Today's Chief Development Officer must bring much more to the table than a talent for frontline fundraising. A panel of DII CDOs will discuss the competencies that distinguish today's successful leader, drawn from the second edition of The Chief Development Officer: Beyond Fundraising. The panel will focus on three critically important responsibilities: visible leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion; resilient optimist; and mentor/ally/sponsor to future CDOs. Panelists will offer advice to those in and preparing for the role as well as those charged with selecting and supporting CDOs.

Most alumni relations professionals would agree that COVID-19 disrupted the traditional alumni engagement model. As strategies continue to evolve towards greater digital integration, it is important to consider how virtual experiences will enhance alumni civic engagement initiatives.

Join two nonprofit leaders turned alumni engagement professionals to learn how your institution can effectively leverage virtual engagement strategies to create impactful volunteer experiences. Together we’ll explore practical scenarios for incorporating civic engagement into existing in-person or virtual programs, strategic collaboration with community partners, and expanding your volunteer base.

This session will highlight the transformation of Yeshiva’s fundraising program over the last 3 years, which began with an overhaul of Advancement Services. GG+A President Suzanne Hilser-Wiles and Yeshiva University VP of Institutional Advancement Adam Gerdts will discuss how building the tools (technology, policies and processes) for advancement allowed Adam to adopt and manage to a set of clear performance metrics and helped his team ensure they are focused on their best prospects. Suzanne and Adam will talk about how they partnered to help grow Yeshiva's program.

Not all donors are equally helpful to your institution's success. Some of them are more connected, retain better, and give regularly. We call them loyal donors, and they vary along almost any variable you can think of: how you acquired them, how they plan their philanthropy, the giving vehicles they use, and even how they interact with your institution and its staff. Jim Langley and Louis Diez will guide a research-based conversation to help participants determine the appropriate role for loyal donor cultivation in an institution's fundraising portfolio.

Picture this: Donor communication as personal as a living room conversation. Pieces whose stories resonate, convey a genuine thank you, congratulate milestones, and ultimately increase giving. Join Charlene Culler from the Hunter College and Jonathan Van Oss of Pledgemine as they show you how you can treat your donors as “Segments of One”.

In 2020 and 2021 Western University celebrated Homecoming virtually. Learn how we created Western Stories & Songs, a multi-genre showcase that weaves musical performances with alumni stories creating a story arc that explores timely social issues such as COVID research and the experiences of black and Indigenous alumni. Hear about the opportunities and challenges that exist in creating and producing a 60-minute musical program, and how to leverage your efforts to maximize impact with a global alumni audience.

Often stewardship is thought of as a separate track in annual giving, but stewardship provides an opportunity, not just to engage, but to solicit donors through a cohesive message strategy. After reimagining its donor loyalty society, Rutgers University Foundation began incorporating loyalty messaging and branding in annual giving solicitations and boosted retention rate and average gift for donors. Attendees will learn how to think about the importance of annual giving stewardship and its role in partnering with solicitation/direct marketing efforts, and how loyalty language matters when communicating with donors.

During times of crises, some batten the hatches and weather the storm, but not The Speyer Legacy School. Speyer redefined philanthropy to meet the moment and anticipate future needs—leveraging technology to elevate fundraising activity, building momentum around a compelling case for support, and activating its board as fundraising ambassadors to amplify its culture of philanthropy and meet its fundraising goals. This session will explore how Speyer recalibrated its advancement efforts and how other institutions can use Speyer as a case study to shape action-oriented strategies for future fundraising success.

To be a strong advancement team, your alumni relations staff must work closely with and support your development team. This session shares some tips to help ensure your alumni events and programs (in person and virtual) are strategically orchestrated to be not only engaging but also helpful in cultivating major gift prospects. Hear from the alumni relations team at Penn State's College of Health and Human Development about how their alumni office combined forces with the college development team to become more efficient, intentional, and impactful.

In an era of declining trust in big societal institutions, higher education is no exception – and you, as an advancement professional used to interacting with external audiences, are well-positioned as a countervailing force to this current negativity. CASE’s Discover the Next campaign builds off local successes and highlights research-tested approaches to showing the value of higher education through individual achievement, economic impact, innovation and scientific progress, and cultural vitality. Learn what tools and resources are available to help your institution connect with all stakeholders, from prospective students to alumni to community leaders.