Group on Institutional Advancement (GIA)
The Group on Institutional Advancement (GIA) comprises alumni relations, communications, development, marketing, and public affairs professionals. It develops and disseminates resources, best practices, educational opportunities, and peer-to-peer connections that enable members to increase awareness, understanding, and support among the public, media, policymakers, alumni, and donors for academic medicine. It also fosters members’ professional growth and development, interaction and collaboration within the institutional advancement community, and communication between the AAMC and its institutional members.
Spotlight
Resources
- Thank You to the GIA Community
- Year-Round Programming Resources (member-only content)
- Complete List of Year-Round Programming (2020-Present)
- Film Festival
- Member Spotlight
- AAMC Conference for Institutional Advancement
Publications
- Annual Development Survey
- HIPAA and Fundraising Communications (member-only content)
Awards
Career Connect
Guide on Group on Institutional Advancement
Membership
One GIA member must be appointed by the medical school dean or teaching hospital CEO of an AAMC-member institution. Deans and CEOs may appoint as many institutional advancement representatives as they choose. Additional institutional advancement representatives are welcome to participate from AAMC member institutions. As a GIA member you will:
- Stay informed about the GIA, the AAMC, and the world of academic medicine through breaking news notices, conference announcements, newsletters, job postings, and data resources.
- Develop your skills and knowledge base through professional development and leadership development programs tailored to your profession.
- Network with peers and tap into their support and expertise at conferences and webinars, and through industry surveys, member-only online professional networks, discipline-specific listserv communities, and a membership directory.
- Get noticed and rewarded for your work through the annual national awards program.
To become a member of GIA, email the Group on Institutional Advancement your name, title, institution, address, phone number, and e-mail address at gia@aamc.org.
Annual membership fees are $130 per person. In addition to the valuable services listed here, member fees allow the GIA to obtain high-quality speakers for the annual meeting and the national professional development conference and support the Awards for Excellence competition. Dues invoices are emailed to new members after we receive notification to join. Dues are assessed per individual, not institution, and must be paid before a member is considered in good standing. Dues are transferable from one member to another in the same office or institution within six months of payment. Dues are not refundable if a member leaves her or his position of employment during the membership period.
Member Benefits
Membership benefits of the GIA include professional development opportunities, exclusive access to data and resources, networking, and connections on a national platform.
Virtual Community
Join the Institutional Advancement Virtual Community. In this online space, you can connect and network with peers, share best practices and resources, and benchmark your programs and activities.
Leadership
Officers are elected each spring, typically at the annual AAMC Conference for Institutional Advancement business meeting. Meet the GIA Leadership.
Awards
The GIA Awards for Excellence Competition is an annual, peer-reviewed competition that recognizes outstanding work by members of the Group on Institutional Advancement (GIA) and their staff. The awards honor the most creative and effective approaches used to promote academic medicine through alumni relations, communications, development, marketing, and public affairs programs and projects.
The 2025 GIA Awards for Excellence Competition will open on August 1, 2024. Submit your entry on the online portal.
The GIA Distinguished Service Award recognizes individual GIA members for their significant and longstanding contributions to the group, to the AAMC, and to their profession.
GIA Staff
- Jennifer Blanck, Director, Constituent Engagement, Group on Institutional Advancement
- Madalyn Sistak, Constituent Engagement Senior Specialist, Group on Institutional Advancement
Contact GIA staff at gia@aamc.org
Questions about GIA?
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