ends Year with Record Membership

CASE President John Lippincott, during his report to the membership at the Summit for Advancement Leaders, said CASE ended the 2009 fiscal year with a record 3,372 member institutions and a spirit of optimism.

Translating Online Engagement into Giving

Cross-platform tactics, localized messages and constant testing and tracking are among the most effective strategies for building online engagement that translates into online giving.

Know the Six Common Myths of Social Media

Embrace social media but don’t get too caught up in the technology.

Higher Ed to Fare Better than Others in Recession, Moody's Says

While higher education is expected to experience "some stress" from the effects of the global recession, it will be more sheltered from negative impacts than other sectors.

Some Institutions See Better Endowment Numbers

A slight uptick in the stock and bond markets has some U.S. institutions adjusting their projected endowment losses, according to a July 13 Bloomberg article.

Nonprofits Stressed, But Many Finding Success in Downturn

A new survey by Johns Hopkins University reveals that 80 percent of nonprofit organizations are experiencing fiscal stress, and close to 40 percent of them reported that this stress was “severe” or “very severe.”

Merger Mania Spreads to Higher Ed

A new policy brief concludes that mergers between higher education institutions may become more common as a result of the current economic climate and “unprecedented business consolidations.”

A Big Benchmark: Lifetime Giving

Data mining gurus Peter Wylie and John Sammis have just released a report that tackles a big topic: “Benchmarking Lifetime Giving in Higher Education.”

CASE Trustees Approve Mexico Pilot

The CASE Board of Trustees, meeting July 8 prior to the Summit for Advancement Leaders, approved a two-year pilot program to expand operations in Mexico pending resolution of any legal or business issues associated with establishing an office there.

New CASE Trustees Elected

The CASE membership has formally elected seven individuals to the CASE Board of Trustees.

CASE Launches Digital Edition of CURRENTS

CASE has launched a digital edition of CURRENTS magazine, a new feature that allows professional members to preview the magazine before it arrives in the mail.

CASE OSS Goes Global

CASE is expanding its successful online speaker series to provide wider global outreach and targeted programming for members in Europe and the Asia-Pacific.

New School Year Approaches: Time to Review FERPA

The National Association of College and University Attorneys has developed a question-and-answer document that helps clarify regulatory changes to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

CASE Names Data Mining Intern

A researcher studying for her doctorate at North Dakota State University in Fargo has been selected as the 2009 CASE Peter B. Wylie/SPSS Data Mining intern.

CASE Accepting Applications for Minority Advancement Institute

Time is running out to apply for one of 20 scholarships to the CASE 2009 Minority Advancement Institute.

CASE Survey Asks IRFs About Budget Decisions

To assist institutionally related foundation leaders and staff as they consider strategies to close budget shortfalls and cut costs, CASE is conducting an online survey on IRF budget restructuring.

Make an Investment in Student Advancement

Register now for the 2009 CASE ASAP Network Convention taking place Aug. 6-8 in Baltimore, Md.

CASE Seeks Applicants for Positions

CASE welcomes applications for two positions in its Washington, D.C., office.

CASE to Hold Key Conference in Kuala Lumpur

CASE is gearing up to launch its third comprehensive conference for advancement professionals in the Asia-Pacific region.

Senate Still Considering Itemized Deduction Cap

As Senate Finance Committee members work to finalize healthcare reform legislation, senators are considering proposals to limit the value of itemized deductions for high-income taxpayers as a way to pay for their bill.

District I members: Save the date to attend "Renew. Reinvest. Reengage," the 2010 CASE District I conference being held Jan. 28-29, at Westin Copley Place in Boston. Early bird registration for the lowest conference price will be available beginning Sept. 15. Visit the Web site to learn more, become a Facebook fan and join the LinkedIn group.

District II reports that planning is under way for the 2010 District II conference, which will be held Feb. 7-9 in Philadelphia.

Recognizing that professional development budget dollars have been reduced at many member institutions, District II is introducing new initiatives to give conference attendees more value without raising registration fees. For example:

• The conference will begin at noon on Sunday, Feb. 7 (four hours earlier than past conferences), and close by lunch on Tuesday, Feb. 9, with no reduction in program content.
• Pre-conference workshops on single topics that used to carry an additional cost are being redesigned as intensive master sessions with no additional fee.
• The Accolades and Awards Gala reception and dinner are being replaced with an awards luncheon and evening reception. These events will also be included in the conference registration fee.

District II members should watch their e-mail for more information about the conference, including a survey and opportunity to suggest speaker and topic ideas.

Also, with dozens of volunteer opportunities, the conference committee is always on the lookout for new volunteers. Conference co-chairs are Karen Faryniak of Dickinson College and Tilghman Moyer of Temple University. The conference volunteers chair is Jessica Bostdorf Ritchie of Lebanon Valley College. Contact any of them for more information.

District V reports that world-renowned explorer and National Geographic writer Dan Buettner will discuss secrets of longevity at this year's CASE V conference. Buettner shares how to get more life from your years and more years from your life-including a simple formula on how to add up to eight good years to your life. Get ready to experience a "Great City. Great Lake. Great Conference," Dec. 13-15, 2009, at the Chicago Sheraton Hotel and Towers. Get more details and register.

Also, get up-to-the-minute information about higher ed on CASE V's Twitter page and become part of the "family" on Facebook. Join the growing number of followers now!

District VI is pleased to announce its newest board members:

• Lee Denker, president of the UNO Alumni Association, and Bob Otterson, executive assistant to the president at South Dakota State University, are new at-large board members.
• Sarah Morris, assistant vice chancellor for communications at University of Missouri-Kansas City, is a new ex officio member and represents the CASE Communications Commission.
• Tony Smith from the University of Northern Iowa is District VI's new ASAP representative.

A complete list of board members is available at the district's Web site.

District VI also reports that plans for the 2010 conference ON TARGET, which will be held Jan. 10-12 in St. Louis, are well under way. Dozens of speakers, including faculty from CASE national conferences and summer institutes, will be leading about 100 breakout sessions at the conference. It will also feature pre-conference workshops for new professionals and emerging leaders and a Tuesday track for independent schools.

Please share your questions and comments with Pam Russell via e-mail at russell@case.org or by telephone at +1-202-478-5680.