CASE has named the recipients of its 2026 Circle of Excellence Award winners, honoring outstanding work in educational advancement from institutions around the world.

Recognized as the premier accolades for educational advancement, the Circle of Excellence Awards celebrate colleges, universities, and schools whose advancement teams demonstrate exceptional ingenuity, creativity, and resourcefulness. Through inspiring projects and programs, these institutions strengthen educational communities and help transform lives around the world.

In 2026, teams from 628 institutions in 33 countries submitted 4,185 entries for consideration. The program’s 93 award categories span the full breadth of advancement, including magazines and publications, fundraising campaigns, alumni initiatives, special events, marketing, leadership, video, and more.

Volunteer judges from CASE’s membership selected 493 exemplary entries for bronze, silver, gold, and grand gold recognition. Winning entries were chosen for overall quality, innovation, effective use of resources, and measurable impact on their institutions and communities, including alumni, parents, students, faculty, and staff.

This year, entries were considered for both global recognition and regional or district recognition. CASE will announce the Best of Regions/Districts later in 2026.

The 2026 recipient of CASE’s highest magazine honor, the annual Robert Sibley Magazine of the Year Award, is Iowa Magazine for University of Iowa Alumni and Friends. Judges praised Iowa Magazine, stating, “This is an excellent magazine with exceptional design, story selection, and storytelling. [We] liked its food issue, which included articles on everything from favorite Iowa City haunts to what a football player eats on game day to food safety to an alum who was a food critic, and a lot more. The photography is outstanding, and we loved the wraparound cover.”

Together, this year’s winners represent the very best of the advancement profession. Their achievements offer inspiration for the CASE community as it looks ahead to the next cycle of innovation, creativity, and impact.