To illustrate the power of the Advancement Academy experience, we're sharing case studies from previous attendees. Hear what they learned and how the action plans they created at Academy have yielded tangible results for their schools.
Case Study: Crescent School, an all-boys school for grades 3–12 in Midtown Toronto.
When Jamie Lougheed joined Crescent School as Chief Advancement Officer, staff turnover had disrupted the team’s consistency and alignment. With encouragement from his head of school, Lougheed headed to Advancement Academy to reorient his team's strategic direction. The results exceeded his expectations, going well beyond the outcome one would expect from a typical conference.
The Bottom Line: Moving From Framework to Long-Term Impact
The team's takeaways from the Academy didn’t stay at the conference, or within the confines of Crescent's advancement team. They became a core part of the school’s strategic planning. "Our school is very entrenched with ISM," Lougheed noted. "We will be using the ISM goal-setting model over the next four years to structure our goals as a whole school, not just an advancement team."
Lougheed, a longtime advancement leader, said the program is a game-changer for any school looking to bring clarity and alignment to their advancement efforts. "The Academy stood out from other conferences for its variety and flexibility," he said. "It offered a wide range of options, allowing us to choose the roadmap that best suited our needs. After 30 years in the industry, I still learned a great deal."
Developing Actionable, Niche Strategies
The impact of the experience immediately energized specialized departments, particularly fundraising. For Leslie Belzak, associate director of development, the Academy bridged a critical knowledge gap.
"I went in with a clear plan of what I wanted to accomplish," she said, "and our mentor, Phil Higginson, was incredibly helpful. My goal was to develop a short- and long-term planned giving strategy, but since I didn’t have a background in the independent school sector, I needed guidance on adapting my experience to this industry. Phil helped bridge that gap, translating my previous knowledge into a strategy that made sense for our school. Now, we’re actively applying the plan I developed at the Academy."
Merrick David, assistant director of enrolment, shared a similar sentiment regarding the immediate ROI of the sessions. "My expectation for any conference is to leave with one or two valuable takeaways, but this conference exceeded that," David said. "I walked away with a whole bag full of gems. The speakers were incredibly generous in sharing their knowledge and recommending resources."
The Power of One-on-One Mentorship
A cornerstone of the Advancement Academy is its structured goal-setting and dedicated mentorship, which allowed the Crescent School team to refine their strategies through personalized, real-time feedback.
"Our mentor, Michael Christopher, was excellent," recalled Richard Vissers, director of enrolment and financial aid. "He guided the conversation effectively and asked all the right questions. We were able to focus on the goals we were working on at our school, and his third-party, objective feedback was incredibly valuable."
This hands-on environment, combined with the opportunity to network with peers from other institutions, provided the team with a rich blend of formal learning and casual, collaborative brainstorming.
Why Attending as a Team Accelerates Results
While individual professional development is valuable, Lougheed prioritized sending multiple team members together to ensure strategic alignment. Attending as a group became a powerful team-building opportunity that laid a unified foundation for their future planning.
This approach proved invaluable for Claire van Nostrand, the school's Development Coordinator. "I attended the academy with team members I support in my role, which was great because their goals directly impacted mine," van Nostrand said. "Understanding their perspectives helped me set my own goals more effectively."
By pairing a structured strategic approach with dedicated mentorship, the Crescent School team didn't head back to campus with insights alone. They returned with a unified, actionable roadmap ready for immediate execution.
Ready to build your own strategic roadmap? Don't let the summer get away! Explore the full Advancement Academy schedule and secure your team's spots today.
