12:15 – 13:00

Registration and Lunch

13:00 – 13:10

Welcome from CASE

13:10 – 13:20

Welcome to Sheffield

Speaker: Andrew Harris, Director of Campaigns, University of Sheffield

13:20 – 13:30

Welcome and Scene Setting

Speakers: Development Services Planning Committee

13:30 – 14:30

Open Plenary: The Forgotten Art of Asking Smarter Questions

Speaker: Sam Knowles, Founder, MD, & Chief Data Storyteller, Insight Agents

By the time children turn five, they’ve asked the question “Why?” 40,000 times, trying to establish the “if-and-then” contingencies of how the world works. Yet first education and then employment squash this spirit of curiosity from us, prizing answers much more highly than questions. Too often, people who ask questions are marginalised for being troublesome, unruly, or disruptive. As a result, the simple act of asking questions is routinely dismissed as being almost too trivial to contemplate.



It's time this changed. In a world of information overload, the key to finding the data we need to spark innovation and unlock new opportunities is to ask smarter questions. In this dynamic keynote and interactive workshop, acclaimed author and master data storyteller Sam Knowles will share his Six Universal Principles of Asking Smarter Questions. He’ll introduce you to the world’s best (and simplest) briefing template. And he’ll rekindle your spirit of enquiry, arming you with the tools you need to satisfy your thirst for knowledge, and – as Apple used to say – get you to ‘think different’.



These sessions will give anyone working in alumni relations, fundraising, and development services the chance to reassess the how, the why, and the what of the questions they ask. Come prepared to park your prejudices, preconceptions, assumptions and biases at the door. Immerse yourself in a topic to which you may not have paid much attention before. And come away with a sprinkling of magic dust that will have a very positive impact on your future thinking.

14:30 – 14:45

Break

14:45 – 15:45

Select One Session

1. I Like to Move It, Move It
   
   Speakers: Tom Jirat, Head of Operations and Luke Taylor, Deputy Director (Development), University of Manchester
   
   
   
   After years of growth in team size, the complexity of operation and ambition, the University of Manchester reached a juncture with our fundraising reporting and operational support. We had complex reporting systems illustrating myriad metrics and measures. But we lacked an approach to reporting on prospect pipelines and activity management to make our information trusted by fundraisers, and accessible and usable in a structured, consistent way in practice.
   
   
   
   To realise our ambitions and change our culture, in the words of Reel 2 Real, we needed to ‘move it, move it’. We needed to move how we understood prospect pools and activity; move what we delivered and how we delivered it; and move how we collaborated across fundraising and development services to make data underpin and drive our fundraising processes and practice. Our ‘Moves Management’ project was born in late 2021 to realise this.
   
   
   
   This session will share the theory behind our approach to ‘Moves Management’, our approach to putting this into practice, and what we have delivered to date. In doing so, we will also share our lessons learned, and practical tips on how fundraising and development services teams can work together as well as how data can be used to support fundraiser performance. We hope you will take away practical tips and learnings that can be applied in your organisation irrespective of the size or resources available.
2. Interactive workshop - The Forgotten Art of Asking Smarter Questions (follow-on session from plenary)
   
   Speaker: Sam Knowles, Founder, MD, & Chief Data Storyteller, Insight Agents
   
   
   
   In this practical, follow-on session from his opening plenary, Sam will show you how to apply his Six Universal Principles of Asking Smarter Questions to your daily work. This dynamic workshop will feature three interactive exercises. First, you’ll learn how to choose the right - more interesting - questions to break the ice and ignite new relationships. Next, you’ll get first-hand exposure to the world’s best briefing template, enabling you to develop better campaigns. And third, by embracing the spirit of Socrates and his paradox “All that I know is that I know nothing”, you’ll experience the value of assuming nothing, parking all prejudices and biases at the door.
   
   Come prepared to get involved, have fun, and rekindle a childlike curiosity with people you just happen to be sitting next to.
3. Preparing for a Major Fundraising Campaign at London Business School – Prospect Research and Data Journey
   
   Speaker: Yasmina Novak, Associate Director, Operations and Donor Relations, London Business School and Jae Bond, Head of Data in Advancement, London Business School
   
   
   
   In November 2022 London Business School launched their second ambitious £200m Forever Forward campaign. In this session, Yas and Jae will talk through the roles prospect research and data played during the readiness phase. They will share the rationale behind actions and decisions taken and will talk through what worked, and what didn’t work so well.
4. CASE Insights on Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement
   
   Speaker: Divya Krishnaswamy, Senior Research Analyst, CASE, Hannah Langford, Head of Development and Alumni Relations, Royal Agricultural University and Jennifer Shimp-Bowerman, Director of Advancement Services, University of Cambridge  
   
   
   
   This session will provide an overview of CASE Insights and delve into the metrics used by large and small institutions using data from the CASE-Ross survey and CASE Insights on Alumni Engagement.

    

15:45 – 16:00

Transition Break

16:00 – 17:00

Plenary: Achieve Your Most Important Goal This Year

Speaker: Rob Woods, Director, Bright Spot Fundraising

There are sound reasons why most New Year’s resolutions never last beyond a few days. In this session, Rob will show you a better way to get more of the results you want. He will walk you through the technique he was shown by Paralympic gold medallist, Karen Darke, which she has used to generate her stunning results and he’ll help you apply Karen’s steps to something you want to happen this year.

17:00 – 18:00

Free Time

18:00 – 19:00 

Drinks Reception

19:00 

Connect for Dinner

09:15 – 10:15

Plenary: Prioritising Employee Retention Should Be a Big Priority For Everyone: What Can We Do About it & Where Should We Focus Our Attention?

Speaker: Tracey Hulme, Interim Director of HR & OD, Sheffield Hallam University 



There has never been a more pressing need to focus on employee retention. Many employees are leaving their employers and many who are not actually leaving are drifting from their organisations.

Employees have become more discerning about what is important to them and how work is contributing to their happiness and satisfaction. As we move on from the impact of the pandemic, this session explores recent shifts in what employees want from their work and what we can do to keep them engaged and motivated to stay.

10:15 – 10:45

Break

10:45 – 11:45

Select One Session

1. Lessons Learned: Planning & Delivering the Perfect Campaign in an Imperfect World
   
   Speakers: Paula Gould, Head of Campaign Management, University of Sheffield, Chris Barnes, Deputy Director (Operations and Experience), OPPA, University of York and Stuart Thompson, Deputy Director, Advancement Services, Durham University
   
   
   
   Ever wondered why the Campaign textbook was so hard to follow? Or whether it simply needed rewriting? Join a solutions-focused Q&A session with three panellists who are all at different stages of the Campaign journey. Themes covered will include recruitment, investment, culture change and whole team involvement - as well as how to keep those energy levels going. Bring along your questions and come away with top tips for a successful Campaign experience.
2. Moneyball (What Are You Really Worth?): Applying Philanthropic Ethical Due Diligence Methods Across All Institutional Income
   
   Speakers: David Scott, Head of Research, University of Edinburgh.  
   
   
   
   Lessons learned from the University of Edinburgh as they look to adapt an existing philanthropic ethical due diligence process across all institutional income. The session will share insight with those with existing reputational due diligence processes and offer advice to those looking to establish one.
3. Implementing a Supporter CRM System Using Dynamics 365 at the Stroke Association 
   
   Speakers: Ivan Wainewright, Independent CRM Consultant and Project Manager and Rosie Brown, Digital Project Manager, Stroke Association
   
   
   
   In 2022, The Stroke Association implemented Dynamics 365 to replace its traditional fundraising database. Stroke’s Project Manager, Rosie Brown, and CRM consultant, Ivan Wainewright, will discuss how they did this: the approach and challenges; setting up their project team; how they worked with an implementation partner; and how the system is now used for the fundraising department, from gift processing and regular giving to high-value engagement and marketing.
4. Continuous Year Donors Stewardship Programme
   
   Speaker: Phil Simpson, Stewardship Officer, Durham University
   
   
   
   At Durham University, we have a long-standing and loyal donor base of alumni who have continuously given financially to the university for up to 30 years consecutively. We have donors who started giving much longer than that, but the 30-year anniversary is currently our longest period of continuous giving. The Continuous Year Donors programme in Durham recognises donors who have given financially for 5 years, 10 years, 15 years, 20 years, 25 years and 30 years.
   
   
   
   The aim of this presentation is to take you on a journey through the process of data retrieving, data analysis and delivery of our CYD programme at Durham. The various phases of the project, mailing out to all CYDs who have passed milestones this fiscal year and highlighting a pioneering new initiative to steward the first group of donors passing 30 years of giving. Exploring the barriers faced in launching this new enterprise and overcoming those with adjustment and compromise. Culminating on how we connected and communicated this with the donors, we successfully rolled out a sustainable and future-proof stewardship recognition programme.

11:45 – 11:55

Transition Break

11:55 – 12:55

Roundtable Sessions and Clinics

12:55 – 13:55

Lunch

13:55 – 14:55

Select One Session

1. How to Confidently Influence Your Stakeholders
   
   Speaker: Charly White, Specialist Charity Leadership Trainer and Coach, Vivid Leadership 
   
   
   
   Do you sometimes find yourself in a position where you’re trying to make someone do something that perhaps isn’t top of their priority list? Or maybe you have competing requests and need to say ‘no’ or ‘not yet’ to a stakeholder. Perhaps you’re struggling to get the information you need. Or your stakeholders sometimes don’t respond to your emails.
   
   
   
   These are common challenges no matter where you are in your career. Come along to this session to hear practical ways to increase your confidence and broaden your approach to influencing.
   
   
   
   Sometimes the simplest changes can influence behaviour in others. Come and see what changes you can make to help you be more confident in your influencing.
2. All Sixes & Sevens: Why Your Principal Giving Programme Needs Clarity and Focus of its Own, 
   
   Speakers:  Sharon Pyner, Head of Philanthropy Research, London School of Economics and Political Science and Oliver Taylor, Development Research Manager, University of Manchester
   
   
   
   Explore the prospect research processes that you’ll need to support your programme of asking for the very biggest gifts – and the challenges and opportunities that a Transformational (or Principal, or Lead!) giving programme can pose for organisations building this layer on top of their existing Major Gift structures.
3. Simplifying Alumni and Fundraising CRM Procurement
   
   Speakers: Michael McClaughlin, Head of Category - Information Services, APUC and Natalie Welch, Alumni Engagement Manager, University of the West of England
   
   
   
   Michael McLaughlin and Natalie Welch will be discussing the recent procurement process to appoint suppliers to a UK-wide framework agreement for Alumni and Fundraising CRM. The session will discuss the reasoning behind the process, business drivers, the sector working group, as well as the results and associated benefits of the framework agreement. Natalie will develop the potential for use at an HE institution embarking on the journey of CRM procurement. We hope that that session can be interactive and informative.
4. Four Blackbaud Customers Focusing on Collaboration with Their People, Process and Technology for Their Continued Desired Growth
   
   Speaker: Chris Webber, Senior Customer Success Manager, Blackbaud, Keith Scott, Development & Alumni Relations Services Manager, Heriot-Watt University, Frieda Strachan, Database & Systems Manager, University of Aberdeen, Steve Walsh, Information Systems Manager, University of Warwick and Gethin James, Head of Strategic CRM, University College London
   
   
   
   Blackbaud would like to celebrate Customer Success. Inspirational Customers will share reaching their current digital maturity milestones. Join this session to understand four interesting organisations focused on digital maturity in different sized Advancement shops. We aim to tie together their Supporter Experiences, Campaign Management and Employee Experiences, empower their data and by Blackbaud’s robust ecosystem of technology for Social Good.
   
    

14:55 – 15:05

Transition Break

15:05 – 16:05

Select One Session

1. Analytics in Sports – Lessons to learn
   
   Speaker:  Omar Choudhuri, Chief Intelligence Officer, Twenty-First Group
   
   
   
   This session will reveal how analytics is being used in all aspects of the sports industry, and the increased sophistication that now goes into performance, commercial and strategy decisions.
2. Managing VIP Data: Very Important Processes (and People!)
   
   Speakers: Kate Stevens, Head of Systems and Data - Philanthropy and Global Engagement, London School of Economics and Political Science and Chris Kendrick, Deputy Director of Alumni & Supporter Engagement, LSE
   
   
   
   A walk-through of a project we’ve undertaken at LSE to create a framework to process and manage the data for our closest alumni and supporters, our VIPs in shorthand. We analysed the issues, delved deep into use cases and examined data structures that had evolved organically over time - without critical, strategic thought - and then implemented some significant changes to better manage this dataset.
3. Making Your CRM Operation Sparkle
   
   Speakers:  Azadi Sheridan,  Founder CEO, Productle and Yvette Fidler, CRM Product Owner, Christian Aid
   
   
   
   This session discusses and demonstrates different techniques for managing workload and expectations across change requests and business-as-usual. We’ll talk not about CRM software but instead about different affordable technology and roles used to help manage teams and to monitor performance. At the core of our story, we’ll talk about Christian Aid, whose CRM teams have adopted Agile methodology, team structures and governance as a practical strategy to alleviate quality and cost concerns.
4. Legacy Link: Legacy Admin 101
   
   Speakers: Marcia Prince, Legacy Consultant, Legacy Link and Bronwyn Mauchline,  Legacy Manager, The Prince's Trust 
   
   
   
   Legacy Administration 101 will provide the basic information you need to better manage legacy cases. This session will help you understand the probate process and the responsibilities of legacy administration, as well as cover some top tips on managing legacy cases around other responsibilities you may have. We’ll also include some tips about how to work with executors and what to do with unusual bequests.
   
   
   
   This session is aimed at those working in gift administration who have legacy admin as part of their role, and any other members of the development services function who would like to understand the intricacies and specialities of managing legacy gifts. We will have plenty of time at the end, so please bring any questions you have about live cases you would like to ask about.

16:05 – 16:15

Transition Break

16:15 – 17:15

Ask the Experts Panel

Speakers: Development Services Planning Committee

In this final session of the day, Jennie Moule will convene a panel of experts from our planning committee to answer your questions. Between them, they’ve seen pretty much everything in Development Services and are happy to answer any questions you have. These could be specifics about campaign counting or gift admin, a knotty prospect research conundrum, a query about database queries, insight into career progression, or anything else you can think of! Questions can be posed throughout the conference on the conference app or asked live on the day.

17:15 – 19:30

Free time

19:30

Conference Dinner

09:00 – 10:00

Select One Session

1. 'It Takes a Village to Raise a Pipeline’– the importance of collaboration between Fundraisers & Analysts
   
   Speakers: Vicky Treherne, Head of Transformational & Major Gifts, University of Leeds and Lisa Bowler, Insight Officer, University of Leeds
   
   
   
   The session will be a walk through the journey from idea to dashboard delivery and will discuss: the importance of stakeholder relationships and collaboration; the importance of data (or lack of); onboarding and training; delivering achievable results and measuring the impact of the dashboard.  
2. Adding Sparkle to Principal Gifts Donor Journeys
   
   Speakers: Jo Clark, Senior Donor Relations Manager, University of Warwick, Shona McIntosh, Donor Relations Manager, Imperial College London and Alex Page, Senior Donor Relations Manager, King's College London
   
   
   
   What do a baseball cap, a glass replica of a cell and a branded dog coat have in common? They’ve all been part of successful strategies to thank and engage principal gifts donors. In this interactive session, we’ll be using objects that have delighted our donors to tell the story of their stewardship journeys. Find out how donor relations teams’ close collaboration with prospect research and data teams has enhanced donor experiences. Feel free to bring an object you’ve used for successful stewardship (or a picture of it) and come prepared to join the discussion.
3. Case Study Workshop: How to Scale Your Advancement Practice Using AI Technology
   
   Speakers: Chris Green, Co-Founder & CEO, Xapien and Paula Alionyte, Head of Advancement Operations, Newcastle University
   
    
   
   From COVID-19 to the cost of living crisis, fundraisers are under unprecedented financial pressure. At the same time, organisations need to think responsibly and strategically about who they accept money from. How can you scale up your advancement practice efficiently without compromising on due diligence, putting your organisation at risk?
   
   
   
   In this Case Study workshop, you’ll learn how Newcastle University used Xapien’s AI technology to do just that. Join this session to run through a LIVE TEST CASE of how AI can be put to use in growing organisations.
4. Are OKRs the new KPIs?
   
   Speakers: Kate Lawton, Founding Partner, Alveo Consulting 
   
   
   
   Spoiler alert, the answer is no! OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) have been used for decades in big business to set clear organisation and team priorities and drive the behaviours that will lead to success. Come and hear how the not-for-profit sector has started to embrace this methodology and the difference it has made to culture and performance.

10:00 – 10:30

Break

10:30 – 11:30

Select One Session

1. How to manage a strategic programme of change in preparation for a major campaign
   
   Speakers: Paul Cook, Head of Fundraising Operations, and Sarah Brown, Strategic Programme Manager, National Trust
   
   
   
   The National Trust is embarking on an ambitious 10-year plan to grow income from fundraising significantly. This session will look at how the plan has formed and the approach to the development work through a programme management approach to ensure that the different and often interconnected activity happens in a way that maximises the opportunity within a defined timescale.  
2. Project and Process Management - Collaboration and Automation for an Easier Life!
   
   Speaker: Sandra Jackson, Deputy Director of DARO - Strategy and Operations, University of Bristol
   
   
   
   Less email, less checking in, more oversight and more just getting on with it! This is a discussion about how we use the project management software Asana (not an advert - other project management software is available!), and the integration with Office 365, which allows us to work together with less friction, and automate processes in order to focus more on the fun stuff. Do you struggle with visibility across the whole division? Open the silo doors and see what everyone is working on all the time!
3. Prospecting Like a Pro: Panel Forum on Prospecting Strategies for Teams Large and Small
   
   Speaker: Ben Rymer, Global Philanthropy Prospect Research Specialist, UNICEF, Sharon Pyner, Head of Philanthropy Research, The London School of Economics and Political Science, Ed Raichura-Brown,  Founder and Director, Marble Prospects, Anthony Duggan, Operations Director, ArrowHNW and Joanna Carr, Head of Prospect Research, Kings College London
   
   
   
   Whether you are a Russell Group university or a small charity or fundraiser, prospecting is a critical function for us all. Yet, we rarely have a chance to consider alternative approaches to building prospect lists, nor to put our questions to experienced experts. This session changes all that with an open forum with a panel of experienced prospect research leaders, with decades of collected experience in building high-value pipelines. In the session, panellists will share their top three tips for less-known or undiscovered prospecting techniques and tools, before answering attendee questions on this topic. Attendees will gain a sharper practical understanding of approaches to prospecting, including resources, (free and subscription, online and offline), as well as getting answers from experienced professionals to obstacles/blockers facing them in their prospecting practices.
4. Building a Sustainable Reporting Platform: a Case Study from the University of Glasgow.
   
   Speaker: James Coleman, Insight and Reporting Analyst, University of Glasgow
   
   
   
   Whether struggling with inflexible canned reports or having to repeat the same manual process time after time, a lot of us want to make our reporting more automated, adaptable, and sustainable – something made even more daunting by the number of different tools and approaches available. At Glasgow, we had that very problem, with very little staff resources, budget, technical know-how, or time to build a solution that met our needs.
   
   
   
   At last year’s conference, I was inspired by a session from UCL to use our limited resources to develop a more sustainable reporting process with what we’ve clunkily titled, the Master Reporting Data Set Project. Though still a work in progress, the project has taught us some valuable lessons which I’ll share in this session, including learning to use free tools for data transformation, the benefits of untangling calculations from your reporting platform, and staying focussed on what will make a difference. Above all, we’ve learned that if we can do it, so can you.

11:30 – 11:35

Transition Break

11:35 – 12:35

Closing Plenary: Digitising HE and What It Means For Development Services - What Your CIO Should Tell You and How to Ask For It.

Speakers: Laura Dawson, Founder, Leaderly, Dan Keyworth, Director for Customer Engagement, Blackbaud and Raja Saleem Javaid, Chief Information & Transformation Officer, University of Warwick



Laura and Raja will discuss the challenges all universities face with digital transformation and what it means for alumni and fundraising data, legacy systems, data literacy and access to skills. They will also talk about how to speak to and collaborate with CIOs, CTOs and CITOs to ensure that Alumni and Philanthropy is given the right amount of time in the sun.