Designed for educational advancement professionals with fewer than two years of professional advancement experience, this workshop will explore the fundamentals of advancement and lay the groundwork for a successful career in this exciting profession. You will hone networking skills, participate in small breakout sessions with veterans in the field of Development, Marketing and Communications, Alumni Relations, and Advancement Services. You will hear helpful tips for navigating the District Conference and grow your personal network of education advancement professionals.

This pre-conference workshop designed for Senior Leaders in the Advancement industry will feature a high-profile panel discussion on three critical topics shaping the future of higher education. The agenda will include an in-depth look at federal legislation affecting the sector, the evolving landscape of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), and strategies for managing institutions during times of turmoil. Following the panel, breakout sessions will provide practical applications and tactical solutions, allowing attendees to dive deeper into these issues and explore actionable strategies for navigating the challenges facing higher education leaders today.

In this interactive keynote, Justin shows how disagreement can unite rather than divide, strengthening teams and decision-making. By equipping leaders and employees with tools to navigate tough conversations with curiosity, empathy, and respect, he transforms conflict into connection. When organizations embrace productive disagreement, innovation flourishes, collaboration deepens, and workplace culture thrives. You will learn how to: cultivate respectful disagreements with strategies to maintain respect and civility during heated discussions; understand the Four Responses to Conversation Conflict as well as identify and understand how to move to respectful disagreement from disrespectful disagreement and disrespectful agreement; and discover the 5 Pillars of Bridging Divides, where you'll learn key principles and practical tips to navigate ideological differences and promote understanding and cooperation, even in challenging conversations.

Join us for an insightful session on the transformative journey of The University of Texas at Tyler’s website. This session will delve into the collaborative efforts, strategic planning, and innovative design that culminated in the successful launch of a unified, modern website.

The project team, over 18 months, moved more than 20,000 pages of content and files into the new template system, consolidating our administrative sites in one content management system (CMS). The creation of the new suite of templates was done with significant research and stakeholder feedback. With this launch, content from several sites, including WordPress sites, were combined into a single, cohesive, branded, accessible and robust new .edu.

Discover how internal teams and external partners came together to create a digital presence that reflects the university’s mission and vision and learn about the challenges and triumphs encountered along the way.

In today’s rapidly evolving advancement landscape, AI is transforming how university advancement teams manage donor engagement and drive fundraising success. Join us for a dynamic session where we explore the "How, What, and Why" of leveraging AI to supercharge your mid-level and major gifts outreach.

Discover practical strategies for adopting AI tools to streamline activity tracking, personalize donor communication, and enhance team efficiency. Hear from Joan Shofner, Associate Vice President of Campaign & Development, University of Central Arkansas and Sylvia Vandever, Account Manager at Gravyty as they shares real-world examples of how AI is reshaping donor relationships and accelerating organizational impact at UCA. Walk away with actionable insights on integrating AI into your advancement strategy for sustainable growth and success.

The good news is that you’ve been hired to lead fundraising initiatives at your school. The bad news is that there’s a good chance, especially if you’re at a community college, that your president, leadership team, faculty, and professional staff assume all the development work falls solely on your shoulders. This isn’t fair—and it’s also detrimental to your financial success. How do we persuade everyone at our institutions that they play a crucial role in advancement? Let’s explore strategies for getting even the most reluctant colleagues to embrace advancement at your institution.

In a world where conversations often veer into extremes—right vs. wrong, us vs. them, agree vs. disagree—the ability to seek the gray is a critical skill for fostering respectful dialogue and uncovering deeper understanding. This interactive session, inspired by the principles of I Respectfully Disagree, takes a deeper dive into Pillar 4: Seek the Gray, where we explore how to:

Recognize and navigate the gray areas in challenging conversations through dialogue principles.

Identify opportunities for collaborative solutions and finding common ground even when viewpoints differ.

Ask questions that promote curiosity over certainty, fostering trust and openness.

Move beyond binary thinking to create spaces where diverse perspectives can thrive.

Through research, real-world scenarios, and group discussions, participants will leave equipped with practical tools to bridge divides and cultivate empathy in both personal and professional interactions.

The annual giving pipeline is critical to our organizations and robust engagement, that is personal yet done at scale, is essential for successful retention efforts in this space. Join us to learn how you can apply strategy to your donor and alumni engagement efforts that will positively affect giving retention rates as well as steward some of our more “at risk” donor populations. This is more important than ever as our industry sees declines in overall giving, decreased alumni involvement, and limited staff and budgeting resources. We will explore strategies for retention in key populations, segmentation and messaging best practices, and shifting the organizational culture to a donor-centered retention mindset.

The lights are fading, the party is almost over, the goal has been met…your campaign is coming to a close. Your development officer and leadership teams may be starting to breath deep, but now it’s our time to shine – it’s time for donor relations, stewardship, engagement, events, and communications to take the stage and breathe life into all that has been accomplished through your massive fundraising accomplishment. Join this session to explore to role of these teams in effectively recognizing donors to the campaign at all levels, reporting the impact of funds raised, stewarding new funds, consolidating and converting events as necessary, and more. We will explore key data reports to be pulling, important annual communications to be issuing, and how to develop retention strategy for these important donors. It’s now our job to retain and engage these campaign donors – until the next big party!

Discover how Oklahoma State University’s Digital Experience Officers (DXOs) are transforming donor pipeline development through innovative digital outreach. This session will explore strategies for engaging prospects at scale, creative approaches to outreach, and best practices for collaborating with development officers to seamlessly transition engaged donors up the pipeline. Learn from three years of experience, insights, and growth—including how OSU has expanded the DXO role to a senior level. Whether you're looking to launch a similar initiative or enhance your existing efforts, this session will provide actionable takeaways to strengthen your digital engagement strategy.

Relational equity is essential to effective strategic communication… simply stated, people don’t care what you know until they know that you care (about them).

Most strategic plans, especially those intended to disrupt the flow of things and introduce organizational change, start with ideas and concepts but they should really be starting with the people first. When you start with people before processes, you have the opportunity to create meaningful connections for lasting impact!

In today’s dynamic educational landscape, fostering robust alumni relationships is crucial for academic institutions. This session presents a comprehensive service model designed to elevate school-based alumni activities, with a focus on collaborative strategies involving academic partners and deans.

Participants will explore: The Service Model: A detailed look at our service model, which incorporates streamlined processes, tailored communications, and dedicated support mechanisms to boost alumni engagement at the school level;Implementation Strategy: Insights into effectively rolling out the model across various schools and units, ensuring alignment with institutional goals and addressing the unique needs of each unit; Communication Techniques: Strategies for effective dialogue with deans, faculty, and alumni, aimed at fostering a cohesive approach to alumni relations that leverages institutional strengths; and Data-Driven Decisions: An overview of how alumni survey data has been used to inform and refine our service model. Participants will see how analyzing feedback helps shape decisions and processes, ensuring that the model is responsive and impactful.

This session will equip alumni relations professionals with actionable tools and strategies to enhance engagement efforts, strengthen academic partnerships, and drive meaningful interactions within their school-based alumni networks.

Feeling overwhelmed by your donor portfolio? Struggling to effectively cultivate and steward all your donors?

Discover the Secret Sauce to successful fundraising with the T36 (Top 36) approach, as shared by leaders from the Sam Houston State University Development team. The T36 provides a transformative strategy for managing donor portfolios across various areas, including Annual Giving, Major Giving, Alumni Relations, Donor Relations, Corporate and Foundation Relations, and Special Events.

Why the T36 Works:
• Effective Portfolio Management: Focus on the most impactful donors with targeted engagement strategies.
• Streamlined Strategies: Apply practical methods to ensure that each donor is effectively cultivated and stewarded.
• Enhanced Collaboration: Foster teamwork to build stronger donor relationships and maximize engagement.

By prioritizing the number of asks, setting clear ask minimums, and promoting collaboration, the T36 creates a sustainable and effective approach to fundraising.

Proven Results:
After a year of implementing the T36 strategy, our Advancement team achieved its second-largest fundraising year, surpassing our annual goal by over $2 Million. We’re on track for even greater growth in the coming years.

Join us on this journey and transform the way you manage your donor portfolio. Discover how the T36 can be scaled to all aspects of Advancement and lead to unparalleled success in your fundraising efforts.