Trent University is marking the culmination of a milestone 50^th anniversary year with several national accolades, after being presented with four awards from the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education (CCAE) in the 2015 Prix D’Excellence Awards – two gold awards in the Best New Idea: Creativity on a Shoestring category for the innovative 50 in 50 GivingTuesday Fundraising Campaign, and in the Best Alumni Event category for the Trent University Alumni Association Alumni & Friends Reunion; a silver for Best Annual Report for the 2014 Report to the Community; and a bronze in the Best Fundraising Initiative category for Celebrating Legacies event, which marked the completion of Trent’s successful Legacy Campaign.

“For Trent University to have been awarded four CCAE awards and be recognized in our sector at a national level is truly impressive and very much deserved,” said Julie Davis, vice president of External Relations and Advancement at Trent. “These awards are a demonstration and celebration of the work of an outstanding team committed to excellence and supported by a group of very dedicated volunteers.”

The CCAE Prix D’Excellence awards, which were presented at a conference in Montreal June 10-12, 2015, recognize outstanding achievements in alumni affairs, public affairs, development, and overall institutional advancement in universities across Canada.

The judges praised the award-winning Trent initiatives for “creative engagement” of alumni and other audiences, for providing a “great return on investment,” having “strong messaging,” and for being “executed flawlessly.”

As the top winner in the Best New Idea: Creativity on a Shoestring category, the Trent 50 in 50 initiative was a highly successful, low-cost, collaborative mini fundraising campaign that leveraged the relatively new phenomenon of GivingTuesday, the creativity of our students, alumni and staff, the power of social and traditional media, and our 50^th anniversary, all in order to raise $50,000 in 50 hours and inspire a new spirit of philanthropy. The campaign exceeded its goal by 182 per cent, raising a total of $91,816 at a direct cost of less than $400, recruited 133 new donors and raised the profile of Trent in the community.

Striking gold in the Best Alumni Event category, the Trent University Alumni Association (TUAA) 50th Anniversary Reunion Weekend was the kick-off to a year of 50^th anniversary celebrations and included the Ideas that Change the World Symposium, Blue Rodeo concert, 50 years of Sport, and a campus-wide open house, led by a team of alumni volunteers and the Alumni Affairs Office. The event was celebrated for its engagement of alumni throughout Trent’s 50 year history and for its unique approach to anniversary celebrations.

Trent’s renewed focus on our long-standing relationship with the local community earned the University a silver award for its newly redesigned annual report, the 2014 Report to the Community, which moved away from an academic, text-heavy document, to a more community-minded and accessible design. Graphic detail and key information in short narratives worked to highlight Trent’s impact as an institution, its facilities, and its staff, faculty, students, alumni and retirees, telling a new story of Trent’s relationship with the community.

Finally, the award-winning Legacy Campaign earned a second CCAE award for the Celebrating Legacies event, which marked the completion of the successful, volunteer-driven campaign to grow Trent’s Legacy Society. The event recognized the culmination of the 22 month campaign lead by over 30 volunteers. Aligning with Trent’s 50^th Anniversary, the event also celebrated the impact of 50 years of legacy gifts at the University. Last year the campaign won a CCAE silver award for its successful advertising campaign.

For all of the highlights from Trent’s 50^th Anniversary, visit trentu.ca/fifty