Best of CASE District VII Award
 

Institution: University of California, Santa Barbara

Title of entry: NCEAS 30th Anniversary Impact Report + Case Statement

About this entry: The 2025 NCEAS 30th Anniversary Impact Report is not our usual report: it is a custom piece designed to bridge 30 years of impact with an ambitious $10 million fundraising campaign. As a direct result of this publication, NCEAS has secured a $1 million gift in support of AI for the Planet to mobilize climate solutions. As a key part of NCEAS’s fundraising strategy, it has helped inspire a challenge gift of $50K, a pledge of $100K for the Art + Science program, and over $800K in research funds. The National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) partnered with UCSB’s Development Communications team to produce this project.

Our content approach weaves data-driven milestones with narrative storytelling and a rich visual theme. In doing so, the report humanizes complex data science, reinforcing NCEAS’s position in the top 1% of global ecological research institutions. The report targets an audience of partner organizations, current and prospective donors, and formerly affiliated scientists.

This publication was produced entirely in 2025. The planning process started in Fall 2024 with a strategic planning meeting and a survey of former visiting scientists. It was released in June 2025 with a robust social media strategy, local/national news coverage, and nine events.

UC Santa Barbara submits this publication not only as a model standalone case, but also as an example for how to plan and execute a wraparound strategy for a successful publication that bridges impact report and case statement.