University Advancement Alignment Plan Overview

The Division of University Advancement is composed of the ECU Alumni Association, ECU Foundation, and ECU Health Foundation, in coordination with the ECU Educational Foundation Inc. (Pirate Club). The Division of University Advancement serves as the friend-raising and fund-raising arm of the general academic areas of the university, aiming to generate support, financial or otherwise, for East Carolina University. The units and subunits within the division collaborate to identify, engage, involve, cultivate, solicit, and steward alumni, individuals, corporations, and foundations in support of the ECU Strategic Plan — Future Focused. Innovation Driven.

Mission

University Advancement strives to utilize best practices and be professional leaders in friend-raising and fund-raising for the benefit of student success, public service, and regional transformation at East Carolina University.

Vision

To increase alumni engagement and donor support in size, dollars, and scope for the purpose of being future-focused and innovation-driven as ECU seeks to be a national model for student success, public service, and regional transformation.

Summary of University Advancement’s (UA) Strategies

 

Mission Priorities

  • M1.1.1: UA will increase scholarship funding at all levels (ECU Foundation, ECU Health Foundation, Pirate Club).
  • M1.1.2: UA will increase the utilization of key volunteers in student-focused engagement opportunities.
  • M1.1.3: UA will increase funding for designated student emergency funds.
  • M1.2.1: UA will increase funding for transformative experiences and experiential learning as identified by Academic and/or Student Affairs, including the Health Sciences Campus as identified by the Deans of the Health Sciences Campus.
  • M1.2.2: UA will increase funding for study abroad and high-impact off-campus programming and experiences as identified by Academic and/or Student Affairs.
  • M1.2.3: UA will increase the utilization of key volunteers in transformative experiences and experiential learning.
  • M1.3.1: UA will increase Corporate and Foundation Relations engagement with funders looking to strengthen eastern North Carolina, with a specific focus on rural America, especially in areas of workforce development and health care.
  • M2.1.1: UA will increase alumni relations coordination of engagement opportunities and donor relations coordination of stewardship opportunities with academic and cultural leadership through travel and virtual activities.
  • M2.2.1: UA will increase research and identification of funding opportunities utilizing the expertise of Corporate and Foundation Relations and the Office of Economic & Community Engagement.
  • M3.1.1: UA will increase awareness for the Investing in Our Future Endowment as it relates to the ECU Health Foundation.
  • M3.2.1: UA will increase Corporate and Foundation Relations engagement with funders looking to strengthen eastern North Carolina, with a specific focus on rural America, especially in areas of workforce development and health care.
  • M3.2.2: UA will increase the utilization of key volunteers focused on opportunities with students in their respective professional fields.
  • M3.2.3: UA will continue alignment through the agreement signed by the Medical & Health Sciences Foundation and Vidant Health Foundation to create the ECU Health Foundation.
  • M3.3.1: UA will increase funding for sustainable tourism and Integrated Coastal Programs and programmatic support of economic prosperity and sustainability programs as identified by Academic and/or Student Affairs for the benefit of the region of eastern North Carolina.

Vision Priorities

  • V1.1.1: UA will increase scholarship funding at all levels (ECU Foundation, ECU Health Foundation, Pirate Club).
  • V1.1.2: UA will increase the utilization of key volunteers in student-focused engagement opportunities.
  • V1.1.3: UA will increase funding for designated student emergency funds.
  • V2.1.1: UA will increase resources and communication toward employee well-being initiatives and programs.
  • V2.2.1: UA will increase activities to engage employees of varying perspectives.
  • V2.3.1: UA will utilize the resources available through Human Resources.
  • V2.3.2: UA will encourage professional development travel outside of the university.
  • V2.3.3: UA will encourage the use of campus and virtual professional development resources.
  • V2.3.4: UA will encourage employee use of the UNC System tuition assistance program.
  • V3.1.1: UA will increase funding for Health Sciences programs.

Targeted Narrative

The Division of University Advancement stands behind and supports East Carolina University’s mission to be a national model of student success, public service, and regional transformation. University Advancement seeks to build and maintain relationships with alumni, parents, friends, corporations, and foundations in support of ECU. We encourage philanthropic support from external constituents for all university funding priorities except ECU Athletics’ annual fundraising. University Advancement secures philanthropic dollars for the ECU Foundation and the ECU Health Foundation and oversees alumni relations through the ECU Alumni Association. The two independent foundations actively manage assets under the guidance of their individual boards of directors. Through our alumni- and donor-centered approach to engagement, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, we provide ECU with the resources to support priorities across campus.

Student success is at the core of our mission. By increasing funding for scholarships and designated student emergency funds, University Advancement seeks to assist the university in strengthening graduation and retention rates. Additionally, with an emphasis on increasing funding for transformative experiences and high-impact programming, coupled with increasing the number of touchpoints for students to engage with ECU’s alumni and donor populations, we are focused on providing students with opportunities for mentoring and networking both on and off campus.

University Advancement is devoted to serving the community and fostering engagement between Pirate Nation and ECU’s academic and cultural leadership. We seek to grow ECU’s external partnerships by increasing the identification of funding opportunities, particularly as they relate to corporations and foundations. By uniting our focus on engaging the community at every level, from citizen to corporation, University Advancement plays a vital role in garnering support for ECU’s service, health care, and research endeavors.

The success of ECU can be measured by the development of the region in which we were founded. University Advancement seeks to support the mission of regional transformation through engagement with local and national partners who align with our goal of strengthening eastern North Carolina’s workforce and health care systems. We seek to increase opportunities for students to engage with alumni and donors who are active participants in the transformation of rural communities around the world, as well as those in eastern North Carolina. Additionally, we seek to increase funding for sustainability and economic prosperity programs as determined by our partners in Academic and Student Affairs to offer our students and researchers opportunities to develop future-focused innovative solutions.

University Advancement’s vision for social and economic mobility, workforce success, and the health and well-being of our students and region aligns with our focus on increasing scholarships, transformative experiences, and opportunities for engagement. ECU Health and the ECU Health Foundation play a critical role in ensuring the health and well-being of our region. A continued focus on increasing funding for Health Sciences programs is key to that effort. Additionally, as we seek to cultivate our community within the division, University Advancement will increase internal resources, communication, and community building to help ensure that our staff feels informed, engaged, and included.

Often our division provides the first touchpoint post-graduation or for the first time as a friend of the university; our staff strives to provide high-quality opportunities to cultivate relationships both philanthropic and otherwise. With our priorities aligned around increasing engagement and philanthropic support, University Advancement is ready and will continue to rise to the challenges set forth in our refreshed strategic plan.