The vision of Higher Ground is to elevate and empower professionals, institutions, and organizations in higher education and the nonprofit sector to achieve their full fundraising potential through expertise, innovation, and integrity.
Mission
Higher Ground’s mission is to increase the expertise and effectiveness of fundraising in higher education institutions and nonprofit organizations and enhance the knowledge of and preparedness in fundraising within graduate level higher education programs.
HG is dedicated to improving the field of fundraising through education, skill development, and preparedness. This mission highlights two key areas of focus:
Empowering Higher Education Institutions and Nonprofits
By increasing expertise and effectiveness in fundraising, HG aims to help these organizations secure the resources they need to achieve their missions.
By strategically targeting opportunities for board engagement and alignment with institution and organization identified fundraising priorities and initiatives.
Board Development
By enhancing fundraising knowledge within graduate programs, HG ensures future higher education professionals are well-prepared to navigate, lead and succeed in this critical area.
Advancing Graduate-Level Education
About the Founder
Carolyn Campbell, Ph.D.
Dr. Carolyn Campbell is a nationally and internationally recognized leader in higher education advancement with more than 30 years of success guiding fundraising strategy, campaign management, and organizational growth.
She has held multiple executive leadership roles, overseeing and executing campaigns, as well as corporate and foundation relations programs, that have generated over $1 billion in philanthropic support, including record-setting transformational gifts ($20–$60+ million) and the launch of several comprehensive campaigns. Her leadership and counsel has helped R1 universities, regional, private, and community colleges, as well as nonprofit organizations, build enduring donor relationships, strengthen development operations, and foster sustainable cultures of philanthropy. Her groundbreaking dissertation, which examined faculty perceptions of fundraising in graduate-level higher education curricula also informs a key focus of her consulting work.
A recipient of the Fulbright International Administrator Award, Dr. Campbell holds both a doctorate and master’s degree in Administration of Higher Education, a Master of Science degree in Management, and has completed executive education programs at Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley.
She currently serves as Vice President for College Advancement and Executive Director of the Geneseo Foundation and is the Founder and CEO of Higher Ground Consulting, a firm dedicated to helping colleges, universities, and nonprofits achieve excellence in fundraising, curriculum innovation, and leadership development.
What We Do
Conduct comprehensive, customized assessments of institutional fundraising programs, operations, and overall effectiveness.
Deliver value-added fundraising curriculum tailored for graduate-level higher education administration programs.
Perform detailed data analyses to identify areas of weakness, uncover opportunities, and develop targeted strategies for improvement.
Offer virtual, personalized fundraising strategy sessions for college presidents, nonprofit CEOs, volunteer boards and fundraising coaching/mentorship for senior-level administrative leaders and development professionals.
Facilitate short-term leadership sessions focused on advancing fundraising expertise in high-research institutions, regional universities, private liberal arts colleges, and community colleges.