Designed for professionals with fewer than two years of experience in educational advancement, this workshop will take the fundamentals of improvisational comedy and show participants how they can apply the tenets of “yes, and” to their work in this exciting profession. Advancement is a team-oriented profession and it is crucial for practitioners to support their colleagues by listening to them and to accept assignments (or criticism) that they may not have expected. Participants will also hear from a panel of season industry veterans on the importance of networking and professional development in their career. *Separate registration required.

A collaborative and engaged culture is built by being open to receive. What are you ready to catch? Where can you improve your listening skills, flexibility and adaptability? Participants experience Jen's signature B.A.L.L. framework for embodying a growth mindset to stay nimble in the face of constant change. We must actively shift from states of overwhelm, fear & resistance to creative exploration by making a commitment to:
- Embrace continuous learning and improvement to find new solutions
- Improve work-life integration for ourselves and those we lead for greater resiliency
- Enhance collaboration and communication. Teams flourish in environments of trust and respect where connection is a priority. Interactive team catching exercises get participants up & moving and reveal strategies to better juggle their responsibilities, create more positive work cultures and embrace change and growth, transforming obstacles into opportunities. All while having fun together since play is one of the best tools to cultivate connection and creativity!

An interactive and insightful session that explores how advancement marketing and communications can evolve from a support function to a strategic partner in higher education institutions. Discover the strategies, challenges, and successes involved in transforming your MarComm team to play a more pivotal role in alumni and donor engagement, major and principal level fundraising, and collaborating effectively with frontline gift officers to drive impactful results. Attendees will leave with actionable insights and approaches for elevating their MarComm teams into strategic partners in achieving institutional goals.

There are common misconceptions around wealth - do you know what they are? In this session, you will learn to view philanthropy from the perspective of wealth holders by hearing what's important to them. You'll not only better understand wealthy donors' context of giving, but you will also walk away with a more holistic approach to cultivating and soliciting gifts. Whether you're looking to deepen your relationship-building skills or just seeking to improve your effectiveness as a fundraiser, this session is for you! Participants will gain a deeper awareness of the key indicators of wealth, as well as how donors leverage their wealth as a multi-dimensional tool to achieve both financial and charitable goals.

Students are a powerful force, and that is no different when it comes to fundraising. Having that in your favor can truly transform your Class Gift fundraising and work towards creating a pipeline of engaged and philanthropic Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD) alumni. In this engaging presentation, we'll take a deep dive into the dynamic role students play in philanthropy and explore firsthand how to harness their energy and passion to drive successful Class Gift campaigns. Participants will learn essential strategies for engaging and empowering students, from cultivating a culture of philanthropy on campus to integrating their fundraising efforts with other programmatic events. Discover ROI-friendly ways to incentivize students and maximize their impact on your institution's fundraising goals. GOLD Alumni represent our next generation of donors, and planting that philanthropic seed now ensures it can grow into increased engagement, volunteerism, and larger, more frequent gifts in the long term. Join us to learn how nurturing these relationships early can establish a solid foundation for sustained alumni support and amplify the impact of your institution's philanthropic efforts.

Are you looking for a way to engage your constituents through new communication channels? How about sharing your organization's mission, stories, or upcoming events through a podcast? Don’t know where to start? This session will provide you with an understanding of why podcasts are so helpful in reaching a wide variety of your supporters. Additionally, this presentation will give you tools to understand how to create your own podcast. Moravian University’s Houndcast is available on Spotify, Podbean, Google Podcast, and Apple Podcast

When RIT began building its Regional Advancement program, the intention was a team of Rochester-based major gift officers deployed nationally on a regular basis. The pandemic and opportunities for strategic hires shifted that thinking, but brought unexpected challenges. This session, and subsequent conversation, will discuss ways to keep the remote team engaged in the life of the institution, help them learn the institutional culture, and develop close collaboration with their institution-based colleagues. The positive outcomes for the institution, advancement team, and constituents will also be discussed, as will some lingering challenges.

Higher education and the advancement profession are facing existential threats. Among some of them, are the demographic cliff, states divesting from higher ed, the AI revolution, and the public questioning the value of education. These threats require us to regroup as collaborative leaders today to reimagine solutions for tomorrow. Join us for this panel discussion on how collaborating within and outside of education can further our institution's advancement goals.

While women hold the majority of professional staff roles in higher education advancement, their voices are largely absent from the literature describing talent management practices and individual career journeys of professionals in the field. This presentation will describe the findings of a research study that explored the lived experiences of women in fundraising and alumni engagement roles. By centering women’s stories, this research highlights the relationship between gender and advancement work, the factors influencing job-related decisions, and challenges to gender equality in the field. Following a discussion of this study’s findings, participants will have the opportunity to engage in a dialogue about actionable strategies to create a more inclusive and supportive work environment in the field.