Awards for Advancement

Bentley’s Office of Advancement Communications has won two District I Excellence Awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). These sought after awards are handed out each year to colleges and universities doing innovative work in fundraising, special events, donor stewardship and alumni relations. This year, Bentley received silver in both the Annual Giving and Donor Stewardship award categories.

For the Annual Giving category, Advancement Communications was honored for their Why This Matters annual fund campaign that used compelling video testimonials and print and email communications to show the impact scholarships have on students. The campaign resulted in a 150% increase in gifts designated for scholarship funds.

The Donor Stewardship award was given for the team’s strategy to deepen relationships with donors who've made a gift through the use of engaging follow-up communications. The efforts included monthly emails to remind donors of the impact their gifts have on the leaders of tomorrow. A Scholarship Story Hour event was also hosted to give students the opportunity to share how scholarships had changed their lives, further deepening the relationship between donors and recipients.

“These CASE awards are the culmination of the hard work of so many on campus. From our team in Advancement Communications to the overall vision of University Advancement, so much collaboration went into these campaigns,” said Executive Director of Advancement Communications Terry Cronin. “CASE awards are a great way to see how we stack up against our peers in today’s competitive field of higher education.”

Flex the Falcon: Unmasked

If you’ve ever been to a Bentley game or been around campus on Move-In Day, odds are that you’ve run into Flex the Falcon at one point or another. But did you know that there are a few students each year who help bring Flex to life? One of those students, Aman Ailani ’20, was recently unmasked to share what it’s like being behind the friendly falcon. Since 2018, Aman has been spreading school spirit as Flex and helping students, faculty, staff and alumni alike cheer for Bentley teams.

A member of Bentley’s golf team and the founder of the sports journalism website Khilari Sports, Aman’s role as Flex is just one more way that he’s able to be involved with athletics on campus. The opportunity to be the man behind the mascot has given Aman more than just a chance to high five fans, though, as he’s used the experience to hone his social media skills. As an intern in Bentley’s Marketing and Communications office, he helps manage the university’s official social media accounts, including the account for Flex the Falcon.

“I’m passionate about social media and content creation, and being Flex has given me an incredible platform to develop my acumen while giving students something to laugh about,” said Aman, who will graduate this year with a degree in Management with a Concentration in Entrepreneurship, along with a minor in Sports Business Management and English and Media Studies. Bentley is lucky to have a student as passionate as Aman bringing our community together one game at a time.    

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Speaking of Mascots...

Flex the Falcon has been a staple at Bentley since our early days in Waltham, with many iterations over the years. Here's one of those versions of Flex cheering at a 1990s Homecoming Parade on campus. Actually, though, the falcon wasn't Bentley's original mascot. What was?      

Take a guess