This session is specifically designed for frontline gift officers in major gifts and gift planning who seek a fresh perspective to move beyond transactional outcomes. Whether just starting out or looking to take your fundraising efforts to the next level, this session offers valuable insights and strategies to “Own the Conversation’ with your donors. During this session, we will explore the tenets of High Probability Fundraising to address the key questions every donor makes on their journey to a meaningful gift. You will learn how to avoid the ‘Transactional Trap’ by inviting donors to engage in a permission-based conversation that sets a transparent agenda, builds deep trust, uncovers true capacity, and secures bigger, more impactful gifts than they ever thought possible.

Hybrid and remote work policies, and opinions, continue to evolve as we head further into post-pandemic work life. Join us as we explore the nuances of various work modalities, addressing the unique demands and expectations faced by advancement teams. We will apply data trends and insights from multiple organizations as a jumping off point for a robust discussion on lessons learned and ideas for the future, from the perspectives of both those managing and those being managed.

This creative and high energy interactive session will address key leadership strategies that are critical in positioning your team for success!
Barbara and Joy's unique blend of leadership styles incorporate relationship strategies, ethics and storytelling techniques that have helped position fundraisers for success in closing major and principal gifts.

I don't even have to cite the statistics around the difficult hiring market, we all are feeling the pain every time we go to hire. Everyone is struggling to find talent and the candidate pools just seem to get smaller and smaller. With almost 10 years of experience in Higher Education and Talent Acquisition, I'm here to offer you some industry best practices and tested examples of how we're tackling the hiring problems at Ohio State University.

This session delves into the crucial role of students and their voices in shaping Advancement, specifically fundraising. It will explore how students are the catalysts for change and innovation within institutions and how we in Advancement can utilize that. We will discuss topics such as philanthropy education, student-to-student fundraisers, donor relations utilization of students, real-world success stories, and much more.

Metrics are ever-present in development shops around the country. But how do you make them simple, effective and powerful? How can you make sure your metrics also incentivize a development officer to stay at the institution? In this session, we will examine the metrics journey for both Vanderbilt University and Bellarmine University, two development offices on different scales, but utilizing the same fundamental framework to motivate their fundraisers to year over year success and retention. We will also cover: • Creating a cultural behavior around metrics, not a “gotcha” atmosphere • Balanced and custom metric designs for each individual development officer depending on experience, unit coverage, 3-year averages, and a variety of other factors • Formulaic financial incentive programs from a large budget operation to a small budget operation • Clear career ladders and performance expectations for each development officer We encourage you to attend what is sure to be an engaging and lively discussion.

The higher education landscape has continued to change in recent years, including the need for bold messaging everywhere that our audiences are. Screen usage has increased dramatically over the past decade, with all demographics reading information online, engaging with social media networks, streaming shows, video conferencing, and even attending classes virtually more and more.

Needless to say, Luther has chosen to prioritize sharing our story and brand more loudly and intentionally. After the completion of market research, brand research, campaign concept development, attaining internal buy-in, and external market tests, Luther has implemented a bolder look and feel across multiple channels reaching many different audiences.

Luther College’s new website was launched in August 2022 with this new campaign, after just over a year of dedicated work with mStoner, a Carnegie Company. Our focus in this session will be a review of this process: our new brand strategy, approach to information architecture, and the conceptualization of a new governance policy. Now with two website awards and high marks in user experience, we will share what we have learned, what we would have done differently, and what we’re still tackling as we continue to build on this new foundation for Luther’s marketing and communication efforts.

For most of us, the road to fundraising was accidental. We arrive from completely different careers and wildly unique backgrounds. The path to leadership is just as diverse and, honestly, a little mysterious. Join this panel of Advancement leaders to pull back the curtain on what the top jobs really take. If you’re a new leader, get advice on how to think big, focus on your biggest value, and inspire a culture shift not a culture shock. If you’re an aspiring leader, learn what skills, experiences, and opportunities to seek out that will prepare you for your next step.

Navigating the intricacies of advancement can often be a daunting task for campus partners, leaving them uncertain about who to contact for collaboration and engagement. Such lack of clarity leads to missed opportunities, with events and initiatives unfolding without the valuable input and participation of the advancement office. Miami University’s Division of University Advancement confronted these issues head-on, cultivating a solution that is changing campus partnerships - the Certified Advancement Partner Program (CAPP).

In this session, explore the strategies and structures of CAPP, a pioneering credential program designed to demystify advancement processes and form a cohesive network of true campus partners across diverse campus sectors. Drawing from the practical experiences and challenges encountered at Miami University, this session will offer actionable insights to initiate and sustain a similar partnership-building program within your organization.

Who doesn’t love great perks? But wait… I can only give out those amazing alumni bumper stickers for so long. Building a lifelong relationship with alumni is critical, especially in an era when the value of higher education is being questioned right and left. Join this candid discussion on the “perks” of being a graduate during this interactive session aimed to help you walk away with a few ideas to try at your institution, no matter the size. Move from trinkets towards engagement while adding tangible value and loyalty to build your institution’s affinity through your alumni base.