In the fast-paced world of professional fundraising, the pressure to secure larger and larger gifts is intense....unfortunately, I have bad news...the pressure won't let up! This session unveils nontraditional strategies that moved fundraising at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff from annual yields of $2M to a record breaking year of more than $12million; we're convinced that we can help you move the needle as well. This inspiring and strategy-filled seminar introduces participants to techniques in expanding corporate giving, alumni outreach, and processes in building a non-affiliated donor pipeline. At the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, we grew foundation and corporate giving by more than 200%, expanded alumni giving by 50%, and even increased faculty-staff giving by more than 40%. This hands on learning session is filled with practical tips that will show you how you can create a Personal Fundraising Plan (PFP), grow your non-affiliated donor pipeline, and attract those high capacity donors that always seem to get away. Designed as a best-practice session for new Development Officers, or even the veteran advancement leader looking to reinvigorate their fundraising strategies, this insightful session just might be your secret sauce for success!

In 2023, Texas Tech Health El Paso was approved by the state to receive funding to build a cancer center on our campus. When opened, this will be the only comprehensive cancer center in El Paso, nearly 300 miles south of the nearest existing cancer center in Albuquerque, and the only one in the nearly 1,000 mile stretch between Dallas and Tucson. The problem was that, beyond funds to construct the building, there was no other funding—for talent recruitment, for equipment, for patient services and support, for program development, for research. It has been left to our Institutional Advancement team (Development and Marketing-Communications), and other teams on campus (Research, Government Relations) not only to find additional funding but to begin the process of clarifying what funding is needed, how it will be used, and of course where it will come from.
Through a combination of marketing, grant writing, and direct personal appeals, we have, in a short time, raised nearly $35 million toward these purposes, over $30 million of which is private funding generated by Institutional Advancement. These gifts are headlined by a $25 million private donation to drive recruitment, planning and operating, as well as a $5 million operating grant. More broadly, they include a likely (though still pending) $1.2 million in equipment funds, nearly half a million dollars in future cancer patient support, and several hundred thousand in cancer screening funds.
The key to this windfall has been the strong working relationship and creative coordination between Institutional Advancement leadership, the university president, the Corporate Foundation Relations team, the Marketing/Communications team, and the Government Relations team.
This presentation will provide an overview of Institutional Advancement’s lead role in the coordination, explication, and appeals to individual and institutional donors and funders that have brought us here.

Tired of your foundation's communication efforts getting lost in the noise? This dynamic session explores how Community College Foundations and Communication departments can join forces to achieve incredible results.

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.

Join us for a deep dive into how to build a strategic and meaningful annual giving roadmap that will inspire and challenge your team to bring a renewed focus that helps to prioritize and build foundational principles for all aspects of your engagement strategy.