Olivet College

Building Capacity

Background: Olivet College (Olivet) is a small liberal arts institution located in southwest Michigan. Having experienced the benefits of working with The Compass Group at a previous institution, Dr. Steven Corey asked Compass to conduct a Development Audit shortly after he began his presidency.

Solution: The audit provided valuable insight and direction toward building the capacity of Olivet in anticipation of a multimillion-dollar campaign. A year was spent implementing the recommendations of the audit. When Olivet was ready, Compass conducted a Planning Study to test the feasibility of a $40 million capital campaign. Partnering with new leadership in the Advancement Office, Compass assisted Olivet in the implementation of the Planning Study recommendations, while continuing to monitor progress in meeting audit goals that were focused on improving the culture of philanthropy and building a high-performing fundraising team.

Success: Olivet successfully raised $30 million during the quiet phase and was able to publicly launch a $42 million campaign.

$40 M

Goal

$42 M

Raised

The greatest impact of the campaign has been the enhanced engagement of our alumni and donors, and the strengthening of the culture of philanthropy in support of our college. That is what helped generate the largest single gift in the college’s history, three successive years of record giving, and a campaign that, while only partially completed, has already raised more than double any prior campaign. None of this is possible without the engagement and support of our alumni and donors.

Steven Corey
President, Olivet College