Millions of professionals left their jobs monthly during the great resignation. While the trend has slowed drastically in 2023, companies are witnessing new challenges. Recent polls discovered that 50% of fundraisers are expecting to leave their job within the next couple of years. While not all staff members are exiting, employers are seeing less engagement and examples of quiet quitting. 

Our conversation with top executive search firm leaders will explore talent architecture and provide a starting point for advancement shops to avoid the pitfalls of talent engagement. Learn how you can be a champion for an engaging, functional and collaborative advancement team. 

Session Description: Creativity isn’t just for creative professionals or artists. Creative thinking is one of the most sought-after skills companies (and CEOs) look for. And yet, 75% of people think they're not living up to their creative potential. How, exactly, do you get more creative? In this session, you will: Learn the mechanics of creativity; Experience a mini-Creative Friday, an outrageous day of silliness used by the ASU Outreach Hub to increase creative thinking, teamwork, and professional development; Have some fun (without forced socialization); Leave with some creative thinking exercises you can do, anywhere and at any time.

In this session, attendees will learn why it is important to take an aggressive approach to developing and maintaining a coherent brand as it applies to enrollment marketing, social and digital media, and on-campus communications. Presenters will explain how Carson-Newman University tackled a murky identity and unveiled not only a new campaign, but new brand look and supporting elements in 8 months in an interactive session with Q+A opportunities.

Do you struggle to get fresh, impactful content from your organization's subject matter experts for your donor communications? Using UC Berkeley's faculty stewardship program as an example, learn best practices, strategies, and techniques to effectively and efficiently generate engaging content for your next solicitation, white paper, report, or proposal.

The internet is one of the best things that has ever happened to people with disabilities – as long as they can click a trackpad, see the content, and hear the audio. But what about when they can’t? Like the rest of us, university donors and alumni are increasingly dependent on technology in their daily lives. It’s more important than ever that we ensure our digital experiences are accessible to all people, regardless of their abilities.

The stakes have never been higher to find, grow and retain a high performing team. The rise of talent management has been key in developing strategies to address the challenges in the advancement market. However, talent management must have a seat at the table and strong support from the top of the organization to succeed. Please join Boston University’s Chief Advancement Officer and head of Talent Management to learn how a strong partnership from the President on down impacted unprecedented growth and success in fundraising. Topics include talent acquisition, compensation, onboarding, culture, recognition, engagement, training, DEIB, career progression and more.

In today's digital era, your website is your most critical recruitment tool. Google Analytics 4 has a treasure trove of actionable data you can use today to improve your conversion rates. In this session, we will uncover how to identify key recruitment gaps within your web strategy. Additionally, we will learn how to adapt to the emerging cookieless world of web analytics.

Each of us (easily) receives over one hundred emails each day. With all of this competition, how can you ensure your communication is cutting through the noise and getting in front of your readers? In this session, you’ll see email examples from Cornell University’s advancement communication team, which boasts industry leading open and click rates. Learn how to curate quality content for your newsletter and boost engagement for each of your constituent emails.

Professional development conferences provide a catalyst for growth and connection. How do you create and maintain momentum post-conference once you are back in the office? This session will explore how we can foster unique connections, stay energized, nurture new habits and practices, and bring all this back to your teams and workplaces. These experiences can help you foster inclusiveness, recognize your institution’s investment in you, and grow your own leadership.

The way we approach DEI in Advancement is changing. We’re moving beyond education and training. Many of us are getting past the “why” and moving toward the “how” phase of our DEI journeys; we’re starting to form best practices and share results. As we seek more equitable ways to operate, engage with stakeholders, and communicate, we’re stepping closer to truly living our values. At the University of Washington, we’ve taken action, working towards our values of equity and belonging in meaningful ways. At the University of Washington Advancement, we have been calculated in establishing meaningful cross-team, cross-unit committees and groups dedicated to culture, practice, and policy change. Our committee structure is unique, and we can share how this work shapes our organization. We have also developed our DEI strategic plan and lead with a set of DEI values, all created in partnership with one of our committees. Our session will focus on how our leadership invested in DEI in UA and how we’ve moved from “why” with our vision and values, to planning and action.