In today's dynamic higher education landscape, coordinated communications and marketing efforts are more critical than ever. Aligning communications and marketing professionals across campus, from the colleges and units to the central teams, can significantly uplift university priorities and advance the overall institution. Drawing from their work to establish a council of 21 communications leaders from the colleges and units at Virginia Tech, Zeke Barlow and Jesse Tuel will share a series of practical strategies, ranging from easy (hosting meetings for all communicators) to difficult (changing the university organizational chart), that can be applied in any institutional setting. Participants will leave the presentation with a toolbox of tactics to customize and deploy at their own institutions.

This session will discuss the strengths and opportunities of a college-specific development officer versus a centralized model at Jacksonville State University (JSU). We'll explore how these different approaches impact fundraising effectiveness, donor relationships, and overall advancement strategies at Jax State.

Join us for 'Navigating the Managerial Odyssey,' where we explore the evolving challenges and triumphs of managing at every career stage. From guiding early career professionals to navigating complex managerial landscapes and influencing strategic decisions as senior leaders, this session offers practical insights and strategies for success. Whether you're a new manager, a seasoned middle manager, or a senior executive, discover actionable advice and leadership wisdom that transcends hierarchical boundaries. Don’t miss this engaging discussion designed to elevate your managerial prowess and inspire effective leadership!

So you joined the road warrior club? Congratulations! But now what? Learn and connect with your fellow new and seasoned road warriors to "hit the ground running". Gain the tools of the trade to be a great fundraiser, travel easier, and advance your career, with a healthy dose of hilarious or jaw dropping stories from the field.

Will we achieve our fundraising goal this year? Do we have enough asks planned in our pipeline to achieve our goal? Questions like these arise throughout the year in advancement organizations of all shapes and sizes. When they arise in your institution, do you have a reliable method to forecast fundraising results with confidence?

In this session the University of Central Florida Advancement and Partnerships team will share a roadmap for forecasting fundraising totals that has been successfully used to project fundraising attainment within a reliable margin to actual dollars raised. From the analysis methods used to determine discount rates for solicitations to sample reports shared with leadership, this session will provide insights into goal setting techniques, managing fundraiser performance, and monitoring pipeline movement through this method of forecasting fundraising.

In today’s dynamic service-oriented environments, navigating change effectively is crucial for advancing organizational goals and maintaining competitiveness. This session explores key strategies essential for leadership in guiding advancement services through transformation. We will share our preferred principles of leading change, overcoming resistance, and strategies for success in building great teams and elevating culture. With considerable depth and breadth of experiences at small and large institutions, our lessons learned, and real-world examples provide practical insights for effective leadership in advancement services through a proactive approach to change management and fostering a culture of innovation and resilience.

Unleash the power of Generative AI (GenAI) to revolutionize your work! This session will explore how AI-powered tools can help you work efficiently, personalize outreach, develop data-informed strategies, streamline processes, and drive innovation in your daily work and across advancement. Discover real-world case studies of applications and share your strategies for integrating AI into your daily toolkit, ensuring you stay ahead of the curve in this rapidly evolving landscape.

Learn effective strategies to engage and motivate your college advisory board to actively participate in fundraising efforts. This presentation covers best practices for setting clear expectations, building strong relationships, leveraging members' networks, and providing the tools and support needed for successful fundraising. Whether you’re looking to boost annual giving or secure major gifts, this comprehensive resource will help you harness the full potential of your advisory board to meet and exceed your financial goals.

Have you ever wanted to better understand reels?
What makes a compelling video? How do other higher-ed social media staff think about content creation as it relates to higher-ed?
What tools do I need?
In this session, I hope to equip you with some fundamentals on easy tools and creative content for producing engaging reels.

A healthy, highly engaged school culture is perhaps the most powerful strategic advantage for Advancement professionals–and is a source of greater joy in this work. But culture is easier to feel than to measure. The values and beliefs that are expressed as important may not be reflected in what faculty and families actually experience. Culture is less about happy people and more about energized and engaged administrators, educators, and staff who are united in purpose and behavior while being able to effectively solve hard problems together. How do we develop the leadership and habits that most contribute to an authentic and sustainable culture? In this workshop we will explore the 12 Disciplines of Excellent School Leadership, clarifying the perspectives and practices that reliably enable us to love and lead all stakeholders in school leadership more effectively and cultivate a healthy, vibrant organization which directly impacts Advancement at all levels.