From the Nominator

Tuck 125 was an anniversary-driven mini campaign marking the 125th anniversary of the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Designed as an alternative to traditional multi-year campaigns, the initiative tested whether a focused mini campaign—executed without consultants or volunteer committees—could generate measurable outcomes within a compressed timeframe. Designed for Tuck’s 11,000+ alumni, the strategy integrated engagement and fundraising across three components. First, we delivered eight marquee events in geographically distributed markets. Each anniversary event included segmented programming: VIP pre-receptions to cultivate leadership donors and young alumni post-events designed to reinforce community expectations around giving and engagement. Second, we culminated the Team of 100, a fundraising initiative that secured over $120 million for unrestricted endowed scholarship funds. Commitments ranged from $1 million to $5 million, and pledge terms were recommended to three years or fewer to preserve readiness for the next comprehensive campaign. Third, we established the 125th Society to recognize multi-year annual fund commitments of $125,000+. Unlike the Team of 100, pledges were encouraged to span five years, converting episodic leadership gifts into a more predictable stream of annual fund revenue. Together, these efforts nearly doubled the total value of endowed scholarship funds, increased annual fund cash flow by 10%, and strengthened alumni pride.

From the Judges

The Tuck 125 campaign stands out as a masterclass in coordination, effectively weaving annual giving and leadership donor components into a cohesive bridge strategy during a transitional period. By leveraging the 125th anniversary to create a "test-and-learn" environment, the team successfully engaged younger alumni alongside major gift prospects through clever, simple marketing and high-level internal execution. While the approach follows traditional higher education advancement models rather than radical innovation, the results were exceptional and delivered via a highly cost-efficient strategy. Ultimately, this nomination serves as a fantastic example of a "all-hands-on-deck" effort that successfully sustains donor momentum between major comprehensive campaigns.