The Senior Leadership Forum sessions will include industry experts on the following topics: Integrated Advancement Model, AI and How it is Changing the Future of Advancement, and Accessibility and Affordability of the Independent School Model. *Separate registration required

The new normal of consistent change is leaving leaders concerned about being left behind. Instead of implementing half-baked, panic-driven ideas...it's time to identify the Easter eggs the future has left for us. In this talk, technology futurist Crystal Washington will show you and your team how to innovate, thrive and enjoy the ride. In this session, you will:
• Understand the gifts the future really has to offer, allowing you to shape and manipulate for your ultimate outcomes.
• Identify the most under-utilized Easter eggs of innovation...which you already have in your basket.
• Create a framework to future-proof your career and organization...and avoid getting scrambled.

In this session, we will delve into the pivotal role of the advancement office in mitigating the erosion of institutional trust affecting education as a whole and independent schools amidst contemporary societal challenges. Against the backdrop of polarizing political climates, evolving parental expectations, and varied perspectives on the goals of education, we will examine how these factors - exacerbated by the ubiquity of social media - contribute to heightened skepticism and distrust. We will explore these dynamics and discuss strategies for advancement professionals to proactively build and sustain trust. By highlighting successful initiatives in transparent communication, ethical fundraising practices, and community engagement, attendees will gain practical insights to strengthen institutional integrity and resilience in an increasingly complex and skeptical environment.

Now, more than ever, advancement leaders are asked to take risks and cultivate cultures of innovation to grow their institutions. While it’s been said that “if you’re not growing, you’re dying,” it’s still not easy to understand where to place bets – where to take calculated risks – in order to achieve the goal of growth.

As independent school leaders we all face big challenges like declining participation. Or, are recent trends actually just uncovering a different cadence of giving from our donors? The technology available to solve the root of these challenges and accelerate our work is growing faster than ever and our industry is reaping the benefits of a burst of innovation in AI, even pioneering the first autonomous fundraiser. As leaders, this vast array of solutions presents a new hurdle - how to know where to place our bets.

In this session, Christine Pina, CAO of Miss Porter’s School and Adam Martel, CEO of Givzey and Version2.ai, will discuss how to build partnerships that help institutions make the right bets. We’ll cover what good partnerships look like, how to know if you have a vendor or a partner and how to be a leader in innovation. We’ll also cover what a healthy culture of risk taking and innovation can produce, and (most importantly) what it takes to trust one another.

Learn about the partnership between the office of Diversity Equity and Belonging and the office of Advancement at Tabor Academy as they aim to be more inclusive in their philanthropic and engagement efforts. Led by RoseMarie Wallace, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Belonging and Stephen Ginter, Director of Advancement, two of the newest members of Tabor senior leadership team, hear the successes and lessons learned at Tabor (and at other schools with which they've worked) on the journey to being more inclusive.

Engagement is the name of the game, and the critical question every Development office should regularly ask is: "Is the work we are doing deepening authentic relationships within our community?" Join us for an insightful session that delves into the Donor Engagement Cycle and its ultimate impact on growing philanthropic support. We’ll focus on one key donor segment – alumni – sharing innovative ideas and practical strategies that underscore the “value-add” for alumni, and are applicable to K-8, K-12, and development offices of all sizes.
Discover an enhanced approach to capturing and analyzing key metrics, enabling you to identify trends and make data-driven, strategic decisions. Participants will gain valuable insights and walk away with actionable ideas to deepen relationships with alumni, driving lasting support for your school.

Learn how to implement best practices in front loading your annual fund to exceed revenue goals at the end of the fiscal year by using a multi-prong marketing campaign that integrates direct mail, printed materials and #GivingTuesday email communications. Learn how to select a committee of volunteers with a deep affinity toward your school who will be the leaders and stewards of the annual fund campaign by pooling their contributions together to create a matching gift challenge to increase your average annual fund gift amount and overall campaign goals. Marketing tools such a recruitment, branding, digital assets, communications platforms, solicitation and stewardship will all be covered.

Through embracing a culture of stewardship, Harvard-Westlake School (Los Angeles, CA) has raised some of the largest dollar totals among American day schools, including over $10M in Annual Giving and approaching completion of a nearly $300M capital project. But despite its unwavering commitment to expressing gratitude, the HW Advancement team has only recently developed more creative ways to convey donor impact. Head of Advancement Eli Goldsmith and Assistant Director of Stewardship Haley Hicks will discuss how Harvard-Westlake expresses it many forms stewardship--including innovative new donor impact communications and special projects--with the purpose of making sure supporters feel thanked, valued, and informed.

Please join Chief Advancement Officer Tim Struthers as he shares the steps taken by the school over four decades that eventually resulted in a $100 million commitment to the school's endowment by alumnus Henry Kravis ’63 in the spring of 2024.

With the decision to brand and message The Exeter Fund, our team was able to lean into developing more creative and more intentional appeals. Learn what went into this yearlong process as we share the decisions that led to branding The Exeter Fund, the methods used, the strategic visual identity and messaging outcomes, and the innovative and impactful design samples that followed. Leave with ideas and inspiration for infusing intention into your school’s annual fund.

Wondering what your new chief advancement leader needs to thrive in your organization? It's not what you think. We have been training new-to-school advancement professionals since 2018 through the CASE School Advancement Institute, and year after year, our comprehensive training leads us to the same conclusion: the nuts and bolts are good, but your leadership is a must. Clarity, goals, accountability, and education are critical for them to thrive. And just like we give them a road map for their success, we'll give you yours too.

Eileen Savage, Christine Pina and Clark Wight have had exciting and robust careers as they juggled balancing family, careers and community life. These nonprofit professionals will offer career-making-and breaking-observations for both candidates and hiring managers. They will describe how they decided to stay put, and how they knew when to leave some of the nations's cutting edge independent schools. Each will present an exclusive history of how they navigated their careers, reinvented themselves and kept it healthy, lively and fun.

In this dynamic session, we will explore the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in school fundraising. Attendees will discover innovative ways AI can enhance donor engagement, streamline operations, and optimize fundraising strategies. We will dive into practical applications, from predictive analytics to personalized communication, showcasing real-world examples and success stories.

Following the presentation, a facilitated discussion will provide an opportunity for participants to share experiences, ask questions, and brainstorm AI-driven solutions tailored to their unique challenges. Join us to uncover how AI can elevate your fundraising efforts, drive donor satisfaction, and ultimately, improve your results.

Explore the fascinating world of careers in international fundraising in this engaging panel discussion that delves into the unique differences and striking similarities across global fundraising practices. This session brings together experienced professionals from diverse backgrounds to share their journeys, challenges, and successes in the world of global philanthropy. Our panelists will delve into the essential skills and competencies needed to thrive in international fundraising, offer guidance on navigating cultural and regulatory landscapes, and provide practical tips to ensure success.

Whether you are a seasoned fundraiser looking to expand your horizons or a newcomer eager to make a global impact, this session will provide valuable perspectives and practical advice to help you chart a successful career in international fundraising.

Key Takeaways:
• Understanding the scope and significance of international fundraising opportunities
• Identifying key skills and competencies for global fundraising success
• Navigating cultural and regulatory challenges in different regions
• Practical advice and resources for career development in international fundraising
• Practical tips for adapting to various international contexts

Don't miss this opportunity to broaden your understanding and connect with fellow professionals who are making a difference on a global scale.

Effective strategic communications is a key to a Head of School's success in leadership, and a vital tool for advancing the vision and mission of any independent school. Yet many school professionals do not understand and value the role, and why the Head of School/communications leader's relationship is one of the most important in an administrative team. In this session you'll learn the building blocks of this partnership, the skills communications professionals need to bring to the role, and what to do when, inevitably, challenges arise.

Imagine if your school not only didn't have a fundraising program, but had promised the community that it wouldn't. And now imagine that after a long history of operating without a fundraising program, the current board and new head of school realize the importance of bringing philanthropy to your school community. This is what head of school Cecee Penney faced as the new head of The Academy School. She reached out to Tesha at Joy-Raising and together along with their board and a few key community members, they got to work to create a philanthropy program that is true to the school's mission and character. Come here what they did and how their experience can be useful to you even if you have an established program. The opportunity of a clean slate perspective is powerful for our schools as we reflect on our consideration of why we raise money and deepen our engagement with our constituents.

During this session partipants will learn what prompted the shift, where they started and what they know now that they wish they knew before. Participants should come ready to learn, generate next steps for their program and connect with colleagues with similar aspirations.

Better understanding the independent school business model can inspire resourceful action on the part of all advancement leaders charged with delivering on such a critical element of it, given that financial support from donors and the ability to draw from a healthy endowment are the most important pieces of the revenue pie after tuition. This session is designed for those administrators who desire to be good stewards of their school's resources as they are generated and deployed to fulfill the school’s mission. Learn to identify and mitigate financial challenges, seize opportunities, and be more strategic in light of financial pressure, in collaboration with your CFO, leadership team, and board.

Fostering meaningful engagement of our major donors to help catalyze their support should be a central priority at all of our schools. At Lakefield College School, we have sought to invest in the engagement mechanisms that we believe are most attractive and meaningful for our major donors, and that most effectively help “shape the path” for their philanthropic support. Towards that end, we have embraced the following structures for successful major donor engagement, with each applicable in different situations and at different stages of the donor development cycle:

● A unique foundation trusteeship governance model emphasizing major donor engagement and relationship-building
● Issue-specific, time-limited task forces with a focused mandate
● Head’s advisory roundtables seeking small group input on strategic topics, and
● A strategic planning process that engages a breadth of input and involvement across our community

Deploying such a variety of engagement structures helps us find the right role for our existing and prospective major donors. Indeed, these structures, coupled with the sort of one-on-one donor engagement for which there can be no substitute, have helped drive substantial fundraising momentum at our school, as we have raised in excess of $50M over the past six years, despite being a relatively small boarding and day school of 430 students. In particular, our small group of foundation trustees will often contribute upwards of two thirds of our total funds raised in a given year.

This session will explore the key characteristics and underpinning rationale for each of the engagement structures we have deployed. While we believe our experience will be informative, it is vitally important to recognize that there is no “one size fits all” strategy for effective major donor engagement. Rather, each school will want to develop its own tailored engagement structures that mesh with the particular facts and circumstances applicable to their respective school communities. This session will help equip you to determine what engagement structures will most effectively succeed in further deepening the commitment of your major donors and prospective major donors.

Whether you are a new school head or seasoned pro, we will cover the ways we can get comfortable with a conversation seeking significant gifts to your school. This session will cover the role of linking conversations to strategic direction, asking the right questions, ways to raise sights in a conversation, partnering with the advancement team and board, and how to discuss a gift of significance. This session will be limited to heads of school only.

Parents are essential partners to advance your school mission. But sometimes parent volunteer groups become exclusive and lack purpose. There are three ingredients to success: intentional volunteer recruitment, a big tent that is inclusive and welcoming to all, and a shared mission aligned to the school’s strategy. Join us for an enriching panel discussion with leaders from The Bishop Strachan School to learn how we built a powerful, inclusive and mission-aligned parent volunteer organization from the ground up - while preserving important traditions and building a positive school culture for all.

Small but mighty. The Harbor Day team took a highly personalized approach to the focused campaign that ultimately landed with a cost of $0.03/dollar to raise just shy of $52 million, completely transforming its 50 year old campus from 2018-2023. Regardless of the numbers your organization may be considering, we'll key in on the transferrable defining elements that led to success for our school.

Discover how to cultivate a powerful alliance between your institution's advancement office and its Black Alumni Network. This session will explore strategic approaches to foster meaningful connections, enhance alumni engagement, and leverage the unique strengths of Black alumni for mutual growth and success. Attendees will gain insights into collaborative initiatives, effective communication strategies, and innovative programs that drive alumni satisfaction and institutional advancement. Join us to learn how to create a synergistic partnership that empowers Black alumni and propels your institution forward.

Now more than ever, offering experiences that are mutually rewarding and fulfilling is critical to building the solid and meaningful relationships that keep our alumni engaged with our schools. Research tells us that young alumni are especially interested in networking opportunities, mentoring current students, and volunteering for their alma mater as ways to stay connected. But how do you offer these programs sustainably and meaningfully, especially if you have limited alumni office resources?

Head-Royce School in Oakland, CA, will share how their one-person alumni office built a comprehensive alumni-student engagement program - Adulting 101 - which provides alumni with the opportunity to engage with the school in a way where they feel truly valued and that also provides a unique-to-market value proposition for the school. They will share how Adulting 101 began almost a decade ago, leveraging existing resources and partnerships to create a program that benefits alumni, students, and faculty and provides a key differentiator for their school.

Doable and scalable for independent schools of any size, tap into and showcase the full potential of your alumni community and the power it has to enhance the educational experience for students while strengthening their connection to your school.