Strategic Plan, Elevate '28, Objectives and Goals

Strategic Priority: Student Success   

Objective 1: Accelerate fundraising to support the University’s mission of providing a flexible, affordable education.

• Goal 1: Increase total dollars raised for student support (including scholarships, financial aid, books, lab kits, technology) to $1M annually by June 2027.

Objective 2: Leverage the power of an engaged alumni network to benefit students, alumni, and the university.

• Goal 1: Strengthen the Alumni Student Federation Board of Directors by increasing board membership by 50% by July 2028.
• Goal 2: Launch at least one Alumni Student Federation Board-led initiative annually that creates meaningful engagement opportunities for alumni and benefits students, alumni, or university priorities through FY28.

Objective 3: Foster a sense of belonging and lifelong connection among students and soon-to-be alumni through meaningful engagement experiences and transition moments.

• Goal 1: Achieve a 20% participation rate by graduating students in a pre-alumni engagement program by June 2027, increasing participation by an additional 5% by June 2028.

Strategic Priority: Academic and Inclusive Excellence

Objective 1: Increase funding for Empire State University’s academic and inclusive enterprise from all external sources, including private and corporate foundations, corporations, and individuals.

• Goal 1: Increase the total dollar value of proposals submitted to all sources in support of the academic and inclusive enterprise to $12M in total by June 2028.
• Goal 2: Increase the number of leadership-level funding proposals of $25,000 or greater by 50% over the FY24 baseline by FY28, reflecting growth in the university's capacity to secure philanthropic, grant, and corporate support for strategic priorities.
• Goal 3: Elevate the impact of the Corporate and Foundation Relations program by raising $2M in total commitments from corporations and foundations in support of Empire leadership and faculty-driven initiatives by June 2028.

Objective 2: Increase visibility of academic excellence at the university.

• Goal 1: Increase media mentions showcasing the university’s faculty and academic expertise by 20% each year through 2028.

Strategic Priority: Organizational Effectiveness 

Objective 1: Develop a high-performing, metrics-driven Advancement team that is prepared to meet the fundraising and alumni engagement needs of SUNY Empire’s Elevate ’28 Strategic Plan.

• Goal 1: By June 30, 2028, achieve $8M in fundraising revenue from all sources.
• Goal 2: Increase donor retention rate to 56% by the conclusion of the plan.
• Goal 3: Increase total number of donors by 30% (792 to 1,030) by the end of FY2027-2028.

Objective 2: Improve employee engagement with internal communication.

• Goal 1: Implement a data-informed framework for measuring employee engagement with university internal communications, establishing a baseline and performance targets by December 2026.
• Goal 2: Improve click-through rates of the university’s weekly e-newsletter by 5% annually through the end of the plan.

Strategic Priority: Raising our Public Profile 

Objective 1: Support the work of Empire State University by strengthening the Foundation Board's capacity to advance university strategic priorities, raise awareness, and foster philanthropic support for projects and initiatives identified in the strategic plan.

• Goal 1: Implement a comprehensive Foundation Board onboarding program and achieve 100% onboarding completion for all newly appointed board members within six months of appointment by July 2028.

Objective 2: Elevate the profile of Empire State University by promoting a legacy of achievements and contributions of our 100,000 alumni worldwide.

• Goal 1: Host one significant presentation or multi-part series featuring Empire alumni annually, beginning in the 2025-26 fiscal year.

Objective 3: Increase Empire State University's visibility and presence as a community partner through strategic engagement with organizations, initiatives, and events that advance institutional priorities in the Capital Region.

• Goal 1: By June 2027, implement a strategic community engagement framework for university representation and partnership in the Capital Region.

Objective 4: Increase awareness of Empire State University’s brand.

• Goal 1: Achieve a 25% higher pitch rate for strategic, targeted media outreach annually through 2028.
• Goal 2: Increase the total potential media reach of the university’s communications by 10% annually through 2028.

Objective 5: Raise the visibility of Empire State University through strategic presidential thought leadership, external engagement, and public communications.

• Goal 1: Increase audience engagement with presidential content on LinkedIn by 5% annually through FY28.
• Goal 2: Secure at least six strategic external speaking engagements annually that elevate the visibility of Empire State University and advance awareness of the university's mission, expertise, and impact.