In the 1970s, GG+A helped guide one of the earliest fundraising campaigns in higher education. Since then, the firm has served nearly 400 colleges and universities—and is now established as an international leader in all aspects of higher-education philanthropy.
We have been in the trenches with our clients as they grappled with the fiscal realities of recent decades: the dramatic drop in state support for public institutions, the need to ensure access and affordability in times of escalating tuition, the relentless competition for star faculty, the multimillion- or multibillion-dollar fundraising campaign as a way of life. As former advancement leaders themselves, our consultants know the business from the inside out.
In our work around the world, we find that diverse colleges and universities grapple with many of the same issues related to fundraising leadership, participation, and aspiration. The need for chief advancement officers to work closely with institutional leaders to define a vision and establish the fundraising priorities to achieve it. Volunteers who may not be sufficiently knowledgeable about best-practice principal- and major-gift fundraising to maximize their effectiveness. Deans and other academics who are not yet experienced at creating compelling giving opportunities to advance their strategic goals. Institutions with unrealistic fundraising aspirations.
We are equipped with the expertise and experience to address these challenges in a way that captures and accounts for the singularity of your institution.
Whatever the size of your ambitions or complexities of your program, we can help you succeed. Services include:
It comes down to four factors: Understanding industry best practices. Knowing what to measure and how to measure it. Applying the resulting insights to each unique situation. Aligning alumni engagement decisions with the overall advancement strategy. Learn more.
Best-in-class annual giving programs achieve their success through a combination of sophisticated analytics, meticulous management, compelling creative expression, and a relentless appetite for refinement. Learn more.
Provides the insights and data needed to make critical decisions about a proposed campaign’s structure, objectives, and implementation, offering an objective review of strengths and weaknesses relevant to the proposed campaign. Fundamental activities include briefing lead prospects and volunteers on the campaign’s goals, soliciting feedback on the case for support, and face-to-face conversations that explore the perceptions and gift potential of key constituents. Includes an analysis of internal resources available to support the effort and evidence-based recommendations for strategies, investments, and reallocations that will help support an ambitious and achievable campaign.
Flexible configurations of customized, one-on-one support, ranging from several hours per month to several days per week. Strategic and campaign counsel commonly includes advising leadership on internal and external positioning for philanthropy, providing direction on cultivation and solicitation strategies, effective uses for staff and volunteer resources, and the structure and role of volunteer committees. Counsel at the interim-management level may include hands-on time reviewing the prospect pool and targets, advising on the development of a prospect management system and accompanying reports, or evaluating gift capacities and identifying ask amounts.
GG+A’s experience in higher education is incomparable. We have worked with almost 400 higher education institutions, including all of the top 25 globally ranked universities, nearly all members of the Association of American Universities, the flagship public universities in 46 states, four of the five top-ranked universities in Canada, and numerous universities in the UK, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Here is a sampling:
To achieve campaign goals, empower people with knowledge and confidence.
A shift in annual giving strategy yields strong results.
The right tools, ideas, and partners help an institution achieve its vision.
Expertise: Gift officer coaching, training, development program reviews, strategic planning studies
