A few months ago, the world’s first fully autonomous fundraiser interacted with its first assigned donor. During this time, two dozen+ nonprofits joined together as cohorts to engage donors with an AI-powered Virtual Engagement Officer but more importantly research, develop, and accelerate the deployment of autonomous fundraising for our entire industry.

All nonprofits can relate to the fact that they have more donors and alumni than they have fundraisers with capacity to build relationships. This is precisely where autonomous fundraising changes what’s possible.

In this session, cohort members will present the results they’ve seen from autonomous fundraising – donors engaged, dollars raised, and pipeline built, in addition to their experience being the first organizations in the world to deploy a Virtual Engagement Officer to a portfolio of their donors.

We’ll present what we learned, what we got right, where course corrections were needed, and how we navigated AI in a field defined by relationships. We’ll share all of our findings including portfolios for autonomous fundraisers, sourcing engagement content independently, accuracy, transparency, ethics, and more.

Finally, we’ll conclude by looking at where we are going, how we can continue to further personalize donor journeys, push the outer limits of technology, and more. *CPE Credit: Attendees can earn up to 1 CPE for this session.

Change is inevitable, and sometimes it’s imperative. It can be instigated intentionally, or it can be generated organically by an outside force. At Lehman College, a top Hispanic serving institution, the catalyst for change was an extraordinary gift from Mackenzie Scott. This gift, unexpected and thrilling, introduced the opportunity for the Institutional Advancement department to reassess how it interacts with leadership and campus stakeholders and build new habits and practices to improve internal and external communication, which in turn increased fundraising. While a Mackenzie Scott gift is unique, the strategies Lehman implemented in its wake can be applied across institutions. This session will offer perspectives from advancement and foundation executives on how they modeled effective change management and encouraged leaders, volunteers, and employees to embrace new ways of operating. *CPE Credit: Attendees can earn up to 1 CPE for this session.

In the competitive realm of higher education, fundraising success relies on more than just passion and a great case; it requires a strategic approach. Participants will learn how strategic planning principles can inspire cohesion within fundraising teams while also enhancing their overall fundraising success.

In this session participants will learn:
• The key components of strategic planning.
• Strategies for fostering a culture of adaptability and innovation within your fundraising team through the strategic planning process.
• How to build bridges between fundraisers and their partners (such as Deans, University leaders, and engagement or communications branches), enhancing collaboration to drive fundraising success.
• Ideas for setting clear expectations that align with your organization’s vision.
• Best practices for building the tools and resources needed to support your fundraising goals. *CPE Credit: Attendees can earn up to 1 CPE for this session.

Join us to discuss the potential for data, automation, integration and AI in your foundation environment, and how you can empower and elevate those on your team using these tools. Where do you start and how can you use these tools in your leadership role in the next 5 years? We will discuss some examples of how automation, integration and AI are currently being used in our day to day and think future forward to possibilities where these tools allow us all to work smarter, not harder! Come prepared to share your ideas and experiences with automation, integration and AI or any other data driven projects you have been involved with! *CPE Credit: Attendees can earn up to 1 CPE for this session.

"Change" is a common topic in our business. We make predictions, we adjust to our university's changes in leadership, in strategic plans, and priorities. We can fall victim to diverting our focus as foundation leaders to all the activities that are "fundraising adjacent" and commit our energy, our resources and our teams to activities that drift from some of the basic tenants in our business that are timeless. The fact that meaningful, values aligned, authentic fundraising has been and will remain a critical component to the impact of higher education is a fact we need to strategically consider daily. This session will feature a discussion and Q&A about what will change in our space, what will not and how we navigate our foundations to best serve the perpetual mission.

How do you figure out what is the correct thing to do when confronted by a challenging situation involving a donor or your organization? It is rare for a decision to be clearly and obviously right or wrong, so what tools exist to help fundraisers discern how to uphold the highest standards of professionalism? In this session, participants will have a brief introduction to ethical principles in the fundraising profession and then will review and evaluate 5-8 real world ethical scenarios covering everything from donor/fundraiser relationships, planned giving, donor influence, and organizational expectations for fundraisers. Particularly designed for newer members of the profession, this session will be highly interactive and participatory and will include time for discussion and questions. *CPE Credit: Attendees can earn up to 1 CPE for this session.

In this session, presenters will discuss how they stripped down decades old daily and quarterly processes, rebuilding them from scratch to leverage process improvement, technology, and changes in investment philosophy. Designed around fund accounting best practices while allowing for the occasional exception, processes that used to take hours or weeks are now completed in a fraction of the time through partnership and leveraging of technology. *CPE Credit: Attendees can earn up to 1 CPE for this session.

In this engaging session, our speaker will share their journey through the ups and downs of their first year in fundraising. Discover essential research techniques to identify and connect with potential donors, learn how to build powerful collaborations across departments, and explore innovative strategies that can transform your approach to advancement. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, this session promises practical insights, inspiring stories, and a fresh perspective on navigating the dynamic world of higher education fundraising. Don't miss your chance to elevate your skills and soar to new heights!