The University of Hawaiʻi Alumni Association (UHAA) and the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation (UHF) have been awarded three top awards for communication from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education's (CASE) District VII.
CASE awarded UHAA the Gold Circle of Excellence Award for its recently updated "Lōkahi – Haʻaheo – ʻOnipaʻa" visual identity system in the Integrated Advancement Programs – Visual Identity Systems category. A major shift in UHAA’s membership structure in 2010 created a free, all-inclusive membership level for all alumni in addition to its paid levels. UHAA needed to present these new membership levels in a way that communicated its core values. A UHAA board member suggested that the Hawaiian concepts of Lōkahi (unity), Haʻaheo (pride) and ʻOnipaʻa (steadfastness) were fitting to represent the levels. They also verbally convey a strong sense of place – one of the university’s greatest assets, in terms of alumni affinity. To visually depict these concepts, UHAA chose to use images that represented elements of Hawaiian culture: kalo (taro plants), lau hala (woven Hala tree leaves) and pōhaku (stones). This visual theme was then incorporated it into the UHAA website, membership materials, advertising and more, and continues to be used.
UHAA also received the Bronze Circle of Excellence for its Life Member Calendar, in the Communications and Marketing Programs – Excellence In Design – Calendars category. The 2011 Alumni Art Calendar was created to use as a gift to life members of the University of Hawaii Alumni Association. The art featured in the calendar was all the work of UH alumni. UHAA held a contest, and the 12 winning images were selected from more than 300 entries by a panel of judges.
The University of Hawaiʻi Foundation was awarded the Silver Circle of Excellence Award in the Communications & Marketing Programs – Individual Fundraising Publications – Annual Reports and Fund Reports category. The winning publication was the 2010 Annual Report "Pulling Together, Moving Forward." The annual report is the Foundation's report to the community that highlights the impact private support is making on the 10 University of Hawaiʻi campuses. The report also features core financial information to help keep donors and the public informed about funds raised and distributed for the benefit of the university.
"We are honored to be recognized with these highly competitive, prestigious awards," said Janet Bullard, vice president for marketing and communications – alumni and donor relations. "Through our communications we strive to inspire our donors and alumni, build affinity and pride in the University of Hawaiʻi, and celebrate the uniqueness and diversity that is Hawaiʻi."
CASE is a professional association serving educational institutions and the advancement professionals who work on their behalf in alumni relations, communications, development, marketing and allied areas. District VII represents colleges and universities in Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaiʻi, Nevada and Utah.
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The University of Hawaiʻi Foundation, a nonprofit organization, raises private funds to support the University of Hawaiʻi System. The mission of the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation is to unite donors' passions with the University of Hawaiʻi’s aspirations by raising philanthropic support and managing private investments to benefit UH, the people of Hawaiʻi and our future generations. Our vision is to inspire giving and partnership with the University of Hawaiʻi by fostering UH pride and passion among donors, alumni and the community. We value and strive to emulate service, honor, excellence, accountability, integrity, teamwork, and trust. www.uhfoundation.org.
About the University of Hawaiʻi Alumni Association
Nearly 250,000 alumni from all 10 campuses of the University of Hawaiʻi (UH) system are unified as members of the UH Alumni Association (UHAA). The non-profit organization promotes and supports UH by connecting alumni and friends with the university and with each other, strengthening stakeholder relationships in the community, and inspiring pride among the UH ohana. Informally constituted in 1922, 10 years after the first graduating class of 1912, UHAA was formalized into a system-wide umbrella organization for all UH-recognized alumni groups in 1988. Governed by a volunteer board of directors, UHAA includes a nationwide and international network of affiliated alumni chapters. Since 2002, the UH Foundation's Office of Alumni Relations has worked closely with UHAA to serve the growing community of UH alumni living in all 50 states and more than 100 countries. UHalumni.org
