The demands and expectations placed on institutional leaders continue to increase and change. If we are to see fundraising playing an increased and more impactful role in our universities, it needs to be more strategically positioned.

We will share thoughts and trends on the evolution of leadership both institutional and philanthropic across UK HE and will look at the differences between mission groups. If more of our institutions are to make significant progress in fundraising, how important is it that we crack the leadership thing?

Vice-Chancellors and development professionals will share their thoughts and address some tough questions: what does the profession need to look like to face future challenges? Are leaders willing to make sustained investments to see the returns?

Being a fundraiser is surprisingly similar to being a parent or carer: from helping a donor to take their first steps in philanthropy to celebrating their graduation and creating special memories along the way. Join new mum Hannah Langford as she reflects on lessons learned from her first year as a mum including how to manage difficult personalities, expectations, and boundaries, treating everyone equally, explaining differences and doing your share of the chores...and all without tears before bedtime!

Donor walls are a critical part of successful stewardship that help to build strong connections between you and your most generous donors. Whether you love getting creative to bring these to life or you spend time worrying that you’ll spell a name wrong, there’s no avoiding them.

We're now seeing inspiring examples of forward-thinking design, where recognition is central to capital projects from the start. But what about when you're starting from scratch? This session will share UCL’s journey to the 2019 unveiling of a donor wall recognising its Circle of Benefactors. From running a student design competition, to personally involving each donor in fabrication, hear how Advancement worked with Public Art to create something unique and meaningful for donors, but also authentic to UCL.

For the first 50 days of 2021, Durham alumni, family and friends set out to test their fitness, hang on to those New Year's resolutions, and come together in the name of health and wellbeing in a way, unlike anything we’ve ever done before. As a community, we rekindled our motivation, inspired one another, smashed goals and personal records, lost weight, had a little break in our lockdown routines, and worked out with our Durham friends around the world.

#BumpItForward was created during the second COVID-19 wave - asking donors to pay forward the cost of their vaccine to protect healthcare workers in African countries until the vaccine reached them. Created and launched in less than 72 hours, the campaign far exceeded its funding goal, but also challenged institutional preconceptions about public understanding and engagement with our cause and raised our ambitions about what might be possible for future campaigns.

In 2018, the Universities of Glasgow, The University of Edinburgh, and IntoUniversity launched a collaborative fundraising campaign to bring to Scotland IntoUniversity’s proven model of raising aspiration amongst disadvantaged communities, driven by a commitment to serve Scotland’s young people. Donors increasingly expect organisations they support to collaborate rather than address societal issues in silos. Come learn about building a truly collaborative programme that calls on the strengths and insights of different teams (including fundraising, widening participation, and communications), inspires donors, motivates staff, and achieves the desired impact, in this case the opening of IntoUniversity's first community-based learning centres in Scotland. The session will cover both the key strategic and operational factors that were integral to success and recent recognition with a CASE Circle of Excellence Gold Award.

Are you or your team lacking the drive and motivation to support your alumni community? Are requests met with frustration or annoyance? Has it been increasingly difficult to manage work and family/friends? It is likely you are feeling the effects of burnout. Burnout can be weighing on your mental health however is both preventable and manageable. Learn the telling signs of burnout, how to address it, and maintain a healthier work environment for you and your team.

It all started with an optimistic Alumni Relations plan drafted for important people at the top of the organisation. Aided by our energy and belief in the strategic importance of alumni engagement, inspired by the institution’s mission, and with the help of colleagues, we got started. Then came the pandemic: not the best way to start building a community...

We will share the keys to Making It Happen:

- Tips on building a team and embedding them into a complex organisation – all online
- Professionalism, camaraderie, creativity, and what can happen if you trust people to make plans come to life
- ‘The battle of the data’, silo mentality, and the need to believe in what you do
- Managing upwards, outwards and across divides