Join conference chair, Jen McGrath to meet the faculty, learn how to get the most out of your time at the conference and get a big picture overview of the conference.

Join us for a facilitated conversation and sharing session (including you). We’ll talk about trends we’re seeing in philanthropy and how our work has shifted (or not) to address them.

Just as no two donors are alike, no two development shops are alike. Different development shops require different donor relations programs and t can take a while to figure it out on your own. The goal of this session will be to speed up that process. This session will help you show up fully prepared by identifying the critical things you need to look like a star when starting out at a new higher education institution. This session will include breakout groups for everyone to share their experiences of what they have tried that worked and what did not when taking on lead donor relations roles at development shops big and small.

You’ve probably heard the phrase “people give to people.” As Donor Relations professionals, it’s our job to show our donors how their generosity has made a difference. They want more than statistics – they want to hear directly from the people they’ve helped. In this session, learn how to craft a compelling story that showcases the impact of giving through the words of the constituents you serve. Then, strategize how to share your story in a way that will resonate most effectively with an individual donor or group of donors. Sharing these heartfelt stories will build lasting connections with donors, inspiring them to become more engaged and more likely to give again – and give more – in the future.

Our work as donor relations staff cannot be successful without knowledge, input, resources, and materials from a variety of campus partners. An intentional effort to build a campus donor relations community, from donor relations staff in schools and units to finance colleagues to faculty and administration to fundraisers, can pay dividends in helping collect information and deliver on a consistent and impactful donor experience. In this session, learn about the community of practice model and other activities that can build staff consensus and participation in donor relations activities.

Hear donors share their insights on stewardship and philanthropy. Bring your questions for some Q&A.

Creating and growing authentic relationships is the foundation of a strong stewardship program. We often focus our efforts around building these relationships with donors – however it is also critical to engage students in the creation of a true philanthropic community. In this session we’ll seek to reframe the relationship between scholarship donors and student scholarship recipients and discuss ways in which we can engage with students as key members of our institutional communities. Partnering with students in new and more equitable ways not only relives the burden on students who rely on scholarship aid but can be helpful in positioning them as future supporters of your institution.

Our faculty hold key content needed to create Phillips Exeter Academy’s dynamic impact reports to endowed fund donors, but cultivating that content is not always easy – for faculty or the donor relations team! Exeter’s Donor Relations team will share strategies they have developed for educating faculty on endowed funds and supporting them through impact reporting, including: Hosting our Storytelling Summit for Fund Administrators where chairs and key staff are educated on Exeter’s endowment, their department funds, the foundation of donor relations, and best practices for storytelling for impact with donors; Working with our partners in Finance to create and deliver Fund Administrator memos with critical information; and Creating a system for developing more than 1,000 customized reports to donors. Phillips Exeter Academy is a coeducational, residential secondary school located in Exeter, New Hampshire. The Donor Relations team delivers customized impact reports to nearly 2,500 individuals of approximately 1,050 funds annually.

Looking to add to your team? Wanting to launch a new recognition idea as part of your campaign? Fed up with a complicated system and have a great idea to improve its efficiency? Making the case for new people, programs, or processes requires preparation, prose, and a little bit of patience and positivity. Join this session for a discussion, tips, and examples of strategic requests that resonate in a well-organized and clear way.

If you have been charged with creating a stewardship program for your institution's top donors or are looking to refine your current version, this session is for you. We will demonstrate how to build a distinct high-level stewardship and engagement program framework through the use of creative personalized stewardship and engagement plans. These plans will ensure you are providing one-of-a-kind experiences for your top donors that will have them raving to leadership and ready to increase their giving!