Join us for a panel discussion featuring three dynamic community colleges, Bossier Parish Community College, Houston Community College Foundation, and Paris Junior College, as they share their experiences and strategies utilizing events for milestone celebrations, alumni and community engagement, and prospect identification and stewardship. Learn how each institution approaches events in terms of advancing their institutions’ missions, weighing event return on investment, and the impact on staff and attendees. This session will offer candid and practical insights and actionable ideas that can be implemented by fundraising professionals at community colleges and beyond, ensuring continued growth and impact through strategic engagement.

Deans, department chairs and faculty members are the insightful and articulate content-area experts development officers must partner with to identify prospects, cultivate relationships, develop strong proposals and make compelling solicitations. Moreover, faculty champions with strong relational skills make the advancement professional’s job of cultivating alumni and donors much more meaningful because of their authentic connection to the alumni and the work. While it is evident why strong faculty allies serve advancement professionals so well, it is often difficult to help deans, department chairs and faculty see themselves as partners in advancement work. In this session we will highlight how to plan an ‘Advancement School’ for your college’s leadership and faculty, provide tips for building a strong faculty/advancement partnership and share data on how leveraging faculty in a meaningful way accelerates relationship building with prospects and increases the likelihood of closing a gift.

How do you engage students in philanthropy in a way that feels meaningful, relevant, and fun? At Oklahoma State University, we’ve built a culture of giving by meeting students where they are—whether through peer-led organizations, on-campus jobs, or high-energy fundraising initiatives. This session will explore how programs like Cowboy Callers, the Student Foundation, student interns, crowdfunding, and day of giving campaigns help introduce students to philanthropy, foster engagement, and create a pipeline of future donors. Join us to gain fresh ideas and actionable strategies to inspire the next generation of philanthropic leaders.