Impact of the President’s Excellence Fund
A Year of Connection, Courage, and Collective Impact
Throughout a dynamic and demanding year, the President’s Excellence Fund has helped CASE remain grounded, responsive, and globally engaged. Your generosity has enabled CASE to remain responsive and forward-looking, bringing people together across borders, fostering inclusive dialogue, and championing the advancement profession with clarity and resolve. We are deeply grateful for your belief in our mission and for the trust you place in CASE to lead during moments that demand both steadiness and innovation.
Because of your support, CASE has been able to convene communities where connection was needed most, respond to emerging challenges with agility, and advocate for education with strength and purpose. We have brought together a global network of professionals, expanded access to learning and leadership, and amplified the voice of education in critical conversations around policy and public trust. This impact resonates far beyond CASE, it is deeply personal, transforming the lives and careers of those who dedicate themselves to advancing education around the world.
Thank you for making this work possible.
– Sue Cunningham, President and CEO, CASE
Gathering the Global Community
From Lima to Glasgow, Sharjah to San Diego, and beyond, CASE brought together advancement professionals through more than 60 conferences and tens of thousands of individual engagements. Each gathering offered moments of connection, reflection, and shared learning, meeting professionals where they were and helping them navigate a time of fatigue and complexity. These examples represent just a selection of the many ways CASE has brought the global advancement community together over the past year.
- In the US and Canada, CASE facilitated thousands of member engagements through conferences, leadership gatherings, and direct engagement efforts that supported professionals in their advancement work.
- In partnership with our District Cabinets, CASE engaged more than 5,000 members through ToGathers and Drive-In events, including a senior leaders’ roundtable at Texas State University, a District II gathering of senior leaders at CASE headquarters and more.
- In Europe, CASE held its first event in Madrid, drawing nearly 70 professionals, many from non-member institutions.
- In Latin America, our Diplomado programs reached over 500 participants, and three new institutions joined CASE following our Rectores event in Peru.
- In India, CASE hosted roundtables in New Delhi and Hyderabad, laying the groundwork for a 2026 symposium.
- In the Middle East, our inaugural Alumni Relations Institute in Sharjah welcomed leaders from across the region.
- In Africa, CASE expanded its work to build advancement capacity through new partnerships and programming, including an online conference and leadership sessions focused on strategic growth.
These convenings are more than milestones, they are manifestations of CASE’s commitment to building a truly global, inclusive community of practice.
Responding to the Moment: Advocating for Education
CASE has remained deeply attuned to the climate, both political and cultural, facing educational institutions. Our advocacy efforts reached new heights this year, thanks in part to the flexibility provided by the President’s Excellence Fund.
CASE successfully led advocacy efforts in the United States through its leadership of the Charitable Giving Coalition, resulting in the enactment of a permanent charitable deduction for non-itemizers. Beginning in 2026, all American taxpayers will be able to deduct charitable donations, expanding access to giving and strengthening philanthropic support for education.
In the United Kingdom, CASE weighed in with government to influence the final language of the Data Use and Access Act. The result ensured that educational institutions would not be unfairly restricted from contacting donors and supporters.
The launch of Alumni for Higher Ed marked a major step in CASE’s global advocacy efforts. This grassroots advocacy initiative empowers institutions to mobilize alumni voices as champions for education. Initially launched in the U.S., the model is now being adapted for use in other regions around the world.
CASE continued to build strategic relationships in Mexico, including ongoing engagement with the Ministry of Education under the Morena Government. These efforts are focused on supporting public universities in developing advancement capacity and fostering a culture of philanthropy.
Together, these achievements underscore CASE’s influence as a trusted advocate for education and philanthropy. They remind us that when we unite around a shared purpose, we can shape policy, strengthen institutions, and serve society in lasting ways.
About the President’s Excellence Fund
For 50 years, CASE has been working in support of our members around the world who champion their institutions every day. Our work, advancing education, is more important now than it has ever been.
CASE is made even more powerful through philanthropic support. The President’s Excellence Fund provides CASE with the ability to focus on opportunity, expedite growth and better serve the profession. Your philanthropic support will help us achieve our boldest aspirations in providing a positive impact for members around the globe.