One of the most important relationships in a non-profit organization is that between the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Development Officer. A productive partnership between the two leaders can propel an organization’s capacity and vision for the future. In this interactive session, a panel of non-profit CEOs and CDOs will discuss the dynamics of their relationship and how they adapt and grow to ensure organizational success in a diverse and inclusive environment. Through live, interactive text polling, we will gather real-time feedback from the audience to guide our discovery, creating a dialogue that gives us all better understanding—and tools—to optimize partnerships. Together, we will explore:

• Common obstacles that are encountered in the CEO/CDO relationship
• How cultivating relationships in a diverse philanthropic environment require a collaborative partnership between leadership
• How CDOs can better support CEOs in the fundraising process to support a mission that engages a diverse constituency
• How fundraising supports strategic planning and vice versa
• What CDOs wish their CEOs knew about the fundraising process
• What CEOs wish their CDOs knew about programming management

How to engage alumni of color should not fall on the shoulders of just one department at your school. Hear how the partnership between the Office of Advancement and Office of Diversity and Inclusion at an Atlanta area school has changed the way they engage with their alumni. They will share their stories of success, strategic thinking around challenges; the benefits of cultivating strong collaborative relationships with school leadership. Building this partnership requires intentionality, trust and shared values and goals. Learn how our speakers were able to build that foundation motivated by a love for alums and students which allowed them to create strategic and successful programming at their school. Assessing where your school is around issues of diversity and inclusion goes hand in hand with community building and alumni support. This workshop will challenge you to set goals that will increase the engagement of your alumni of color with your school as a result of the care taken through this partnership.

As business landscapes become increasingly networked and distributed, modern organizations are ditching their traditional, hierarchical leadership models, in favor of a more collaborative approach. In fact, many executive leaders agree that collaboration is no longer just a "nice to have," but it is more important than ever in today's challenging business environment, and that an organization's very survival depends on how well it can effectively tap the true potential of its diverse workforce. In this critical skill-building session, award-winning executive Irish-Underwood will dive into the new playbook for building a hyper-connected organization, compare and contrast leadership models, explore the critical behaviors required for this new reality, and reveal how a enlightened organization can effectively move from top-down to a team-centric. This session will challenge traditional power dynamics and uncover how by increasing connectivity and intentionally promoting diversity, creative breakthroughs and true innovation can occur. By the end of this session, attendees will come to understand how a collaborative leadership style allows them to harness ideas, engage people and access resources across boundaries—resulting in an inclusive environment that releases creativity and generates exceptional long-term performance.

Philanthropy is continually transforming. Amid this ongoing transformation, one central question is how best to harness data, metrics, and knowledge to improve practice and achieve impact now and in the future.

While there is a growing emphasis on metrics to help track and measure progress in diversity, equity and inclusion, some trends in philanthropy are inherently less measurable because experience, intuition, and inspiration of donors remain key forces driving innovation and social change in the philanthropic sector. As new models and approaches develop that will shape the future of philanthropy, key questions include: What can data tell us about tomorrow’s donors and how they differ in their motivations, aspirations, and expectations from donors of the past? What are some of the giving vehicles that are shaping this new landscape for diverse donors? How is technology transforming the relationships among donors, causes, and communities? What are the key global economic forces that will influence philanthropy?

Michael will share his journey from son of teen parents in a low-income community and one of the only Black kids in all white school system, to a philanthropic executive and Special Assistant to the first Black President of the United States. He'll also share insight on the progress, pitfalls and path forward in the nation's efforts to dismantle racist systems and build equitable pathways for boys and young men of color.

In 2015, the University of Missouri, faced an unprecedented racial crisis that forever impacted the institution and all of those that worked for the university. For many university employees, this was a time of great challenges, especially for employees of color. As one of the few frontline advancement staff in a leadership role, i experienced a very nuanced moment, having to judge my responsibility as a representative of the university to our donors vs. the personal feelings I had that mirrored the experience that had led students to rise up against the university leadership. In this session, I am to unpack my experiences and help initiate a dialogue with other professionals that will inform them on how to best represent a university as a fundraiser during an identity-oriented crisis.

This session will offer key findings based on the emerging data surrounding the role of diversity, equity, and inclusion within philanthropy. Demographic shifts related to underrepresented groups require a more in-depth focus on diverse donors, diversifying the sector, and highlights the urgency to address issues of inclusion and awareness. Understanding new areas of practice in an around such topics such as grassroots fundraising, crowdfunding, giving circles, and participatory grantmaking are reshaping current approaches within the field. The session will also highlight new trends in developing diverse pipelines within the sector that aim to bring a deeper awareness of issues of DEI into focus.

Join us for a panel of industry experts that have used high level and strategic cultivation events to leverage transformational gifts. Some of the highlights include: using high profile to introduce new organizational leadership and effectively using content experts for specialized donors groups.  philanthropists to host intimate events in their home, custom cultivation engagements

A panel of respected corporate and foundation leaders will share insights and perspectives on best practices and mistakes to avoid when seeking funding from corporations and foundations.  Attendees will have the opportunity to ask their most pressing questions.