In 2016 BI appointed the first International Advisory boards consisting of distinguished business leaders, academics and alumni, in a consulting role for BI’s Management as well as the Board of Directors. The board’s aim is to develop BI’s international footprint. Join and share in the conversation on what are the pitfalls and successes of advisory boards. 

Aalto University (FI) has recently launched a proactive legacy giving programme. What kind of process has it been so far, and what were the first critical steps in the planned giving journey?

Join us in this round table discussion and knowledge sharing session. Let’s share best practices and explore the potential pitfalls of legacy giving fundraising

I will share my experiences on recruiting a new fundraising team in Finland where higher education   fundraising is still rather a new phenomenon. A few years back we started growing the donor engagement team and opened simultaneously three new major gifts officer positions to the areas of business, art & design & architecture, and individual giving. One of the latest focus areas on the Aalto’s fundraising road map is the new digital giving platform and marketing expertise to support digital fundraising. The person responsible for this area was recruited from outside Finland. You are welcome to share your best practices in recruiting and/or to look for useful tips for recruiting in an immature market.

Nancy Bikson and Anna Rottenecker will talk about latest issues in international fundraising including legal and tax issues; foundation versus a dedicated entity; how donors are responding to educational appeals.

Drawing on effective fundraising and alumni engagement programmes from around the world, we will consider together the key ingredients for building strategic and tactical approaches that energise people to connect with an institution’s cause; stay connected; and feel inspired to contribute time, talents and donations. Together, we will consider strategic approaches, but also reflect on many practical approaches that are proven to work. This journey will include exploring how we talk about our institutions’ causes, the programmes we develop to inspire engagement, how we segment and target different audiences, and the way we can harness data to fuel our approaches. Attendees will be invited to share the ingredients that are key to their success, and everyone will leave with new ideas, practical applications, and inspiration.

Data-led fundraising - as easy as 1, 2, 3.

The way your prospects and donors behave and interact with you generates data that you can capture and analyse.  Christian Pröpper and Elina Cotterill share some simple methods (and some advanced ones for those who are keen) on how that data can be utilised to allow you to select the right prospects for the right project at the right time.  By using these techniques you will be able to manage internal expectations and run successful fundraising campaigns.

Small talk is both loved and hated but the benefits of it for professionals cannot be discounted. In the session you will learn some key aspects of small talk and how to master it. Some of the key areas that will be covered will be the 3 x A’s of small talk, topic surfing, questioning techniques, active listening, soft skills and the role of effective answering.