Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,
Spring is upon us! The sun is shining and the trees are budding, two sure signs of spring’s arrival. Renewal and growth — the dynamics that define spring — also define DePaul University’s drive to excel academically, innovate, transform students’ lives, and empower the greater DePaul community to raise the bar even further.
Through its philanthropic and engagement initiatives, the Division of Advancement and External Relations is proud to support and develop these aspirations. I’m excited to share a few updates on how we’re doing that.
Connecting with Academic Units
Our division and the Faculty Council have formed a
Faculty Campaign Advisory Committee to better connect DePaul’s fundraising work to the academic enterprise. Reflecting the interdisciplinary focus identified through the
Designing DePaul process, representatives from each academic unit will meet regularly with Advancement campaign management team members, me, and key stakeholders to discuss university-wide and unit-specific fundraising strategy and initiatives and share developments related to their unit’s curriculum, research, and partnerships.
To better facilitate the exchange of information, committee members will also join meetings convened by their units’ deans and department and program chairs, share updates across their units to engage, motivate, and recruit peers, and assist in providing campaign progress reports to the Faculty Council’s main body. I am honored to chair this committee and look forward to working with this group as we continue to plan for DePaul’s future. We will share more information about the committee membership soon.
Pods
Our pod structure has been launched for each college and school. These 10 working groups pair Advancement experts with academic-unit leadership to more effectively collaborate and communicate on ideas, priorities, and future plans. These conversations drive informed, tailored donor cultivation, stewardship, and communication strategies. During the spring quarter, faculty and staff have joined these monthly meetings to share insights about their departments and programs in greater detail. In June, the pods will strategize Advancement-related college plans for fiscal year 2025.
Inspired Crowdfunding
The spring cohort for
InspireDePaul, our crowdfunding platform for students, faculty, and staff with specific, modest funding needs, is now underway. This cohort includes more than 20 active campaigns raising funds for student groups, club sports, scholarships, and more. Participants operate their own campaigns after receiving guidance from Advancement on engagement, outreach, and promotional strategies.
Often, InspireDePaul donors are alumni, family, and friends who enjoy the opportunity to connect on a personal level with recipients who need funds for event planning or travel expenses. For faculty and academic staff, InspireDePaul helps leverage longstanding, meaningful relationships they have with alumni to benefit their students. For other DePaul staff, it’s often a useful means to raise funds for students with great financial need.
InspireDePaul applications are accepted on a rolling basis. If you have a group or project you’d like to fundraise for, please
apply here.
Blue Demon Nation
Our work is not just limited to DePaul’s campus! This spring, our division’s Office of Alumni Relations and Office of Parent Engagement have been busy engaging the DePaul community at events from coast to coast.
This year, we’ve hosted receptions with President Robert L. Manuel in Arizona, Florida, Washington, D.C., Southern California, and Wilmette, Ill., with another reception in Oak Brook, Ill., on May 9. The events are a fun, informal way for alumni, current parents, prospective students, and friends to learn the latest about DePaul, the
Designing DePaul road map, and how they can give back in ways most meaningful to them.
Vincentian Service Day
We’re also organizing alumni participation in Vincentian Service Day on Saturday, May 4, in partnership with the Division of Mission & Ministry.
Students, faculty, and staff are invited to participate as this important event celebrates its 25th anniversary this year! Blue Demons will fan out to volunteer at non-profit organizations, such as food pantries and animal shelters. This year, with the help of our alumni chapters, we’ve coordinated
17 service sites — seven in Chicago and 10 more nationwide. Based on last year’s attendance, we’re expecting more than 500 hours of service in total!
As we look forward to the end of the academic year, I could not be more proud of the work we have done to forge new relationships across campus and help alumni stay connected to DePaul’s mission of service. Our mission is at the core of what we do, and I look forward to building DePaul’s future every day.
Go Blue Demons!
Sincerely,
Katie Fraumann
Senior Vice President
Division of Advancement and External Relations