Algonquin College Advancement VP Named ‘Professional of the Year’
Posted on Thursday, March 18th, 2021
Algonquin College’s Vice President Advancement, Mark Savenkoff, has been recognized with the 2021 ‘Professional of the Year Award’ by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).
“This recognition acknowledges the generosity of our donors and the pride demonstrated by our graduates during an unprecedented year,” he said.
Savenkoff, who joined the College in 2019 as its first Vice President of Advancement, attributes his success to the hard work of his team and the vision and leadership of College President and Chief Executive Officer, Claude Brulé.
A global non-profit association dedicated to educational advancement, CASE had a 26 per cent increase in nominations for its awards this year, and the long list of Algonquin’s accomplishments in 2020 drove Savenkoff’s candidacy to reach the top.
Along with shepherding the transition from an externally–governed Foundation to an internal Advancement Division, Savenkoff and his team oversaw double-digit percentage increases in both the number of donors and the total funds raised. In the same timeframe, the newly established Advancement team completed 11 fundraising campaigns, including the introduction of successful initiatives such as the College’s first ‘Giving Tuesday’ campaign in 2020.
CASE reviewed submissions from across eastern North America, and its criteria was based on program innovation in any area of institutional advancement (fundraising, alumni relations, communications and partnership development), contributions to the advancement profession and volunteer service to the community.
“The unique thing about Algonquin College this past year is that we didn’t just innovate in one area of advancement. We challenged ourselves to innovate in all areas,” said Savenkoff.
Making a foundational shift in operations and looking to innovate in every area is challenging at the best times. What’s more remarkable is that all this was achieved with the added challenges of a global pandemic. Savenkoff was in his new position for only two and a half months before the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the College immediately moving to a remote, work-from-home environment in March 2020.
While the pandemic necessitated changes in the approach, Savenkoff said ultimately the question for his team remained the same: ‘How can alumni and donors help?’
“What changed in some cases was their ability to help. We were mindful to the needs of our campus community, but also to the challenges facing our alumni and donors. We enter into those conversations aligned with two of the College’s values: Caring and Respect,” he said.
The award and success at Algonquin are additional milestones in a more than 17-year career in the post-secondary education field for Savenkoff. Prior to joining Algonquin College, he helped spearhead Carleton University’s Collaborate Campaign, which ended in 2019 after raising more than $308 million. He also led programs at the University of Saskatchewan in the areas of student recruitment, student retention and alumni relations.
Looking ahead, Savenkoff said the Advancement team will remain focused on engaging alumni, donors and external partners in alignment with the needs of students and academic priorities of the College.
“Partnering with individuals and organizations that share the College’s mission, vision, and values, not only builds strong communities, but truly transforms hopes and dreams into lifelong success,” said Savenkoff.
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