University of Lynchburg's Carnegie Hall, a three-story colonial building with red brick.

The Situation

Since 1903, the University of Lynchburg has challenged students to become their best selves by asking a simple question: “How can you best serve the world?” Four years ago, an unsuccessful feasibility study left university leaders feeling grim about their prospects of raising more than $12 million.

Lynchburg’s new president wanted to demonstrate how far the university had come since the previous study, and knew board, faculty, and staff buy-in was crucial. The team also wanted to build a stronger alumni giving pipeline that better reflected the university’s unique culture.

The Success

Having methodically built an effective and increasingly influential staff, including a new alumni director, the Vice President for Advancement has demonstrated his operation’s ability to raise significant philanthropic support. A Campaign Planning Study confirmed the faith of their constituents in the advancement effort. And their new president found ways to virtually engage constituents and attain buy-in from the campus community, which in turn has helped the philanthropic effort inspire more comprehensive and holistic relationships.

“We found ourselves energized by Graham-Pelton’s recommendations and acted quickly to implement. As a result, we turned a culture of family into a true culture of philanthropy.”

Michael Bonnette
Vice President for Advancement
UNIVERSITY OF LYNCHBURG
Graham-Pelton
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