Session Descriprion: There is no question that TikTok has permeated global culture, impacting everything from slang to the top music charts. With ~1 billion users, it’s one of the top social media apps used by everyone. However, social media managers are struggling to catch up, as they must add videographer and editor to their already long job description. With challenges unique to the platform, expert panelists dive into which tools and strategies should be prioritized for quick wins and long-tail results. From everyday organic posts to paid advertising to increase student enrollment, we’ll discuss learnings and best practices from a higher-ed perspective.

Session Description: Fundraising is a partnership! Why not make it sweet?!? Donuts with Development was an idea that blossomed around how fundraising professionals can leverage their internal partners in the gift life-cycle! From identification to stewardship, we will share how leveraging joint-facilitated philanthropy benefits your program. By utilizing this presentation, you will be able to bring more philanthropy-minded partners to the table and equip them with resources, know-how, and language! Lastly, by demystifying successful working philanthropy relationships, you can bring in more "dough"!

Professional development conferences provide a catalyst for growth and connection. How do you create and maintain momentum post-conference once you are back in the office? This session will explore how we can foster unique connections, stay energized, nurture new habits and practices, and bring all this back to your teams and workplaces. These experiences can help you foster inclusiveness, recognize your institution’s investment in you, and grow your own leadership.

Student Panel Plenary: Students are the heart and soul of educational institutions and the next generation of alumni and donors. They are the present and future of our work as advancement professionals. This panel provides an inside look on today’s student’s experience. We will hear from student speakers who will share their educational journey through inspiring stories of hope, resolve, and aspiration. They will share first-hand how they are navigating their college experience and demonstrate why student support is more important than ever. To ask questions of the panel, submit them from this link

The 2022 Gold Circle of Excellence Award-winning UC Davis Affinity Network Diversity Digest weaves storytelling techniques through marketing and communications, alumni relations, affinity networks, diversity initiatives, and crowdfunding. This presentation explores how the diversity digest is a conduit for belonging across affinities and connects across development and alumni relations. Beginning with the construct and production, attendees will understand how they can advance marketing and communications that are thoughtful and meaningful to audiences. We then understand how friend-raising connects to fundraising through storytelling and the importance of being in relation to community principles and multicultural education. This workshop highlights the preparation, collaboration, production, and application for beginners to advanced digital marketers to advance authentic belonging across alumni affinity networks.

Session Description: "What in the world should we post??" The pressure of coming up with yet another dazzling post for your social feeds can be daunting, and at its worst, a completely ineffective waste of time. Learn how to leverage the power of your audience, and how to transform them from unengaged spectators into enthusiastic supporters. How? By making them active participants in creating content that they care about and want to share, helping you to build a thriving online community in less time and with minimal resources, and to find the people that would benefit the most from what you offer.

Are you looking to engage students in more meaningful ways with your donors? We'll share stewardship strategies, that can be done with limited resources, that your students will get excited about. You’ll walk away with new ideas to take back to your campus to reimagine how you engage students to show the impact of philanthropy.

Fund management is an essential component of providing financial transparency to our donors which ensures our fiduciary responsibilities are met. In this session we will discuss endowed fund reporting as well as processes to ensure endowment spend allocations and current-use funds are being spent in a timely manner and how the donor intended. We will also discuss fund management best practices to ensure donor's wishes are being fulfilled. Foundation project Administration was established within University Advancement as a resource for campus partners. As fiduciaries of donor funds, Foundation Project Admin offers support, guidance, education, and training on the use of Foundation funds. We perform financial compliance reviews for departmental spending of restricted funds ensuring they are spent timely and according to donor intent. As donors are inspired to give, we have a shared responsibility to ensure their support is spent as intended. We strengthen our donor's relationship with the university through financial transparency with impact reporting for future contributions

Relaunching a fundraising program stalled in this post-pandemic world is a common challenge. It also provides a unique opportunity to focus on partnership, inclusion, creativity, operational efficiencies, and strategies. Is your advancement program ready to emerge with a revitalized culture of philanthropy? Utilizing a cross-functional team, this session explores the rigorous work Stanislaus State did to successfully emerge from the depredations of the last two years. Through a facilitated discussion, participants will learn how Stanislaus State rebuilt their development strategies system through data mining, reconstructed portfolios, redefined cultivation strategies, new benchmarks, and engagement with individuals across the campus.

Session Description: Once upon a time, there was a kingdom (our organization) by the sea. One day, the king and his men (the leadership team) found an island (SalesForce CRM) full of books (the data)! But the island and the kingdom were separated by the deep sea (limitations for reporting in Salesforce). The king ordered 4 warriors (the data team) to get some wisdom from the island books......Wonder what they encountered on the journey? Or, despairing about coding to write reports, come to this session and we can show you how we handled Salesforce complex reporting (even without a data warehouse)!

Session Description: As enrollment targets increase, more students than ever are struggling to find housing. This added burden diminishes student success and quality of life. Meanwhile, alumni are looking for meaningful ways to give back that go beyond financial gifts. What if we could meet campus need while fostering synergistic engagement between students and alumni — through housing? This is the aim of the Home Away From Home pilot program at the University of Utah. Our program matches alumni with a student they host in their home, building meaningful connections and community.

Session Description: Learn how CSU San Bernardino grew their annual Homecoming celebration from a one-day event to a weeklong celebration. The week culminates in the Homecoming Bash, bringing more than 3,000 people to campus, engaging university partners across all divisions in 30+ activities. The day is strategically aligned to support the goals of enrollment, consituent engagement, and athletics. Marketing efforts utilize a cohesive campaign that integrates multiple channels for all events, tying into CSUSB’s larger We Define the Future brand. To combat the decentralized marketing of events, a comprehensive marketing toolkit of assets is provided to unify efforts.

Session Description: In early 2022, the University Communications team at Stanford launched a cross-functional Mental Health and Well-being Communications team with members from across the university including student affairs, athletics, news/media and undergraduate education. The goal? To broaden the definition of mental health and well-being on campus and to reduce stigma by consistently telling meaningful stories about well-being to our various audiences, regularly highlighting resources, and sharing relevant research and expertise. And to promote culture change via communications projects centered on aspects of success, failure and healthy behaviors.

Session Description: Do you struggle to get fresh, impactful content from your organization's subject matter experts for your donor communications? Using UC Berkeley's faculty stewardship program as an example, learn best practices, strategies, and techniques to effectively and efficiently generate engaging content for your next solicitation, white paper, report, or proposal.