Implementing new data driven processes and building a diverse pipeline to enhance fundraising performance. Why and how a diverse pipeline of donors is key to long term success at the University of York. The different research and tools of the alumni office we have used to achieve this as well as looking at our EDI network.

Spending philanthropic funds in a timely fashion, meeting donor wishes and delivering to University priorities requires focus, good governance and partnership working. Our session considers how to do it, with examples from the Universities of Sheffield, Aberdeen and Exeter. We’ll also answer your questions and help you tackle this important area, vital for philanthropic impact.

In this Q&A session, you'll have the chance to chat with four development services experts from different institutions and areas of expertise, hearing about their experiences working in the sector. What have been their biggest learnings throughout their careers? What advice would they give to new colleagues in the field? You can submit your questions in advance via the Development Services app- all topics are open for discussion!

Prospect researchers: ever seen a promising prospect opportunity passed up because of organisational carelessness, poor planning, or simply the wrong approach? Ever think that you sometimes feel more invested in the success of a prospect relationship than your fundraising colleagues? Ever felt like prospect research's role in a gift success was not properly understood? Join Toby and Oliver as they explain why - though these feelings may occur, and sometimes with justification - it doesn't have to be this way. We'll show how, through thinking strategically about prospect research's role in an organisation, you can develop positive, mutually satisfying working relationships with fundraisers, be recognised for your impact, feel valued and add value to your organisation's mission.

Discover the art of orchestrating a high-functioning development office while fostering a vibrant team spirit. Join Katy Steventon, Director of The Rugbeian Community at Rugby School and former British Army marketing strategist, as she unveils her expertise in creating operational excellence. In this engaging session, Katy will delve into her experiences from the British Army and how they intersect with her role in launching impactful Rugbeian Community projects. Gain exclusive insights into the strategies that not only convey messages effectively but also reshape perspectives. Drawing from her military background, Katy will guide you through techniques to harness your team's strengths, establish psychological safety, and adeptly manage stakeholders. This session promises to equip you with the skills to optimise teamwork efficiency, leverage individual talents, and ensure crystal-clear communication of your visionary plans. Join us to transform your approach and master the balance between precision and inspiration.

Do you struggle to get answers from your prospect data? Are your reports dull and clunky? In this session we share how we restructured our data to give us the insight we needed on our prospect pipeline. In particular, we improved how we report on areas such as prospect movement, forecasting Major gift income from fundraising projects, and measuring warmth. We will take you on a practical journey describing how we got from basic reporting and confusing data to interactive data visualizations and meaningful insights. This session will be most useful for those who are starting out, or who are currently working on their report build, or those who have a specific area in their reporting they want to improve. We use PowerBI for our reports and Raiser’s Edge for our data, but the model also works using alternative tools.

Who should your organisation accept funding from? Who should it refuse? How do you build a robust acceptance process which is not a barrier to fundraising? This is your chance to step into the role of decision maker and have the final say on accepting and refusing donations. Join the experienced Donation Acceptance team from Save the Children, one of the largest international non-governmental organisations, and the Due Diligence Manager from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), for an interactive look at donation and funding acceptance. We will look at what universities can learn from NGOs and vice versa, and how Save the Children and LSE have built their due diligence processes. Most importantly we’ll be handing over to you to make your own decisions on tricky fundraising scenarios, discussing the ethical implications involved in accepting or rejecting donations from areas of potential concern. Learn how you can protect your organisation with a robust gift acceptance and rejection policy and process to enable partnering with high-risk donors while still protecting independence and reputation.

How can you use the data you already have - and possibly already report with - to measure engagement with your institution? The team from the University of Liverpool show how they went from planning to full implementation, will demonstrate how they are using Engagement Levels to inform their Development KPIs and how they are stimulating the wider Development and Alumni Relations Team to connect Engagement Levels to their daily tasks, and explain how their model is not institution-centric and could be used across the sector.