FoundationCCC has been recognized with two 2023 Circle of Excellence Awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Each year, the international awards competition highlights creative, inspiring achievements across advancement services, alumni relations, communications, fundraising, and marketing that impact institutions and their communities.

We’re proud to have been selected from the more than 4,000 entries submitted by nearly 600 two-year, four-year, public, and private institutions worldwide, for projects which honor our organizational commitment to innovation, equity, and student success in the Communications and Conferences and Events realm. 

Innovation & Impact Annual Report 2021-2022:

FoundationCCC’s Innovation & Impact Annual Report for the 2021-2022 fiscal year received a Silver Award in the “Marketing | Micro-sites (Fundraising)” category. The annual report serves as a comprehensive showcase of our organization’s achievements within the last fiscal year and provides real-life examples of how philanthropic support and statewide partnerships made possible our impact on the lives of students and their communities. 

The CASE Circle of Excellence Awards judges commented on the project, which was created by FoundationCCC’s in-house Communications and Technology team, noting: “This was a beautifully designed digital impact report, simple, yet elegant and immersive […]. The high-quality, engaging photography of students on campus, in classes, and in a variety of settings really speaks to the diverse and important role of community colleges and celebrates accomplishments that can be achieved with strong philanthropic support.”

The year 2021-2022 was a time of great change and challenges, but also one of opportunity to work in new ways to meet the needs of our students, colleges, and California communities. Alongside our partners, FoundationCCC helped the state recover and emerge from the pandemic better and stronger than ever, with “innovation” as a guiding principle – and as a theme honored through this year’s annual report. 

To showcase our commitment to innovation, a highly engaging video component was incorporated within the report which elevated the student voice and our points of pride, including connecting Californians access relief dollars, emergency aid, and student scholarships, launching new workforce programs, and expanding peer-to-peer outreach programs on campuses to connect students with resources addressing basic needs and environmental equity.

Pathways to Equity | Learn. Act. Change.

Also honored with a Bronze CASE Award this year was the “Pathways to Equity | Learn. Act. Change,” a dynamic hybrid event series that aimed to promote inclusivity, diversity, and social justice within the California Community Colleges.

As California works toward a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive community college environment, the California Community Colleges’ strategic plan, the Vision for Success, and the data we gather are more important than ever. To help colleges more effectively implement equity plans across the system, the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (Chancellor’s Office) set out to host “Pathways to Equity.” This three-part event series brought together staff and experts to provide guidance, share strategies, network, and implement plans that drove toward achieving the Vision, redesigning programs in alignment with Guided Pathways, and creating meaningful change for students. 

The Chancellor’s Office partnered with FoundationCCC’s in-house Conferences and Events team to host the series, which consisted of Learn (monthly webinars), Act (a one-day virtual conference), and Change (regional convenings) and engaged over 2,400 participants from 244 institutions across all three event components.

The Circle of Excellence Awards showcase the impact advancement professionals have upon their institutions and communities around the globe, every day. Our 2023 honorees—from diverse institutions and teams of all sizes—are bold, creative, and resourceful. They demonstrate how powerful it is when advancement teams champion teaching, learning, research, and the progress that education ignites.

 Sue Cunningham, President and CEO, CASE