What is the role of university and research in addressing the global sustainability challenges? How can universities help companies to become sustainable? 

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.

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.

The importance of alumni relations is well understood in the Nordic countries already, but we still have universities and colleges setting up their first initiatives or revitalizing young programs. What are the first steps to take and which challenges need to be addressed? While this session is designed for those of us new to the field or running young alumni relations programs, experienced professionals will also get the chance to take stock of the trajectory of their work and swap stories about successes and roadblocks as well.

“Students are future alumni and to stay connected with them after graduation you need to put in an effort. How do you recruit students to join your alumni network, sign up for newsletters etc.? Join us in sharing ideas and best practices.”

Does your university have clear objectives and targets for your fundraising? How are your university’s fundraising goals in line with your overall strategy? Are your fundraising efforts fully supported by the leadership? What is the difference between donor-driven and strategy driven fundraising? Is your fundraising proactively driven by your fundraising team or is it often driven by your donors’ interests? How do your fundraising efforts link to creating impact and to delivering on the UN sustainable development goals? How to build your case for support with the donor in mind?

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

”A few years ago, an alumni newsletter at a faculty at Aarhus University, Denmark, was killed off to make room for a more user-centric approach to newsletters. Last year, another alumni newsletter at Aarhus University was dug out from the grave, given a makeover and reintroduced to alumni.

Hear the different stories from Aarhus University followed by a workshop to discuss pros and cons to help you decide whether to keep or kill your alumni newsletter.”

Alumni relations and fundraising are universal. It may take different forms and it will be constantly evolving, but they are common to all cultures.

Culture is real. Navigating your way through different cultures is complex and challenging. Yet, cultural literacy is a must-have not a nice-to-have. You will be a better person – as an individual, as a member of your community and as a professional, if you develop your cultural literacy. This session will focus on cultural competence with the emphasis on cultural intelligence and understanding bias, looking at these through the lens of advancement.  Maarten and Bruce will address questions such as: how to be an active, attentive and authentic listener; understand and be comfortable with your own culture; use it as the platform to understand others. The session will be a presentation liberally interspersed with real-life examples from the speakers and an invitation to all participants to share theirs

Do you find it hard to get your colleagues in the communications team excited about your ideas on what would be a good story on the university website, and even for the media? In this workshop, you’ll learn how to succeed in pitching your ideas to communications professionals. Illustrated with examples, you’ll get an insight on what is a news piece, and what makes a good story for the wider audience. You will also have a chance to practice storytelling together with your peers in small groups.

Developing a marketing campaign within a University context is easier said than done. There are countless complexities to consider, foremost amongst them - securing academic engagement. This session is designed to be a practical walk-through of how to develop a campaign from start to finish, providing insights on how to avoid some of the more obvious pitfalls. If you’re about to start a campaign, or are midway through one, this is the session for you.

Only a tiny percentage of any alumni database will have the capacity and inclination to ever make a major gift. However, most individuals on your database will have the means to make an affordable, regular donation. 

In this session, Buffalo will speak from our 17 years of experience in mass fundraising within the UK educational fundraising sector, working with both small and large development teams. We will discuss the different approaches and fundraising vehicles available for mass engagement and fundraising. Birgitta will present a case study from Chalmers of their ‘first step’ towards regular giving and their plans for developing the programme further. Sarita will share insights she gained from her background in digital marketing/fundraising and how she has integrated and promoted the option of making a regular gift on the Aalto University website. Buffalo will draw the session to a close and open the floor to any questions. 

This presentation profiles strategies from innovative institutions across the UK, US, and Canada. EAB’s research has shown that millennial alumni are willing to donate to and become involved with their alma maters—but they seek greater levels of personalization, customization, and convenience. Unlike past generations, they are interested in deploying their skills and expertise, not just their time and money. Leveraging alumni to improve student skills and employment not only advances important student outcomes, but also helps to appeal to a new generation of alumni and secure their loyalties—and future gifts.

“What makes Nordic countries so unique? We do alumni relations, fundraising and marketing our own way to make it work for us. This panel has an international outlook and will discuss what works well for us and reflect upon what we can learn from other countries. We also share how our institutions relate and respond to the current situation in Ukraine.”