Experienced advancement professionals share their experience and guide you through the key aspects of fundraising via plenary style sharing sessions on:

• Annual and Regular Giving
• Major Gifts
• Campaigns
• Legacy/Bequest Fundraising
• Ethics and Managing Reputational Risk
• Stewardship
• Working with Others: Building a Collaborative Environment in Your Institution

Whether you are an expert or apprentice in the development field, the institute's elective sessions will give you flexibility to customise your learning to your needs. Pick from a wide array of specialised areas in fundraising including crafting a development strategic plan, keys to a successful prospect visit, effective donor cultivation, negotiating the gift, alumni giving for scholarships and bursaries, fundraising outside of your home country and many more. 

These small yet focused and interactive sessions led by our faculty members, are outstanding avenues for brainstorming and sharing. Tutorials are great platforms to help you refresh what you have learned and exchange ideas with your fellow delegates.

This programme is subject to change.

10:00 – 10:45
Registration and Refreshments

11:00 – 11:45
Welcome and Introductions and Short Opening Plenary

11:45 – 13:15
Working Lunch and Tutorial 1

13:15 – 14:45
Plenary: Annual and Regular Giving
Jimmy Buck and Dave Shepherd
A healthy annual and regular giving programme serves as "the front door of philanthropy" for your institution educating constituents about giving, and self-identifies those who "raise their hand" as your supporters. This plenary will look at the basics of annual giving and help you to build a strong base of loyal donors who will return year after year to grow the culture of giving at your institution. Dave Shepherd and Jimmy Buck will also share a study of modern digital trends and technology, with specific examples of new and emerging giving vehicles and platforms, and how to blend direct mail and its online versions to maximise results. This plenary demonstrates how a carefully structured annual and regular giving programme can contribute to long-term fundraising success for major gifts, capital campaigns, legacies and beyond.

14:55 – 16:10
Elective 1 (Choose one of the following)

Effective Donor Cultivation
Marcus Ward
Effective cultivation of prospects/donors requires a whole range of skills to re-connect and engage supporters with your institution. It should be done in an elegant and unforced way which is relevant to the individual (even bespoke) - and, for the best results, often over a lengthy period of time. Prospects who are new to, or who have lost touch with, your institution need careful cultivation involving many types of activity (face-to-face meetings, digital and print communications, and events/reunions). Who is responsible in your organisation for this area? What steps do you take to gain trust? How much should you ask for, and how long should you cultivate before you make the ask? Donor Cultivation is both an art and a science - and must be carefully planned. Systems and processes are important to track prospect movement but nothing beats a strong personal relationship.

Alumni Giving for Scholarships and Bursaries
Deborah Carr
Over the last few decades, universities and schools have developed a whole range of fundraising campaigns to raise donations from alumni. Their ultimate aim has been to develop giving circles where supporters regularly donate. With tuition fees rising, increasing concerns about the future affordability of state funding for higher education, the international competitiveness of attracting the brightest students and a growing focus on widening access to education, philanthropic support for student scholarships and bursaries has never been higher on our institutional agendas. Reunion and Class Giving gives development offices a wonderful opportunity to highlight opportunities for alumni to donate and re-engage. This session, aimed primarily at university practitioners but with relevance to schools, will explore how to make the case for student support, what we as fundraisers need to know to make a convincing pitch, whom to approach and how to ensure that once they have given they are looked after. Deborah will provide an overview of ideas, strategies and success stories.

Crafting a Development Strategic Plan (Advanced)
Jon Paparsenos
The word "strategic" is often used, but how well is it understood? How do you define and embrace strategic thinking in your work? Does starting down the path of strategic planning feel daunting? A Development Strategic Plan is your road map: an appreciation of where you are now, where you want to be and - most critical - how you will get there. We will discuss the fundamental components of strategic planning, including development objectives, resource implications, how to measure and evaluate progress, and adjusting accordingly. This session also will focus on the critical importance of tying your development objectives to overall institutional strategy.

16:10 – 16:30
Refreshment Break

16:30 – 16:40
Welcome Address by Professor Iain Martin, Vice-Chancellor, Deakin University

16:50 – 18:05
Elective 2 (Choose one of the following)

Mastering The Art of the Effective Conversation
Lorna Somers
Communication is the basis of strong relationships whether they are within our institution with colleagues or with our many external constituencies. But communication is most effective when delivered in a way that is credible, memorable and incents action. Increasingly, the creativity and skill involved in artful storytelling are integral parts of excellent and effective communication. In this elective, we'll focus on understanding and practicing all the ingredients and skills required to be great storytellers.

Effective Strategies for Prospect Research, Tracking and Management
Dave Shepherd
We all know how important it is to effectively manage our portfolio of donors and prospective donors, to keep them engaged and cultivate good relationships, but how do you ensure that you are focusing your efforts in a strategic way while making sure that no potential donor is left ignored? In this session, we will look at ways in which prospects can (and should) be evaluated, tracked and managed, and how you monitor the process and demonstrate success.

Building and Sustaining Successful Partnerships with Volunteers
Jimmy Buck
Volunteers have the ability to bring us to tears – sometimes joy, sometimes pain. Overall, volunteers have the capacity to extend your institution's efforts beyond recognition but to realise the full potential of your volunteers requires care, proper consideration and effective communication. What are the fundamental practices you need to follow to work optimally with volunteers? What are reasonable expectations for staff and volunteers to ensure that you have a positive, mutually beneficial relationship? Will it all be worth the effort anyway?  How do you set boundaries? There are no ironclad answers, but this session will look at guiding principles for productive and respectful internal and external volunteer relationships that can advance your organisation.

18:05 – 19:30
Pre-Drinks and BBQ Dinner

07:00 – 08:15
Breakfast

08:15 – 10:00
Plenary: Major Gifts
Deborah Carr and Marcus Ward
A Major Gift should be as transformational for the benefactor as it is for the beneficiary.  In this session, gain an understanding of how Major Gifts differ from other types of fundraising, the value they provide and some basics in developing Major Gift strategies. Where do you start? How do you draw on support from within your organisation, including other giving programmes or engagement activities to build your pipeline of qualified prospects? How do you follow-up with individuals who self-identify, and engage those whom we identify through an active outreach programmes that ensures we are getting face-to-face with our prospects? How do we find out what will inspire them to give?  Once we determine interest, what next? Major Gift fundraising is about strategy and process, but most importantly, it is about relationship-building and the art inspiring potential supporters about the work we do and the difference they can make. Underpinning this there are some clear techniques and disciplines that allow you to effectively manage a portfolio of satisfied donors. We'll discuss both the science and the art that positions us for success in raising major gifts. 

10:00 – 10:15
Group Photograph Taking

10:15 – 10:45
Refreshment Break

10:45 – 11:45
Tutorial 2

11:55 – 13:10
Elective 3 (Choose one of the following)

Keys to a Successful Prospect Visit
Lorna Somers
Wear your lycra - this is high impact aerobic preparation. There is little about making a successful prospect call that should be left to chance. Much of that success is a result of preparation, planning and experience. Let's talk about how to best position ourselves for positive discussions and outcomes by looking at the dynamics of great and not-so-great calls, visits and meetings.

Making the Case for Support
Jon Paparsenos
Having a clear, concise and compelling story as to why your organisation needs philanthropic support is fundamental to any fundraising activity. But who decides what's in it? Whose job is it to write it? Is it really that important? This session explores the journey towards creating a powerful, engaging and authentic Case for Support.

Being Effective in a Small Shop
Dave Shepherd
Working in a small development office can be deeply rewarding, particularly when establishing a new fundraising programme or witnessing the transformative impact of the gifts you have worked on. But oh, the challenges!

This session is for the busy development professional who is already exercising their considerable ingenuity and wearing multiple hats, and yet still feels they need to do more. We'll cover strategies to help small offices make an oversized impact, and workshop some of the challenges that you may be faced with in your small shop.

Workshopping the Knotty Problems (Advanced)
Jimmy Buck
This is the opportunity to focus - in a safe and supportive environment - on key challenges that you are keen to tackle. Are you, for example, struggling to engage with senior or academic colleagues? Are there times when you feel like you’re treading water? Are you wondering how best to resolve a complex issue? Bring your experiences and challenges. We'll explore the ways of navigating around these issues to achieve the best results.

13:10 – 13:55
Lunch

14:05 – 15:20
Elective 4 (Choose one of the following)

Business Etiquette
Lorna Somers
It's your first dinner meeting with top donors and your VC. You're responsible for the seating, introductions and menu and if that wasn't nerve-wracking enough, you're confronted not only with more cutlery and glassware than you knew existed but shrimp and artichoke appetizers to boot! It's not a bad dream; it's a day in the life of a Development professional. Join this swift primer to learn how to navigate the rapids of business etiquette and manners in today's workplace. We'll touch briefly on everything from leaving effective phone messages to tattoos and, ideally, it will leave you wanting to know more!

Organisational Fundraising: Trusts, Foundations, Corporations
Deborah Carr
Charitable trusts and foundations are set up just to give money away - surely a fundraiser's dream come true - whereas corporations are designed to make as much money as possible for their shareholders - surely a fundraiser's nightmare - it's not that simple. This session will explore the differences and similarities between fundraising from companies, charitable trusts and foundations and the practical steps to secure their support.

Up Close with Major and Principal Gifts (Advanced)
Marcus Ward
How do you help to secure a major five, six or seven figure gift? Does strategy trump passion - and how can you best match the priorities of your institution with the donor's philanthropic desires. What are donors who can make gifts of this magnitude actually like? ... and what do they expect from you and your institution? Indeed are they different from "ordinary donors" and do they expect special treatment? There are often many people involved in the cultivation of a major donor and you need to appreciate when you will be involved and when it is best to involve senior leadership (or volunteers). Managing these internal/external relationships can be complex. Marcus will share his experiences of working on six and seven figure donations.

15:30 – 16:30
Tutorial 3

16:30 – 17:00
Refreshment Break

17:00 – 18:30
Plenary: Ethics and Managing Reputational Risk
Nick Blinco

Surely in most situations it is clear what course of action is right or wrong, black or white. Or is it? How do we ultimately reconcile differing imperatives based on ethics? What happens when ethics and cultural norms in one part of the world differs from another?

Scrutiny of fundraising practices and donor behavior has never been more public or more intense. Only very recently we have seen a high-profile national review of fundraising practices in the UK, outrage on Twitter about a mega-gift from a hedge fund manager to Harvard, and articles in publications such as Forbes Asia questioning transparency and governance. This session tackles how we can learn from these debates and use ethics to guide our thinking, analysis and behavior. In this interactive session we will focus on agreed ethical practices for fundraisers (CASE, AFP), review a sample charter of donor rights and participate in a pop quiz!

18:45
Assemble at the Reception Area
Depart for Institute Dinner

19:00 – 21:00
Institute Dinner at Mt Duneed Estate

07:00 – 08:15
Breakfast

08:15 – 09:45
Plenary: Campaigns
Lorna Somers and Marcus Ward
The plenary explores how institutions can focus their energies and efforts in planning and delivering ambitious multi-year, comprehensive-yet-concentrated, fundraising efforts known as campaigns. Using examples and case studies, this session not only sheds light on what a campaign actually is but also how to get campaign ready. A campaign can be a key enabler in building the culture of institutional philanthropy you and your leadership are seeking. Lorna and Marcus will outline how a campaign integrates all aspects of engagement, leadership and governance, strategic communication and development programmes to advance the mission of the organisation. We will also take time to study lessons from some of the larger, completed international campaigns and what their success (and challenges) lead us to predict about fundraising campaigns as a global enterprise.  

09:45 – 10:00
Project Briefing

10:00 – 10:30
Refreshment Break

10:30 – 11:30
Tutorial 4

11:40 – 12:55
Elective 5 (Choose one of the following)

Putting your Best Foot Forward: Keys to Career Success (and possibly World Domination)
Lorna Somers and Jon Paparsenos
If you're like most, you'll find yourself spending one-third of your life, if not more, working! To not only excel at your job but to truly enjoy it takes strategy and rigour as well as knowledge and experience. We'll talk about how to think about your career and what to undertake and reflect upon along the way to ensure you enjoy and make the most of every step on your career journey.

Fundraising outside of your Home Country/in Asia
Dave Shepherd
In an increasingly global world where your alumni and friends are from or have settled overseas, we will often find ourselves fundraising outside of your home country. How does culture and diverse ways of thinking about philanthropy matter? This session will explore the ways that culture impacts on donors, potential donors and alumni and how it changes the way we engage with them. We will share how culture impacts fundraising strategy, including evolving traditional philanthropy to more entrepreneurial ways of thinking about philanthropy. Discussions will also include some of the challenges that cultural contexts present us as practitioners, as well as outline practical tips and strategic issues to consider in the years ahead.

Negotiating the Gift (Advanced)
Marcus Ward
Sometimes an enthusiastic "yes!" from your donor is just the beginning of a complex negotiation to close and celebrate a gift to your institution. Using case studies, this session will focus on the critical information, negotiation skills, key partners and due diligence necessary to come to an agreement we can all be proud of and live with. It will also focus on the importance of having institutional gift acceptance policies in place, ideally before you need them. Importantly, this session will also help you determine when it might be necessary to say no, and how to approach that potentially tricky conversation.

12:55 – 13:40
Lunch

13:50 – 15:20
Plenary: Legacy/Bequest Fundraising
Jon Paparsenos and Helen Astbury

Legacy/Bequest fundraising has the potential to raise significant funds for your organisation by channelling the support of incredibly generous people who leave a gift in their will. Legacies are not only a vital source of future funds for your institution, but are also a highly effective and efficient way to give for the donor. Indeed, far from being an awkward subject, discussing how someone could use their assets beneficially after their death is often an easier conversation than asking for an immediate cash gift.

This plenary explains how to promote this form of giving to your supporters - in print, by direct mail and face-to-face - and how you can reciprocate and steward donors whose money will only reach you after their deaths. Guidance will be given about how to develop a successful legacy program - and how to conduct yourself when dealing with supporters, their families and solicitors both before and after the realisation of the gift.

15:30 – 16:30
Tutorial 5

16:30 – 17:00
Refreshment Break

17:00 – 18:30
Plenary: A Touch of Theatre
Jimmy Buck, Deborah Carr and Lorna Somers
Curtain up! Spotlights on! Actively asking is an essential skill for all development professionals, no matter what your specific role. This workshop will help equip you for success. We will use small group role plays and scenarios so that you rehearse and practice in a safe space, establishing rapport and engaging the interest of potential donors, elegantly engaging with them so that you can comfortably, and respectfully, ask for their gift and continuing support. Bravo!

18:30
Dinner

07:00 – 08:15
Breakfast

08:15 – 09:45
Plenary: Stewardship
Dave Shepherd
Stewardship is one of the most important areas of the Advancement profession. When you receive a gift, the best fundraisers know that the job's only half done. All of us know that stewardship is about thanking donors to demonstrate our appreciation (both in private and in public) of their philanthropy or volunteering. But what you do after receiving a gift is as important, if not more important, than what you do planning to secure it in the first place.

This session sets out to demonstrate that, if you want to keep your donors and develop the relationship to its full potential, you have to do more than say thank you or send a tax receipt, you have to master the art of donor recognition and stewardship - from giving circles to donor walls, gift agreements to little hand-written notes.

Good stewardship is not a transactional "function" but rather a gracious and uplifting way of saying "Thank you". Dave will share his experience in stewardship to help you think about how you can be even more creative and authentic as you build rewarding relationships with your supporters.

09:45 - 10:15
Refreshment Break

10:15 – 11:45
Plenary: Working with Others: Building a Collaborative Environment in Your Institution
Jimmy Buck and Jon Paparsenos
Development…. Alumni Relations… Advancement Services.  Who’s more important?  We build relationships.  But so do our Deans and other academics, the Enterprise Division, our Institutes and Centres. We’re always in competition.

The most effective way to build the philanthropic culture of your Institution is by working effectively as a team. You’ll need to work as a team within the Division and also across the broader University.

In this plenary, we will identify different ways of thinking and working to maximise the philanthropic results within your Division and for your Institution.

11:55 - 13:25
Sandwich Lunch & Tutorial 6

13:35 - 14:35
Project Presentations

14:35 - 14:50
Finale and Goodbyes

CASE reserves the right to change the programme without prior notice.

Cancellation Policy: Written notification of cancellation is required and should be sent to the CASE Asia-Pacific office.

1. Cancellations received by 26 August 2019 will receive a full refund.

2. Cancellations received from 27 August - 8 September 2019 will receive a refund of the registration fees less a 20% cancellation fee.

3. Cancellations received from 9 September 2019 onwards will not receive a refund, but substitute delegates will be accepted.

4. No-shows will not receive a refund.