The work of Advancement teams is ever-changing to meet the needs of those we seek to engage with our institutions – and the needs of our institutions themselves. How can you diagnose when a change to a process, a role or a function is needed and collaborate across your team and institution to deliver it? Fran Sponsler, Executive Director of Proposition Development and Campaign at London Business School will share a case study on how to approach change management based on the lessons learned from setting up a new proposition development function over the last year.

Major gifts rely on the successful identification of transformational wealth. However, this is no easy task! There are complex roles, assets, business structures and financial terms to navigate and value. Are we sure we are prioritising the right prospects, the truer sources of transformational wealth? Are we factoring all their assets effectively? Are we aligning our asks at the right time and in the right way? Join Jonathan Jeffery, Co-Founder of Pyro.Solutions & PyroTalks CIC, as he explores true sources of transformational wealth, outlining high potential roles and sectors, their assets, liquidity moments and ask planning, along with practical tips on identifying prospects that might be right before eyes.

Parental leave can pose challenges to the management and development of donor relationships for major gift fundraising teams. Prospect research teams are well positioned to provide support during these periods. We will look at how the University of Bristol Supporter Development Team worked closely with the University's Major Gift Fundraising Team to ensure continuity and effective prospect management across six instances of parental leave over four years. We will also look at how we utilised the opportunities and dealt with the challenges created by the provision of an additional fundraiser on a nine-month parental leave cover.

Join this workshop to explore and try design thinking tools for solving real challenges. A theme coming out of the last conference, was a shared struggle with helping internal clients to ask better questions and engage effectively with your data. We'll tackle this together, using design thinking to generate fresh solutions. Interactive, practical, and designed for real impact!

Same goal, different methods! In this session, discover how University of Cambridge and the University of Exeter built and enhanced their fundraiser pool management reports using two distinct interactive data visualization tools: Power BI and Tableau. You will gain insight into the metrics used to assess performance and monitor progress, the key data points used to provide a comprehensive overview of the pool, and how this information informs and shapes pool review discussions. This session is accessible to everyone, whether you’re part of a large team or working solo, and regardless of whether you have access to similar software.

Participants will explore how to ensure your culture and processes are optimised for campaign. Through the University of Warwick examples attendees will be guided through critical process's that ensure readiness and alignment with goals. You will gain insight and tools to bring your teams on a journey to Campaign readiness. Intermediate Level CASE Career level: 3 - 4

In 2023, the Cambridge Development Research and Due Diligence Team were given an ambitious target which, if met, could double the size of the prospect pool in just one year. Meeting this challenge would take creativity, experience, initiative and a little bit of luck. The project would involve a radical ramp-up of prospect identification, exploring new (to the University) jurisdictions and demographics, with all the attendant due diligence considerations. It would also involve a cultural shift; a new way of thinking, talking about and tracking research activity and the value we add. Join Development Research and Due Diligence Manager Natalie Burles to hear more about how Cambridge looked outside of its traditional donor pools and processes to tackle a global prospecting challenge, and the lessons learned along the way; on everything from prospecting, to due diligence, to data, and beyond.

Geopolitics is becoming increasingly complex, and universities’ international partnerships and funding sources are under greater scrutiny than ever. Advancement Operations teams must adapt their due diligence processes to keep pace with evolving regulatory expectations, reputational risks, and technological advancements. Join Jack O'Toole, Head of Operations at Newcastle University, and Beca Daniel from Xapien as they explore: • How Advancement teams are navigating a rapidly shifting risk landscape. • The role of technology in streamlining dynamic due diligence while maintaining oversight. • Best practices for balancing risk with donor engagement. With due diligence no longer just a box-ticking exercise, this session will provide actionable insights into how institutions can proactively manage risk while supporting fundraising success and international engagement.

We are delighted to present a panel session of (relatively) new managers who will share their experiences of stepping up into roles with management responsibility. What have they learnt? What did they wish they’d known beforehand? What advice would they give to others who are looking to progress in their career? This session will give those who are new to management or who would like move into a management role an insight in to what it’s really like!