Sandburg Foundation’s 50 Alumni, 50 States project wins bronze in CASE Circle of Excellence Awards

 The Carl Sandburg College Foundation has received national recognition for an alumni engagement initiative. 

 

The foundation’s 50 Alumni, 50 States project was named a 2026 Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Circle of Excellence Awards winner, earning a bronze award in the Alumni Relations Initiatives (Less Than 10 Staff) category. 

 

The goal of 50 Alumni, 50 States is to connect with at least one alumnus from each state and share their journey from Sandburg to where they are today. Targeted social media posts directed individuals to complete a survey where they could share their state and upload a photo to complete a US map featuring some of Sandburg’s 66,000-plus alumni.

 

In highlighting these alumni, the campaign celebrates successes, builds engagement and showcases the contributions Sandburg alumni make across the nation. It’s even helped identify some alumni who have gone on to be nominated by the Sandburg Foundation for awards.

 

“We’re beyond honored to receive this recognition by CASE for our 50 Alumni, 50 States project,” Sandburg Vice President of Advancement Eric Johnson said. “Our Sandburg Foundation team deserves loads of credit for developing this idea and putting in the work to make it a successful piece that highlights just how far and wide our Sandburg alumni network reaches. We also are grateful to our alumni who have taken part in this project for allowing us to share their successes and shine a spotlight on the great accomplishments they’ve achieved in their time after Sandburg. Without them, this project isn’t possible.”

 

So far, 94 alumni from 29 different states have been featured through the project. To learn more about the initiative or to make a submission to add your name to the map, visit sandburg.edu/50alumni50states.

 

“This submission was recognized for its creative approach to alumni engagement and its strong potential as a model for other institutions,” contest judges said about the 50 Alumni, 50 States initiative. “Judges appreciated how the initiative adapted an existing concept into a low-cost, high-impact campaign that encouraged broad alumni participation with little barrier to entry. Its strong visual presence across multiple platforms helped demonstrate the reach of the alumni community while also supporting recruitment, volunteerism and social media engagement. The committee valued the way this initiative extended beyond traditional giving-day strategies to create meaningful connection across all 50 states.”

 

The CASE Circle of Excellence Awards serve as the premier recognition program for the educational advancement sector. This year’s CASE Circle of Excellence Awards saw 4,185 submissions from 628 institutions in 33 countries. To learn more about the CASE Circle of Excellence Awards, visit case.org/circle.