For CASE and the field of advancement to fully live out its mission of leveraging education and lifelong learning to transform lives and society, work must be done to ensure that the paths to these great institutions are accessible to everyone. 

With that charge, CASE has created the Opportunity and Inclusion Center. The OIC will focus on improving diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in advancement, enhancing the advancement capabilities in Minority Serving Institutions, and increasing the diversity pipeline for advancement professionals in service of educational attainment for all. 

 “CASE is proud to be part of a community that is collaborative, inclusive, and embracing of diversity as our member institutions focus on the role that education plays in advancing a more just and equitable society,” says Sue Cunningham, CASE President and CEO. “Advancement leaders can and must be instrumental in this work and the CASE Opportunity and Inclusion Center will ensure the profession has access to critical trainings, perspectives, and pathways for inclusion. I am grateful to our dedicated volunteers who helped CASE develop this concept, and to Rob Henry, vice president of development, culture and talent who leads this crucial work for CASE.” 

Council for Advancement and Support of Education Receives $300,000 Grant to Support DEIB Work 

The OIC was conceived during an 18-month planning grant from The Kresge Foundation and guided by a volunteer task force. Recently, CASE announced that it had received a $300,000 grant from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation to support the growth of the center. 

“This grant represents an incredible opportunity for CASE to bolster our DEIB programs, trainings, and resources, building on the work we have already done to develop industry best practices and increase the diversity of advancement professionals at all levels,” says Henry. 

This includes recruiting and hiring a seasoned professional to lead the OIC who will work with DEIB experts and CASE volunteers including the District Opportunity & Inclusion chairs to develop, coordinate, and shape DEIB trainings. 

Institute for Minority Serving Institutions 

As part of the CASE Opportunity and Inclusion Center, CASE is hosting an Institute for Minority Serving Institutions from September 22-23. This online conference will focus on building advancement capacity to enable student access and success and advancing opportunities for minority and first-generation and low-income students. 

Attendees can expect to learn how to establish goals that encourage your institution to have a greater commitment to diverse students, discover best practices to reach your fundraising and engagement goals as they relate to DEIB and beyond, and develop tools to build MSI advancement capacity from leading experts in the field.  

Teams from MSIs are encouraged to attend together, share resources, and learn as a group.