Community Colleges fulfill their anchor institution role by fostering access to postsecondary education, supporting local economies, addressing critical workforce shortages, and contributing to public health infrastructure. In this session, you will learn about how to incorporate into your fundraising strategies your Community College’s knowledge and expertise of your local community to help achieve lasting and transformative change, both for the school, and surrounding area.

Bob Whittaker, Executive Director of the Salt Lake Community College Foundation, alongside SLCC's partners at Gravyty, will share wisdom and practical takeaways from SLCC's 2024 Giving Day, their most successful Giving Day yet, and their plans to build on this success in future campaigns. Enjoy a deep dive into SLCC's innovative use of student ambassadors, video communications, and giving gamification, along with their latest endeavor of rolling out Texting as part of their engagement strategy. SLCC's technology partners at Gravyty will co-host the session and share further insight into how other colleges are riding the next wave of digital fundraising innovation!

Diablo Valley College has tried no less than six times over 5 decades to create an alumni association. We tried again. Did it work? Come find out as we discuss the planning, implementation and results of yet another attempt to connect with our alumni.

Planned gifts ensure the future of your institution, learn how Tyler Junior College Foundation invested into developing an intentional legacy program TODAY that will lead them to their planned giving prospects TOMORROW!

Donor named spaces were a dream of HCC. In less than 2 years, the Foundation would secure 14 different named space partners, some first time donors, raising critical funds for new construction and program expansion.

Your college president comes to you ready to retire, where do you start? Are you prepared for a seamless transition to new leadership? Change in leadership can pose a unique set of challenges, but change can also mean new opportunity. Join this session to explore how leadership transitions can be leveraged to revisit institutional goals, amplify a meaningful legacy for outgoing leadership, and reaffirm your school’s mission and vision. We will tackle questions like: How can we leverage leadership changes to further fundraising goals? How do we navigate the challenges that arise when the transition happens in the middle of a campaign? How do we communicate and guide our donors through this change? Together we will explore strategies and best practices for maximizing leadership transitions to establish a sustainable future for our institutions.

Every donor journey starts with a first gift. We will explore essential strategies for building an alumni program that increases alumni participation in annual giving and other fundraising initiatives. Key topics will include: Developing a strategy for alumni engagement that inspires first-time giving and starts while they are on campus; utilizing technology to enhance alumni engagement; personalizing / segmenting annual fund appeals to resonate with potential donors; engaging event ideas that foster community and maintain meaningful connections with alumni; communicating the importance and impact of annual gifts through various channels By implementing these strategies, community colleges can create a thriving alumni network that supports the institution financially and enhances the overall value of the college experience.