In spring 2023, New York University initiated a bold internal campaign to inspire gift officers to secure funding for the newly built $1.2 billion John A. Paulson Center. The building—touted by the press, and now embraced by NYU, as "One Building. Many Purposes"—boasts a 400-bed residence hall, faculty housing, three theaters, a full athletics complex, two eateries, 58 classrooms, common areas, roof gardens, dedicated space for the local community, a revitalized walkway, and other amenities, right in the heart of NYC. Our primary goal, after interviewing more than a dozen NYU gift officers, was to introduce, but not overwhelm. For a project of this magnitude, it will take years to secure the 200+ naming opportunities. Thus, we aimed to excite and empower by providing all of the materials in one place. As such, when a gift officer connects with an interested prospect—be it next week or in two years—the gift officer will know how to quickly find exactly what they need or dive deeper into what they seek to learn. We also wanted to ensure the site allows for curation (e.g., just shows arts opportunities or opportunities by floor) and does overwhelm the gift officer or prospect with an exhaustive list of opportunities or verbose descriptions. Instead, the site shows each opportunity in a visually compelling way by using rollovers, pop-ups, and interactive floor plans.
From the Judges
This entry really stood out as game-changing and a concept that can be applied at other institutions. NYU created a page with a clear dual purpose: a donor-centric case for support of the capital campaign and a toolkit for gift officers and wider advancement. It also stood out for its low cost and clear return on investment.
