From the Nominator

"Dartmouth was at a critical moment in October 2021. Seven years into The Call to Lead: A Campaign for Dartmouth, we were on the cusp of achieving a $3 billion milestone with a lot to show for it. The leadership of visionary donors and tireless volunteers enabled the transformation of our physical campus through the renovation, expansion, and construction of seven buildings over the campaign. And the impact of their investments in the people and programs that animate these spaces was palpable.   

To provide leadership donors and campaign volunteers with an understanding of their collective, enduring impact, and to express our gratitude, we invited them back to campus to experience the transformation themselves during a two-day series of events that included: 

• Tours of seven new or renovated buildings

• Interactive conversations with leadership, faculty, alumni, and students about campaign achievements and remaining priorities

• “An Evening of Gratitude” gala dinner, where the $3 billion milestone was announced and celebrated  

Like much of the world during the pandemic, our donors and volunteers craved authentic connection, community, and a sense of being a part of something greater than themselves. The opportunity to visit campus again, experience the transformation and impact of their giving, and strengthen connections with leadership and one another was especially meaningful at that point in the pandemic and the campaign. We saw record fundraising results leading up to and after the weekend and experienced a renewed sense of energy and momentum for the campaign."

From the Judges

The judges agreed that 'hard hat' events can be very challenging to pull off well and we felt that Dartmouth succeeded at creating an engaging, interactive, and impactful event with their Hard Hat Weekend. Not only were they able to demonstrate the impact physically, but they engaged the community in their efforts and spurred new donor dollars to the campaign. We really appreciated their use of construction in creating a successful donor engagement/campaign event.