Brewster Wins Two International Awards

Brewster’s Communications Department has received not one, but two huge industry awards! The video work of Kara McDuffee, Brewster’s Digital Media Marketing Manager, has been recognized by The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) in its 2024 Circle of Excellence Awards. The coveted awards highlight exceptional achievement in advancement services, alumni relations, communications, fundraising, and marketing. 

The Silver
Each year, universities, colleges, and independent schools from all over the world vie for a Circle of Excellence Award in a number of categories. This year, “The Fund For Brewster” won the Silver Award in the Video: Fundraising and Stewardship (Short) category. Created to give Brewster’s Advancement Team a concise, engaging way to describe the importance of The Fund for Brewster in their outreach efforts, Mrs. McDuffee’s video kept students at the forefront, “as they are the ones who directly benefit from giving to this Fund,” she explained. A freelance videographer helped shoot and edit the final production, but all scripting and producing were internal. “The video is intended to educate more than incite a call to action,” Mrs. McDuffee said, “but we know that it will help promote giving.” The judges agreed, noting the video effectively balanced playfulness with a clear and educational message.

The Bronze 
The second award, a Bronze for “Teacher Appreciation: Day of Giving” in the Video: Fundraising (Flash Campaign/Giving Day) category, was created to support Brewster’s newly reinstated Day of Giving during Teacher Appreciation week. “We developed this video with the teacher appreciation theme in mind,” Mrs. McDuffee said. “Our goal was to highlight the people who have tirelessly given their time and energy to Brewster for years—our faculty—with a call to make a gift in their honor. To do so, we collected thank you letters from alumni and students. Then, we invited the letter recipients to read them on camera for the first time.” The result was a touching, emotional experience shared by the thousands who viewed the video on social media and on Brewster’s website. 

The CASE judges, volunteers from the school advancement industry, said “The heartfelt and sweet nature of this video is perfectly geared towards alumni, making a meaningful impact.”

“This is very exciting for Brewster,” said Head of School Kristy Kerin upon hearing the announcement on June 26, noting how elusive a CASE Circle of Excellence can be with the hundreds if not thousands of creative entries. “Kara excels at capturing special moments with our students and our faculty, and I’m so pleased her work has been recognized in this way.” 

Director of Advancement John Northrop explained the importance of creative outreach like the videos: “As we look toward the next decade of fundraising, the need to communicate with our alumni and donors in a way that builds strong connections, imparts critical information, and incentivizes engagement with the Academy is vital. Kara and our Marketing/Communications Team are keeping us on the leading edge of effective outreach, and it shows up in our engagement and fundraising success.”

CASE 

CASE is the global nonprofit association dedicated to educational advancement—alumni relations, communications, development, marketing, and advancement services—and championing education to transform lives and society.

The group helps its members build stronger and enduring relationships with all of their constituencies: alumni, donors, prospective students, parents, government officials, community leaders, and others. By fostering the goodwill, active involvement, and informed advocacy of these groups, colleges, universities, and independent schools are best able to fulfill their missions.

“The Circle of Excellence Awards showcase the impact advancement professionals have upon their institutions and communities around the globe, every day,” said Sue Cunningham, CASE’s President and CEO. “Our 2024 honorees—from diverse institutions and teams of all sizes—are bold, creative, and resourceful. They demonstrate how powerful it is when advancement teams champion teaching, learning, research, and the progress that education ignites.”