The Phoenix Philanthropy Group helped us focus on creating the infrastructure necessary to build a better program, hire staff, and train them to fundraise strategically and with a goal in mind! 

– Sandra Gonzalez-Levy
Senior Vice President of External Relations and Executive Director of FIU Foundation, Inc.

IMPACT: Florida International University is Miami-Dade County’s first public, research, four-year university and one of the 25 largest universities in the nation. It ranked first among four-year colleges for awarding degrees to Hispanic students in a 2008 survey by Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education.

ISSUE: With an ambitious and entrepreneurial president, FIU was experiencing rapid growth across the institution. Unfortunately, with the top advancement position vacant for over two years, fundraising was not keeping pace. The university knew it needed to optimize its fundraising potential – particularly in light of innovative new academic and community-based programs being developed and the opportunities these represented for potential major donors.

SOLUTION: The Phoenix Philanthropy Group assisted in rebuilding FIU’s fundraising infrastructure and staff, provided training to staff and academic leadership, and managed a priority-setting and planning process. We teamed with a senior university official to provide interim management of the FIU advancement function. In partnership with the interim vice president, the university president, and deans, The Phoenix Philanthropy Group helped refocus FIU’s fundraising activity and enhance fundraising momentum – allowing the new permanent vice president of advancement to step into a strong turnkey operation from day one.

RESULT: In 2008-2009, Florida International University raised $52 million against a $30 million goal – the largest amount raised in the institution’s history.

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