Less than a year after the public launch of the first comprehensive fundraising campaign at the Community College of Beaver County (CCBC), the advancement and marketing leadership were faced with the departure of a highly-visible president who was being recruited for a different leadership position. Through an integrated and collaborative approach between marketing and public relations and advancement, CCBC was able to mitigate the loss of the public face of the institution, maintain relationships, successfully launch a new president and accelerate momentum in the campaign with seven-figure investments.

At the University at Buffalo, we had to change the culture to accomplish our BOLD goal. With new leadership joining the team after the public launch of the "Boldly Buffalo" campaign, we needed to quickly realign our efforts to maximize outcomes. Alumni engagement needed strategies that supported development. Gift officers needed to focus on developing relationships. Staff needed to see how their work fit into the donor continuum. The outcome was a year of focused efforts and BOLD outcomes for our students, our faculty, and our world.

Transitioning to a new president, provost, or dean poses unique challenges – yet change can be positive. With change comes opportunity to revisit institutional goals and priorities, to reinforce positive outcomes from outgoing leadership, and to refresh your institution’s mission and vision. 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? Explore strategies and best practices for maximizing leadership transitions to establish a sustainable future for our institutions.

The end of the campaign is in sight, and your team is closing in on its goals. Now what? The campaign close is a great opportunity to communicate about the impact donors have made on your institution and to paint a picture of the brighter future that lies ahead. Dscuss and share examples of the tools and tactics you’ll need to communicate success and maintain momentum: crisp messaging, smart collateral disseminated across channels, and a comprehensive plan to organize and maximize your strategy.

We've all experienced it. Those times when conditions at work are less than ideal - when getting things done takes a little more time and effort. But what happens when challenging conditions coincide with the need to complete a high-stakes project? When it came time for Loyola University Maryland to steward and recognize donors to their seven-year, $100M comprehensive fundraising campaign, they faced several challenges. Discover the lessons they learned while checking egos at the door and banding together to successfully close their campaign efforts and honor their donors.

It’s incredibly hard to capture the essence of an institution and its mission in just a few words. So, what goes into crafting an effective campaign name? Explore the “art and science” of the process, including key principles such as authenticity, future focus, and graphic design, not to decorate but to communicate. We’ll share campaign themes that have been effective and those that fell short. We'll also discuss the importance of fostering internal ownership of the campaign, revisiting the journey at UNLV — with all its twists and turns.