The McGill University Student Wellness Hub (SWH) provides a range of services to support students' physical and mental health, focusing on awareness, prevention, and early intervention. Thanks to philanthropy, the SWH grew exponentially in the four years since its 2019 launch. As a result of government funding cuts and growing student needs for holistic care, McGill University Advancement (UA) embarked on a $10M fundraising campaign. When a parent from the U.S. Parent Leadership Council offered to host a dinner supporting the SWH in Washington, D.C., a remarkable volunteer-driven engagement series was born that targeted a key SWH cohort: McGill parents. A series of dinners in the U.S., United Kingdom, and Canada were organized at exclusive venues, all inspired by the successful Washington, D.C., pilot event. This strategy allowed UA to speak to the interests of McGill parents and to build stronger alliances with them. To further support the appeals conveyed at the dinners, a follow-up webinar with SWH representatives and a student ambassador was organized for interested parents to witness a “day in the life” at the SWH. The targeted dinners struck a chord with parents; meaningful commitments were made to the campaign, and stronger relationships were cultivated amongst our Development and Engagement teams, Senior Volunteer Ambassadors, and McGill parents.
From the Judges
While programs like this one are emerging all over the world, McGill did a great job engaging parents in a multi-faceted way, with excellent packaging of their case for support. Notable in this entry are the use of volunteers and their involvement in peer identification and solicitation.
