Time is precious! School needs are at all-time high. Join us for an interactive and engaging session to confirm how our institutions should be thinking about bringing out the best in every board member. This is a time to not only be reminded of best practices, but to also share stories of what works to ignite the energy and sustain the motivation of our board members.

The world has changed. Independent schools are facing an uncertain future. The political, social media, environmental, and macroeconomic environments are increasingly turbulent. What we’re encountering is best described as a Polycrisis: Multiple crises happening simultaneously in which “the whole is even more dangerous than the sum of the parts” (Professor Adam Tooze, Ipsos Global Trends 2023). This evolving landscape creates new and increasingly problematic risks that schools must address. Through this session, we will inspire and empower educational leaders to convert the challenges of a Polycrisis into a strategic advantage for their institutions.

We will discuss three critical challenges currently creating a Polycrisis at independent schools: The workforce, constituent engagement, and how best to implement diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives. You will gain tools to build your leadership capacity and insights to better navigate this Polycrisis. You will learn about creative fundraising and communications strategies to tackle these challenges. You will also walk away with a plan to turn this Polycrisis into a strategic advantage by drawing on the full range of advancement expertise at your institutions, including communications, marketing, alumni relations, fundraising, and data services.

By addressing a Polycrisis head-on, school leaders and advancement teams can create a new strategic advantage for their schools that allows them to drive institutional goals, manage change, and be successful in an uncertain future.

As it turns out, relationship building is strategic! Ted Lasso is the ultimate relationship builder. He genuinely cares about the people around him and puts in the effort to understand and connect with them and doesn't just use people to get what he wants. Through valuing the person in front of him and their unique background and perspectives, he looks for the best in people, even when they make mistakes or disagree with him. He approaches every relationship with empathy and an open mind. In our teams and schools, when we focus on building strong relationships, support systems, and structures that enable clear, honest and kind communication- we will surpass our engagement and fundraising goals EVERY TIME. Join us to learn how two neighboring schools in Hawai’i are collaborating on strategic team-building to ensure broad community engagement and significantly increased philanthropic capacity.

Launching a successful campaign demands precise strategic reporting and an evolving prospect pipeline. This session will focus on crafting actionable reporting frameworks and continuously refining and developing the prospect pipeline. Co-presented by the Director of Advancement Services and Operations and the Director of Prospect Research and Management at The Lawrenceville School—a school that recently celebrated a remarkably successful $475MM campaign—attendees will receive a firsthand account of how to optimize the synergy between reporting and pipeline development. Dive in to gain actionable strategies for impactful campaign management.

It has been said that the strategic planning and implementation of enrolling and retaining a student and family must never intersect or overlap with the strategic goals, objectives, and implementation of a school's philanthropic endeavors. Perhaps this is, in fact, a missed moment for more tremendous success. Join AISAP Executive Director Janice Crampton, Scott Bohan, Chief Advancement Officer - St. Paul's School, NH, and Matt Proto, Vice President and Chief Institutional Advancement Officer at Colby College Waterville, Maine, for a facilitated discussion with ideas, notions, and takeaways that will demonstrate best practice and next practice strategies that will assist you, your offices and in the end your school to be intentional in achieving your overall institutional goals and all the while seek greater alignment and messaging not only in process but in understanding the larger goals that need to be achieved by your school.

Women make up 80% of the teacher workforce, but are not represented proportionally at the highest levels of school leadership. Why the discrepancy? As school leaders retire or leave their positions at record rates, having an equitable leadership pipeline is more important than ever. In this session, learn research-based supports that benefit emerging female leaders, and connect with female leaders at all stages in their careers. If you're a leader, mentor, or recruiter, learn how to maximize your effectiveness. If you're an emerging female leader, learn about the supports that will help your career trajectory.

Welcoming a new Head of School can be an exciting opportunity for any community! Nicole Girvan and Heather Pool will give you behind-the-scenes tips and share their map to help you leverage the leadership change to re-engage with donors. The search process and onboarding season felt treacherous and scary, especially for a “small shop” like The Logan School for Creative Learning, but once they knew where they were heading, the journey was positive and productive. As they built trust, there was room to create places for belonging for those who hadn’t been engaged or seen.
Nicole Girvan will share her experience building trust, leading with vulnerability, and setting the stage for success. As a transracially adopted woman of color in a predominantly white community---Nicole found ways to initiate spaces for others to feel a sense of belonging instead of waiting for the "welcome wagon.” Nicole and Heather opened the doors for others to share vulnerability and cultivate relationships. Heather Pool will share a scaffold and ideal timeline for connecting and reconnecting with your school’s donors. They found ways, with limited resources, to provide opportunities for authentic connection and help the community grow through transition.

Questions of gender are front and center in the evolving culture wars affecting society today, and single-sex independent schools are at the epicenter as they are being asked their position on admitting and retaining students who do not fit the gender binary. When the Browning School introduced its gender policy in June 2023, it received negative national media attention as well as much heartwarming support from the school community. Come hear about how the policy was communicated, lessons learned, and how to approach this issue from an advancement perspective whether you are in a single or all gender school.

Discover the art of orchestrating a high-functioning advancement office while fostering a vibrant team spirit. Join Katy Steventon, Director of The Rugbeian Community at Rugby School - an independent school in England founded in the 1500's - and former British Army marketing strategist, as she unveils her expertise in creating operational excellence.

In this engaging session, Katy will delve into her experiences from the British Army and how they intersect with her role in launching impactful Rugbeian Community projects. Gain exclusive insights into the strategies that not only convey messages effectively but also reshape perspectives. Drawing from her military background, Katy will guide you through techniques to harness your team's strengths, establish psychological safety, and adeptly manage stakeholders.

This session promises to equip you with the skills to optimize teamwork efficiency, leverage individual talents, and ensure crystal-clear communication of your visionary plans. Join us to transform your approach and master the balance between precision and inspiration.

The journey of modern independent schools is teeming with opportunities to attract and retain diverse talent. From community engagement to the crafting of DEI statements, and the showcasing of DEI programming, this roundtable brings to the forefront best practices to engage and attract diverse voices during the hiring process. We'll also examine the critical resources, training, and the role your employees can play to ensure a welcoming and inclusive environment for your new hires. Let's collaboratively pinpoint strategies to identify and cultivate the 'rising stars' waiting in the wings.