From Las Vegas to National Harbor: A Year of Going Solo
It’s been quieter in your inbox the last couple of weeks while I caught my breath from a busy fall. I’ve also welcomed a few dozen new colleagues to this list, so if you’re new here, I appreciate your patience.
This week is special. It marks one year.
One year since I stood on stage at the 2024 higher education marketing symposium in Las Vegas, sharing how we elevated Advancement MarCom over my eight years at Drexel University — a blueprint I hoped would help other universities, and my last act inside the institution.
What I didn’t know then: the day I got back, my position would be eliminated after years of financial strain and a smaller-than-expected fall freshmen class that pushed an already-fraught situation over the edge.
Fast forward to this year’s AMA in National Harbor, Maryland, just across the water from D.C. Same conference (1,600+ attendees this year). Different role.
This time I showed up as an independent consultant — grateful, less pressured, and much clearer about where I want to spend my time: helping MarCom and Advancement leaders sharpen their story, strengthen their teams and partnerships, and grow philanthropy.
I spent the week doing the things I love most about this field: trading ideas, sitting in on smart sessions, catching up with former agency teammates and clients, and finally meeting a few virtual friends in real life. It filled the tank in a way nothing else does.
But as good as those three and a half days felt, something really bothered me.
And it has everything to do with where Advancement still sits in higher ed marketing.
When the agenda tells on us
If the largest and best annual higher ed marketing conference barely makes room for Advancement — excuse my French — that’s a f*cking problem.
Alumni and donor engagement isn’t a side project.
Depending on the institution, philanthropy underwrites around 10% of spending across U.S. higher ed. That’s over $61 billion in 2024 to scholarships, faculty, research, student support, buildings, and so much more.
To AMA’s credit, there were a few sessions that touched on alumni engagement and fundraising. The issue isn’t that Advancement was totally absent but how little space it had compared with everyone else.
Scan this year’s program and you’ll find only a small handful of sessions that nod to Advancement work — amid dozens on enrollment, brand, AI, and other tech.
That gap between philanthropy’s impact and its airtime at our biggest marketing conference is hard to defend.
When Advancement shows up primarily in a scattered breakouts, it sends a message:
Brand and enrollment are the real story. Philanthropy is a niche.
But if we want reputation, enrollment, and philanthropy to rise together (and this year’s AMA theme was literally “reputation and revenue”), Advancement needs much more stage time in programs, panels, and planning.
Lessons from a year solo (and how AMA reinforced them)
This first year of going solo has given me a wider view of the field. AMA put a spotlight on a few patterns I’ve been seeing across institutions:
1. Advancement MarCom is still under-defined.
The same questions keep coming up:
- What exactly should Advancement marketing and communications own?
- Where does it plug into the larger university brand?
- How do we measure its impact?
Because we haven’t answered these clearly enough, the function often gets treated as tactical support instead of a strategic driver.
2. The biggest goals get met when Central MarCom and Advancement plan together.
At the institutions that feel different, I see one thing in common: shared planning, backed by a strong relationship between the leaders of Central MarCom and Advancement — often close peers, and in some cases, reporting to the same senior leader.
Central marketing, schools and colleges, and Advancement aren’t just swapping logos and talking points. They’re intentionally sitting down together to decide:
- The core story they want donors, alumni, and prospective students to hear.
- The audiences each group is best positioned to reach.
- How campaigns, content, and experiences ladder up to that shared story.
We don’t need more turf battles. We need a unified narrative with many owners.
3. Leaders are trying to do more with less.
This year’s AMA had plenty of sessions on AI, data, and tech. Which all matters. But most breakfast, exhibit hall, and bar conversations were about something more basic:
“How do we keep up when our teams and budgets are shrinking?”
Leaders and teams are being asked to protect reputation, hit enrollment targets, and grow philanthropy with fewer people, tighter dollars, and rising pressure. They’re looking for smarter ways to prioritize, cut low-impact work, optimize headcount, and use partners and technology where they add leverage.
That’s exactly when it becomes dangerous to treat Advancement as an optional extra. When resources are scarce, we can’t afford to underplay one of the few levers that directly supports both mission and operating budgets.
What you can do on your campus this next year
You may not control a national conference agenda, but you do influence how Advancement shows up where you are. A few questions to bring to your next leadership or planning meeting:
- Where does Advancement appear in our marketing and communications plan for the next 12–18 months — and is it early enough in the conversation?
- If philanthropy covers a meaningful share of our budget, does our storytelling, staffing, and calendar reflect that importance?
- What’s one initiative Central MarCom and Advancement could co-own this year — with shared goals, shared planning, and shared credit?
Where I'm focusing in year two
This past year, I’ve partnered with a select group of institutions and organizations that want to take these questions seriously.
In year two, I’m leaning into that work even more:
- Assessments of Advancement / Development MarCom functions — clear, candid looks at strategy, structure, and output so leaders can see what’s working, what isn’t, and what to do to elevate performance.
- Strategic roadmaps for campaign communications and Advancement MarCom — customized, practical plans that align central marketing and development around priorities, audiences, and a realistic sequence of work.
- Partnerships with like-minded consultants, agencies, and tech providers — so clients get one integrated solution with Advancement expertise built in.
Last year’s AMA cracked the door open to solo work.
This year’s made it clear: my imperative is helping institutions put Advancement at the center of their growth story, not on the margins.
That’s how I’m trying to make it matter. How are you working to elevate Advancement where you are?
Dan
P.S. If you're new or missed my last newsletter, you might also like my recent piece in Volt called "The Advancement Manifesto." Catch up here!
