Contact: Addie Mayfield

STARKVILLE, Miss.—As Mississippi State University nears the end of the most successful educational capital campaign in the state’s history, the institution is being recognized by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) for outstanding efforts in fundraising and development.

Selected to receive a 2020 CASE Educational Fundraising Award for Overall Improvement, MSU was one of only five universities nationwide to be named in the Public Research/Doctoral Institutions with Endowments Over $215 Million category. The Educational Fundraising Awards annually recognize exemplary development programs based on a blind review by a committee of experienced fundraisers.

In recent years, the MSU Foundation has made significant progress toward the $1 billion goal in the historic Infinite Impact campaign. Such efforts are highlighted by the recent award selection, which specifically distinguishes significant program growth demonstrated across three years of data. Beyond total amount of funds raised, winners were selected based on a diverse range of factors including patterns of growth, impact of giving, and student and alumni participation, among others.

“We look for much more than the total amount of funds raised. Breadth and depth matters,” said Sue Cunningham, CASE president and CEO. “We also look for institutions that ‘punch above their weight’—institutions that rank lower in their categories like budgets and enrollment, but who rank higher in terms of funds raised in various categories, such as funds raised per FTE enrollment.”

CASE Educational Fundraising Awards demonstrate the highest level of professionalism and best practice in fundraising. However, MSU Foundation President and CEO John Rush said that such achievements in educational advancement require more than just hard work­—they take heart too.

“This award is a reflection not only of the dedication of our development staff, but also of the unwavering loyalty and support of our alumni and friends who continue to invest in the progress and betterment of our university,” said Rush. “We are passionate about what we do here and it’s inspiring to know that those who give toward MSU do so because they believe in the future of this great institution.”

CASE is an international professional association serving educational institutions and advancement professionals in alumni relations, communications and marketing, and development.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.