Client: Harvard Law School
Product: Capital campaign newsletters

We have worked on two capital campaigns for the Harvard Law School: one in the 1990s, and one in the 2000s. In both cases, we researched and wrote a series of newsletters that were produced over the duration of the campaign.

Working closely with in-house development staff, we defined the appropriate newsletter components—which changed over time, as the campaign evolved—and then provided the content for those sections. Consistently, our goals were to reiterate major campaign goals and to use specifics to show the positive impacts of the campaign as soon as possible.

Excerpt: “Campaign’s impact already being felt,” from the Winter 2005/2006 “Setting the Standard” campaign newsletter.

Just a few months past the midpoint of Setting the Standard, the campaign is already having a noticeable impact on daily life at HLS. Contributions from the law school’s generous supporters have been applied to several top-priority areas, as defined by the school’s strategic plan. They are paving the way for the implementation of ambitious long-term goals, including much-anticipated campus improvements.

Thanks to proceeds from the campaign, the student experience at Harvard Law School has undergone a marked transformation over the past three years. First-year class sizes have been reduced from 140 students to a more manageable and intimate 80. Several key gathering spaces around the campus have been modified to enhance the sense of community at HLS. These initial improvements reflect a top priority of the campaign: to create a more cohesive and interactive learning environment for HLS students.

Another central goal of Setting the Standard has been increasing financial aid—including grant-based aid for students in need, funding for summer work, and a loan repayment program for students who pursue careers in public service or the non-profit world. The campaign has already generated $12 million of additional financial aid funding, which has allowed the school to increase grant spending by 23 percent since 2002. This has meant an average grant increase of $2,000, and a rise in participation from around 600 to 650 students . . .