Ever unsure if what you are doing is helping achieve your college or university mission? Do you find it difficult to determine daily how you are helping achieve student success? In this session, we will explain the importance of tracking metrics, help you determine which metrics really matter and are available in higher education to track, and walk you through how to apply the metrics daily to demonstrate success. Attendees will leave knowing 'what matters' and in learn how to develop a dashboard that helps increase visibility and support.

Let’s get ready to rumble. Step into the environment of a high school debate, on three hot fundraising topics. Is donor engagement or cultivation more important? Are giving days, challenges, matches and socks just a gimmick? Invest in annual giving or more gift officers? Howard and Brian will make their pitch on each side, cross-examine each other “politely”, and take your votes for the winner of each round. With live audience feedback/discussion, this action-packed session will feature key data and examples of what advancement leaders are doing to change the debate about fundraising. Bring your opinions, and join the debate!

Web transitions of any size can be recipes for communication quagmires. After successfully transitioning eight websites from Drupal 7 to Drupal 9 (and not making any mortal enemies along the way) we have a number of lessons we'd like to share with you, so that your next web transition or migration project results in a site or sites that are effective at communicating your organization's messages, engaging to look at, and leave your team's relationships intact.

Join California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) and CCS Fundraising to explore the statistical correlation between frontline fundraisers and dollars raised within a network of institutions. The primary goal of this multi-variable regression model provided directional guidance to CSUB leadership as they considered the case for investing additional dollars in frontline fundraising strategies. Learn how this tool was developed, how you might find value in the information gleaned from the model, and how it could impact your forecasting and planning for Advancement longer-term.

When you’re a graduate-only university with a small development team, you need to write your own playbook for securing major gifts. Here are our CliffsNotes: Chapter One—Hire a president who embraces the fundraising challenge. Focus on a small to-do list and execute it with laser precision. Inspire your team with a bold, unabashed vision and turn the team loose to give it form. Create and nurture a culture of trust with potential donors. Risk success! Chapter Two—Celebrate how you turned a long-term partnership into a multimillion-dollar gift and how a modest intention became full funding for a new building.

COVID-19 placed a freeze on open positions. Now that institutions are hiring again, what must be done to retain the excellent talent you have and recruit the best on the market? This session will explore what tomorrow’s workplace will look like. We will discuss remote work, flexible schedules, hoteling options, and interview practices. Join us for a peek at the future!

In response to social justice issues surrounding the murder of George Floyd in 2020, Cal Poly Pomona committed to improve transparency and diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across its campus. University Advancement launched an Anti-Bias Initiative by creating a working group to assess needs and challenges in the division specifically using an advancement lens. The initial working group created sub committees that conducted research, identified key internal and external stakeholders, assessed data points, resulting in actionable items to systematically move the Division of Advancement towards a more healthy, diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment.

Many of us have had to get creative with the way we do our work. Our presentation is less about doing something new, and more about doing it in a new way. CSULB – like so many other institutions – went back to the drawing board this past year to identify virtual opportunities that help facilitate engagement, discovery, qualification and cultivation efforts... in come our 49er Industry Chat series. And better yet, let’s find ways to do this together, aligning engagement goals from the Office of Alumni Engagement and qualification/cultivation goals from the Office of Development for more shared wins.

Expertly produced events are critical to the success of any university advancement office and to any university as a whole. Event planners and producers (literally) set the stage to promote and elevate universities and their faculty, staff, students, alumni and supporters to the world.

What does it take to get ready for these moments? Countless hours of organizing, perfecting, refining and reminding everyone again and again what time the event is being held.

After a short panel discussion, attendees will have a chance to break into groups to share their frustrations, brainstorm solutions and create a network of colleagues to turn to for inspiration and encouragement.

Come together and help us create a community!

Fundraisers often think of themselves as heroes but really, you are not the Frodo so much as the Gandalf of the story. In this introductory presentation, I will help you speak the language that will allow you to make your donor the hero of your story and give you the tools you need to speak "planned giving." Whether you are a major gift officer, leadership annual giving or anywhere in between on the frontlines, this workshop is for you.