Are you prepared to outperform you peers, the industry, or your current trajectory? This session will help you explore how effective and engaged strategic planning can put you, your foundation, and your academic institution on a path to outperform the industry and the current trendlines. Examining how to identify goals (not just financial) that matter and have immediate and long last impact allows you to build the strategies, tactics and key benchmarks for new levels of success.

This session will explore the role of how both Management and the Board approach risk and how to create an effective reporting tool to monitor and understand the risk management process for effective oversight. Topics include: what is your risk appetite -- are you taking too much risk or not enough; proactive approach for Identifying and mitigating risk; categories of risk, likelihood and impact; and risk monitoring tool and how it is used.

The Office of Gift Compliance at the University of Colorado Foundation is focusing on tackling underutilized funds through a variety of approaches, encompassing an in-house developed gift compliance focused data set and report (Fund Purpose Report). This work has greatly improved the Foundation’s relationship with campus (controllers, fund managers, deans, etc.) and Advancement staff and has led to overall improvements in spending, transparency and communication surrounding gift funds.

Are you and your foundation cyber resilient? Join us as we discuss leading practices you and your organization can adopt to help anticipate, withstand, and recover from cyber threats and how to integrate cyber resiliency into your foundation.

Starting with a high level overview of recent hiring and compensation trends followed by a panel discussion of three advancement leaders to discuss their individual experiences/observations in their respective operations.

Despite recent volatility, cryptocurrency continues to be used and looks to be here to stay. It is essential for foundations to have an informed strategy on whether and how to accept cryptocurrency donations. Higher education institutions are uniquely positioned in the emerging cryptocurrency space. Though volatility has weakened valuations, donors remain eager to make cryptocurrency contributions when advantageous. As foundations position themselves for the future, understanding cryptocurrency is a business imperative. The panel will focus on operational and economic risks, costs, benefits and will provide the foundational understanding needed to consider whether a cryptocurrency strategy makes sense for their institutions.