Learn how Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi created a postcard signing program from scratch, targeting recent graduates and admitted students. With over 100 volunteers registered in less than 24 hours of launch, get an inside look at the back-end logistics, hear tips and tricks for collaborating with campus units, and find out how the Island University is sending over 6,000 postcard per year and reaching over 50% of their admitted population with a hand-signed note from an Alumnus in just 12 months!

Finding practical ways to effectively and intentionally build trust is at the core of building a meaningful relationship. This session will unpack the keys to building trust-based relationships with donors, with application as well to all types of personal and professional relationships. Though not a deep-dive into this enormous topic, this will help create simple tactics to create and manage trust-based relationships.

Traditional planned and blended giving have limited impact perceptions that are targeted for major and principal gift donors. FIU’s Pathway to Philanthropist program (P2P) is a non-traditional model that helps mid-level capacity donors realize they too can advance an institution today and in the future. P2P’s financially inclusive approach leverages donors’ capacity and passion- realizing their philanthropic goals and transforming their philanthropic experience. Through P2P, development professionals serve as philanthropic advisors empowering donors to grow endowment funding, meet current cash needs, as well establish a philanthropic legacy. P2P redefines charitable giving by creating inclusive philanthropic opportunities for first generation philanthropists.

Strategic planning across a complex Advancement organization is critical...and difficult. This session will present a framework that any organization can utilize to collaboratively define core values, mission statements, definitions and measures of success, prioritized focus areas, and individual S.M.A.R.T. goals.

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.

Whether you’re a seasoned fundraiser or new to the profession, we’ve all found ourselves in situations where we’re just not quite sure what to say during a donor solicitation. Diane answers all these questions during her presentation and walks the audience through different scenarios that ALL development professionals encounter at some point in their careers.

Thinking about taking the plunge from print to digital? Always wondered if donors were actually reading the reports you mailed them? We have the session for you! We’ve been there, done that and can help you problem solve for the future. See how other organizations digitized reporting and how you can, too!

Join us as we step into the 21st century and help you gain knowledge about creating your own digitization process.

Created as a campaign to engage not yet donors, Give.Love.Xavier.Day has grown into a University event that raised more than $1 million in 2021. The Xavier University of Louisiana Office of Alumni Relations will facilitate a discussion on successfully growing a Day of Giving that incorporates Greek and class competitions, team captains, school traditions, challenge grants and board participation.

Treating your colleagues like donors will benefit organizational culture, create stronger teams, and promote happier work environments, all of which further mission advancement. This session will highlight the hallmarks of authenticity that form the foundation of trust with donors and are essential to major gift fundraising. Through that lens, explore how to apply the major gift mindset to conduct yourself in integrity, lean into vulnerability, and incorporate curiosity in building trusting professional relationships. This work isn’t reserved for fundraisers or managers; anyone can take an active leadership role in enhancing their institution’s future.

Past success can often be a great tool in building your future. In this session, we will look at how you can use past accomplishments to build a pathway, a map if you will that you can use to find success moving forward. Whether the path looks familiar or is something entirely new, a map from past success can be very helpful. Yet, there are traps when people over rely on past success. This session will look at how to build a map from past success, identify possible traps, and strategies to navigate forward.