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Hola, me llamo Data
Data - Why is it so difficult? Learn about the processes, teams, and structures you can leverage to build a culture and organization that enhances and protects the currency of advancement operations - data. Hello, my name is "Data" is the session for you if you're trying to: build data literacy, enhance data management, or learn how others have addressed these challenges.
Mark Walcott, Executive Director, Info Systems & Reporting, University of Houston
Should I Stay or Should I Go? Compassion in the University Advancement Workplace
This session will share the findings of Christina Smith's doctoral research on compassion in the university advancement workplace and its effect on the high rate of turnover for major gift officers in development offices. This session will share the theory of compassion organizing and its practical application in university advancement organizations and offer data-driven examples for development professionals and leaders to promote and foster organizational cultures that seek to be positive, flourishing, and workplaces that retain the best gift officers.
Christina M. Smith, Ed.D., Director of Development, University of Texas at Austin
Closing Keynote Session
Shabnam Mogharabi, Entertainment Entrepreneur, Author, and Journalist
Where Art Meets Science: The Role Between Two Worlds
An interactive session showcasing the importance of blending the art and the science by first focusing on bridging the gap between two different worlds within philanthropy; Development Officers and Prospect Management. This engaging and lively session will dig into the benefits and challenges of how a strong relationship can quickly bring in resources, but a failed partnership can cripple an organization just as fast. Join us as we share successes and failures, pose hypothetical situations, and learn how to implement these skills into your organization. This workshop is geared towards all of the artists and scientists out there in philanthropy.
Connor Adams, Director of Major Gifts, New Mexico State University, Kristen Meierhoff-Medina, Executive Director of Prospect Strategy & Gift Administration, New Mexico State University Foundation
Executive Engagement in Corporate & Foundation Relations
Corporate & Foundation Relations (CFR) Officers serve as a master coordinator and translator, finding areas of alignment between company/foundation priorities and university areas of excellence. University Presidents, VP’s and Deans play an integral role in CFR work. Geared towards fundraising leadership, this session provides an update on the CFR landscape, best practices, and strategies for engaging university executives with companies and foundations. Among the areas covered: how and when to engage university leadership in CFR, managing prospects for leadership, and reflection on successes and challenges.
Jessica Shepard Watts, Executive Director of Development, Corporate and Foundation Relations, University of North Texas, Shawn Farrell, Assistant Vice President, Corporate and Foundation Engagement, University of Texas at San Antonio
Balancing Act: Recognizing Donors through a DEI Lens
Donors want to feel special. We want to recognize them. What happens when recognizing the elite among our donors is in direct contradiction to our commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion? How can we say we’re committed to inclusivity when we have giving societies based solely on a donor’s capacity to give large amounts of money? What do giving and recognition societies look like in light of our commitment to DEI? Join us for the rethinking of donor recognition. How do we balance the need to recognize donors while understanding innately that the way we currently do this alienates others?
Lynne Wester, Donor Relations Guru, Donor Relations Guru LLC
"Back from the Dead:" Reviving your Alumni Boards and Programs
Have you inherited an alumni program that needs resuscitation or a shot in the arm? Are you a small shop that needs to leverage the strengths of your volunteers to stop your program from circling the drain? Let's explore collaboration techniques between your alumni relations office and board to avoid D.O.A. and return your alumni program back to health.
Highlands University alumni board presidents, current and past, and alumni director will share their work-in-progress best practices for building a thriving, engaging alumni outreach, which in turn creates a pipeline to the foundation board and inspires greater giving to the university.
Julianne Salman, Director of Alumni Relations & Annual Giving, New Mexico Highlands University, Jeannae Leger, Alumni Board President, New Mexico Highlands University, Paul Grindstaff, Alumni Board Past President, Foundation Board Director, New Mexico Highlands University, Vince Marchi, MBA, Alumni Board Past President, Foundation Board Vice President, New Mexico Highlands University
Successful Employee Giving Campaign: Two Case Studies
While we strive to inspire external constituencies to philanthropically support our institution’s work, we cannot forget our internal community. Employee giving campaigns provide a unique opportunity for advancement professionals to engage their fellow staff and faculty across the college, school or university in the joy of giving. This session takes a deep dive into two, successful employee giving campaigns at two very different institutions: a small, public university and one of the nation’s largest community colleges. One campaign is 16 years old, and one is newer, but both present a wealth of lessons in growing your donor base from within.
Jesse Pisors, Vice President, Advancement & External Relations, University of Houston – Victoria, Susan Summers, CFRE, Director, Donor Relations, Lone Star College Foundation
Recent Alumni Engagement: Using Survey Data to Inform Your Strategies
Recent alumni engagement is critical to keeping this key group engaged with their alma mater. In this session, we'll share results of our national survey on how recent alumni expect to engage and discuss the link between involvement in student organizations and engagement after graduation. We'll then share examples of how the University of Oklahoma engages students while on campus and connects with recent graduates to foster and grow their engagement and support. Participants will leave this session with data to inform their strategies and ideas of next steps to grow recent alumni engagement.
Bill Moakley, Director of Creative Communication, University of Oklahoma Foundation, and Mirko Widenhorn, Senior Director of Engagement Strategy, Anthology
Managing the Ask: What To Say When Making the Ask
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.
Diane M. Carlson, Chairman, Catapult Fundraising, Inc.