50th anniversary event earns international gold award

University honored for innovative 50th anniversary kick-off and Giving Day fundraiser

By California State University, Bakersfield

June 9^th, 2021

Today the Council for Advancement and Support of Education announced its 2021 Circle of Excellence Awards winners.

California State University, Bakersfield earned a gold award for its 50th anniversary virtual kick-off event and Giving Day fundraiser. Held on Oct. 1, 2020, the virtual event celebrated the institution's golden anniversary of 50 years. The first day of classes were held at CSUB on Oct. 1, 1970.

The event featured guest appearances from Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, prominent alumni, elected officials, musicians like T-Pain, Gregory Porter and Monty Byrom, and social justice leader Dolores Huerta, among others. The event can be viewed on CSUB's YouTube channel.

CSUB's first-ever Giving Day online fundraiser was also held on that day and raised over $124,000.

These peer-selected and adjudicated awards honor institutions worldwide whose talented staff have advanced their organizations through their resourcefulness and ingenuity.

Winners are selected based on several factors, including overall quality, innovation, use of resources and the impact on the institution or its external and internal communities, such as alumni, parents, students, and faculty and staff.

“This year’s CASE Circle of Excellence Awards highlight the creative, nimble, and innovative approaches our members bring to championing the success of their institutions,” says CASE President and CEO Sue Cunningham.

“Advancing education has never been more important, and the Circle of Excellence Awards celebrate the innovative work that has contributed to that vital societal outcome. This year, CASE member schools, colleges, and universities across the CASE global membership were faced with challenges that have never been seen before, and advancement professionals demonstrated their skills and sensitivity as they created inspiring and important work to engage their communities in entirely new ways.”

In 2021, CASE received almost 3,000 entries from 27 countries. Those entries came from 530 institutions for consideration across 100 categories.

Earlier this year, the university earned five CASE District VII awards for its 50th anniversary promotions and other communications tactics. The 50th anniversary campaign also earned a gold award from the Collegiate Advertising Awards and an award of excellence from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Central California Chapter.