About this Award:
from the Association of Fundraising Professionals website:

In 2004, Kent State University was named the winner of the International AFP/Campbell & Company Award for Excellence in Fundraising, the highest award that the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) bestows upon a charitable organization. The university was recognized for the unprecedented success of its first comprehensive fundraising campaign, which raised more than $121.9 million in gifts and pledges.

“Although I was not surprised by the response to our first major fundraising campaign, the magnitude of generosity certainly exceeded my expectations,” said University President Carol A. Cartwright. “This outpouring of private support is helping us to fuel economic growth, provide broad access to a high-quality education and translate scholarship into action that meets authentic community needs. The results of this campaign will continue to reverberate for years to come.”

Prior to Dr. Cartwright’s arrival at Kent State in 1991, the university had been reluctant to invest in fundraising following the tragic events of May 4, 1970, when four students were killed and 13 wounded by the Ohio National Guard. No major fundraising campaign had ever been undertaken and in some cases alumni had not been contacted in decades.

Beginning the Turnaround

In 1996, Cartwright convened a blue ribbon commission that recommended Kent State undertake a $100 million fundraising campaign. At the time, the university was raising only $6 million annually. It had received only two $1 million gifts in its 87-year history – a very small number given the institution’s age and size.

When the 6½-year campaign concluded on June 30, 2003, Kent State had raised more than $121.9 million in gifts and pledges. Twenty-seven donors made contributions or commitments of $1 million or more, and half of those gifts were from first-time donors to the university.

“The turnaround at Kent State University is astonishing,” said AFP President and CEO Paulette V. Maehara, CFRE, CAE. “It can take many years to develop a culture of giving at an organization, so for Kent State to develop these kinds of strong connections with its alumni is all the more amazing.”

“Kent State’s campaign is a true fundraising success story,” said Campbell & Company President Edith Falk. “The University’s dramatic results show what can happen when people who care become engaged – and invested – in the cause. We are very pleased that Kent State has been chosen to receive the 2004 AFP/ Campbell & Company Award for Excellence in Fundraising.”

The AFP/Campbell and Company Award for Excellence in Fundraising is given to a nonprofit organization that has achieved extraordinary fundraising results, dramatically increased giving and number of donors, and/or has created innovative programs.