Hope Hagen
Assistant Director of Annual Giving
Office of Advancement 
Years at Butler: One and a half

How would you describe what you do at Butler?
In the broadest words, I am responsible for fundraising money for the University from a wide audience. More specifically, I manage our direct mail solicitations for the Butler Fund for Student Scholarship, oversee renewals and acquisitions for the President’s Club, execute our crowdfunding program, and help out with Butler Day of Giving.

What is the best part of your job?
The best part of my job is my team and broader Advancement division. I consider myself very lucky to work with really incredible colleagues that encourage each other to learn and grow. 

Share one thing that you are most proud of that you have accomplished here?
I am most proud of getting the Pointe Shoe Fund off the ground for the Dance department. It was great to collaborate with Dean Lisa Brooks and my Advancement colleague, Allison Hightower, to put together the solicitation. We raised nearly double our goal in the first year which was incredibly exciting.

As a Butler Ballet alumna, it was very meaningful to me personally to get to work on as I know how impactful it would have been for me and my classmates. (Did you know that Dance majors have to buy all their own dance shoes? Pointe shoes cost ~$120 and typically last up to 2-4 weeks.)

What inspires you the most about working at Butler?
Attending Butler for my undergraduate degree was a dream come true for me; a dream that was only able to come true because of the scholarships I received. Being able to pay that forward and help make dreams come true for current and future Bulldogs by raising money for the Butler Fund for Student Scholarship is very meaningful and inspiring to me. 

What is the best advice you can give someone who wants to work at Butler?
Make sure you take advantage of continuing education opportunities. Whether it’s enrolling in a master’s program or just auditing classes for fun, the learning opportunities are endless.