The University of Guelph received two gold, a silver and three bronze awards this week at the annual conference of the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education (CCAE). The Prix D’Excellence awards program recognizes outstanding staff achievements in alumni affairs, public affairs, communications, marketing, development, advancement services, stewardship, student recruitment and overall institutional Advancement.
The Ontario Veterinary College Pet Trust fundraising gala “A Walk in the Park” won gold in the category for best special event. The October 2013 evening raised $400,000 for the Mona Campbell Centre for Animal Cancer.
In the category for best donor relations initiative, the Department of Alumni Affairs and Development (AA&D) received gold for the 2013 Impact of Giving report and calendar. In the same category, AA&D won bronze for its donor impact statements, which summarize an individual’s giving history and acknowledge the impact the donor has had over the years.
A CCAE silver award for best community outreach initiative recognizes the University’s participation in Giving Tuesday, an international movement that promotes giving and volunteering each fall on the Tuesday following the U.S. Thanksgiving. The 2013 U of G event invited local charitable groups to gather in the University Centre Courtyard to share their stories and fundraising needs.
The other CCAE bronze awards were in the categories for best print ad and best writing. The first was for a series of BetterPlanet Project impact ads designed by AA&D and printed in The Portico alumni magazine. Also in The Portico, a feature story by Communications and Public Affairs staff writer Andrew Vowles won a bronze award. The article, “Curiosity Takes U of G to Mars,” details the work of Guelph scientists involved in the Mars Exploration rover missions. The Guelph team is headed by Prof. Ralf Gellert, Department of Physics.