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 Vice Presidents to pull back the curtain on what the top job really takes. 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.

The University of Oregon is committed to developing innovative programs that promote inclusivity, leveraging partnerships with community stakeholders, engaging alumni and major gift prospects, and supporting student career readiness. The team responsible for engaging new prospects in the state of Oregon developed a way to meet these needs through an innovative event built off mutually beneficial outcomes and relationships with community leaders. In 2023, the Oregon Engagement Team created a new event that brought together efforts of the UO's Lylle Reynolds-Parker Black Cultural Center, the Black Business Association of Oregon, the UO Alumni Association Black Alumni Network, and the Portland Trail Blazers to engage students, build community, identify and cultivate major gift prospects, address workforce development for our region, and connect students with business leaders. The event was such a success, planning began for a similar event in 2024 that evolved into a networking experience for BIPOC Alumni Network Board leaders, University of Oregon Portland students, and notable Oregon BIPOC business chambers and associations. These strategic engagement events have accelerated the UO’s ability to support students from underrepresented communities, build partnerships with key members of the community, and strengthen relationships with alumni.

Ghostwriting, or writing for someone else, can be a frightful journey. In this session, learn top tips for taking a message (e.g. speech or letter) you’re writing for a dean, board chair, or other campus leader from request to delivery. How do you start? Where can you find information and inspiration? How do you capture someone else’s voice — even when you rarely interact with them? What processes can help create structure and momentum in successfully completing the project? We will also meet a few demons that can stand in our way — Imposter syndrome? Eek! Mean responses? No! — and share ways to slay them. To cap off the session, we will brainstorm ideas for messaging a few different scenarios.

Scholarships That Stand the Test of Time - The Sequel!
Navigating the complexities of donor intent and scholarship criteria is critical to long-term successful administration of scholarships – and easier said than done. Oregon State University Foundation’s Scholarship Task Force, working with colleagues across the Foundation and University over the course of three years, developed and implemented guidelines for working with donors to inspire scholarship gifts that stand the test of time. The Task Force is shifting the culture of scholarship fundraising from one that was almost entirely focused on honoring donor preferences to one that balances donor intent and university/student needs. This session will illustrate the benefits of consistent guidelines for donor conversations, partnering with campus leaders, and use of specific and strategic language in gift agreements. We will share the challenges we faced along the way and the professional satisfaction gained through this work. This session will enhance what we shared at CASE VIII '23, including new lessons learned and strategies employed. Our goal is to help CASE institutions maximize the impact of scholarship fundraising on student success through integrity and transparency with donors.

Inspiring donors and raising philanthropic support for society’s most complex issues — those where tangible outcomes and positive impact may not be realized for years — is a challenge facing nonprofits, including educational institutions, worldwide. From climate change to homelessness to racial inequity to social justice, philanthropy is critical to tackling society’s most complex issues, and institutions that innovate and inspire philanthropic investment are best prepared to achieve substantive, positive change. In this session, we will address real-life challenges encountered when complex social issues are involved and provide creative solutions for addressing them.

Join us for a discussion about how to best integrate private foundations into a comprehensive funding plan. We'll talk about how impactful proposals to private foundations differ from those to other types of funders, how private foundations bridge the divide between individual donors and public agency sponsors, and how Oregon State University supports sponsored research through the Foundation Relations office.

What does it mean to lead a philanthropy program that aligns with your school's values? Can philanthropy be inclusive and transformative at the same time?
Philanthropy is a powerful display of community engagement and when fundraisers lead with the school's values, the act of giving can foster a sense of joy and belonging for all members of the community. This session will inspire senior fundraising professionals, heads of school, and trustees to work in partnership to make all donors feel seen and valued. Attendees will walk away with tools for making the ask inclusively - honoring the donor and the needs of the school.

This moderated conversation will dive into the crucial topic of nurturing diversity within the field of advancement. Attendees will gain insights into effective strategies for recruiting, retaining, including, and promoting talent from diverse backgrounds in advancement roles. We will share our own experience and practical tips to help organizations create inclusive and equitable environments, fostering the growth of talent from diverse backgrounds through early, mid, and senior leadership. Join us and participate in an engaging discussion that promises to drive positive change in your institution advancement staff.

Following on their well-received session from the 2023 CASE VIII conference (Old Skool vs. New and Cool: The Changing Look of Campaigns), Tamara and Lisa will lead a countdown of 10 tactics to set up for campaign success. They will highlight important areas of focus in campaign planning, sharing creative examples of successful work, lessons learned, and what to avoid. Set your institution up for campaign success by planning ahead, learning from peers, and making connections, and gathering creative ideas.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a standard strategic tool for many industries. For most advancement programs, it presents an untapped opportunity to prioritize predictable and sustainable gift revenue, grow recurring giving, maximize ROI on fundraising costs, and catalyze other important strategic decisions. This session will provide context on AI in the broader environment, with special emphasis on AI in advancement and the opportunities that exist today, supported by real-world examples.