Architects shape our communities—but often, their voices are missing from the legislative table. The American Institute of Architects, South Carolina (AIASC), has long championed design excellence, public safety, and resilient communities. From preserving historic buildings to educating South Carolinians of all ages about the power of architecture, AIASC plays a vital role in elevating the profession’s voice in public life.
But despite its influential role, AIASC had never launched a capital campaign. It lacked a centralized home that reflected its mission and served as a platform for advocacy and community engagement. That began to change with the vision for a new Center for Architecture, strategically located in Columbia—the heart of state government.
AIASC turned to the Winkler Group to help them plan and execute their first-ever capital campaign.
The Campaign: Turning Colleagues into Champions
But for AIASC, it was also an opportunity to galvanize the profession around a shared cause.
We began by helping AIASC define a compelling case for support: the Center would be more than an office. It would be a statewide headquarters for advocacy, learning, and collaboration. Through visioning sessions and storytelling exercises, we helped AIASC leaders articulate how the Center would strengthen the architectural profession and elevate its public impact.
The campaign, called Elevation, centered on colleague-to-colleague fundraising. We worked alongside AIASC to identify and qualify lead prospects across the state, engage influential architects and firms as peer ambassadors, and build messaging that demonstrated how the Center would benefit individual architects and the profession as a whole.
For many donors, this wasn’t just a campaign to build a building—it was a moment to shape the legacy of their field.
