Connecting with alumni online is essential to any 21st Century engagement strategy. Explore how to cost effectively engage alumni with a variety of online programs including webinars, livestreams, virtual book clubs, podcasts, and more. Alumni relations professionals will learn a simple framework to determine where to make investments in virtual programs based on their goals, along with specific ideas for programs based on experience from more than 150 universities and independent schools. We’ll share several free tools that can increase the reach and quality of online engagement programs.

Montgomery College holds Facebook Live FAQ sessions to engage with target audiences, including international students, underserved populations, and prospective students. An FAQ session to reach Amharic speakers reached nearly 10,000 people organically with more than 2,500 engagements and 2,000 clicks to our website for more information. Sessions focus on a topic and have a specific goal in mind, such as driving enrollment or increasing scholarship applications. Facebook Live provides an opportunity to engage with highly targeted audiences on a limited budget, with a high ROI. Find out how it can work for you.

All leaders emphasize the importance of a “team,” but truly great leaders exemplify it. Explore the qualities of effective leadership by focusing on specific aspects of constructing a team, instilling a sense of character, and maximizing institutional performance.Discuss positioning individual team members for personal growth and career achievement. By providing strong guidance and leadership today, managers can drive fundraising success and help shape future leaders for tomorrow.

Staff in advancement services often feel far removed from the line functions of advancement. However, in our administration of matching gifts, we play a pivotal role in bringing dollars in the door. Explore the evolution of matching gift administration, the functions involved throughout advancement services, and best practices for helping to maximize matching gift support by strategic use of available systems.

Women are the fastest growing sector in philanthropic decision-making and have specific philanthropic and financial priorities which planned giving can help them achieve. Three experienced frontline fundraisers share planned giving examples, marketing strategies for effective planned giving, how the planned giving officer can identify prospects and schedule visits, as well as recent data on how women make decisions to create an integrated planned giving strategy. Learn about planned giving options for alumnae and other female donors including the IRA Charitable Rollover, bequests, and life income gifts.

Learn how to partner with key prospects and donors to identify and showcase organizational priorities, regionally and internationally. Based on experiences highlighting medical research programs, best in class college access programs, athletics, and organizational leadership, discuss how any college or university can partner with their donors to share the impactful programs with targeted audiences and how to transform those experiences in major gifts.

There is little argument that diverse communities are more enriching and equitable – and more diverse institutions provide a stronger educational experience. Hear from a small group of diverse professionals who have sought out and succeeded in these organizations and advancement leaders who have helped build a culture of inclusivity. This session provides an opportunity to reflect on your own experiences, share best practices, and learn valuable tactics that have successfully attracted and supported diverse candidates.

Find out how much was raised in FY2019 at U.S. institutions of higher education. What type of donors contributed? How did different types of institutions fare? Are we seeing shifts in patterns due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act?

This session provides insight on the process of creating an alumni engagement strategic plan, and the next phase of implementing that plan. Johns Hopkins University recently developed a five-year strategic plan for alumni relations across all divisions. We will share background on putting together our committee, developing a series of drafts, incorporating survey results, getting the plan approved by leadership, and breaking the priorities, goals, and recommendations down into realistic phases.

Through the #PeopleofYU campaign, York University was able to break through the mold and humanize the brand by highlighting the diversity of their own community. The campaign featured students, faculty, staff, donors, and other community members in a different light, showcasing who they are, emotional and shocking challenges they have faced in their life, and how their journey led them to York. Featured people include: unconventional artists, refugees, scholars, members of minority groups, members of the LGBTQ community, athletes, and many more.