Embarking on a leadership role in advancement can be both exhilarating and challenging. While many of us began our advancement careers as specialists, (making in-person asks for big gifts, mastering back-office processes, creating marketing materials, etc.), sooner or later, we find ourselves managing teams. While we may be experts at “making the ask” or “mapping appeal code structures,” oftentimes new managers can find ourselves at a loss when required to give effective performance reviews or coach up a new team member. This session is tailored for advancement professionals who have recently taken the step from being practitioners to managing teams. You will hear from three of your colleagues who have made this leap and are now successful industry leaders. Madison, Karl, and Adrian will introduce you to the dynamic world of advancement teams, providing essential insights, strategies, and tools to help you become a more successful team manager and leader.

In this session, Carrie and Muriel will discuss the driving force behind UA Little
Rock's Affordability Campaign, illuminating its critical objectives and sharing
essential lessons learned. Discover how the campaign seamlessly melded alumni
and student messaging, forging a powerful alliance in the fight for affordable
higher education. This presentation promises to inspire and educate, offering
strategic insights for an unforgettable messaging & perception campaign that
leaves a lasting impact.

We will delve into our journey of moving away from a conventional, formal award dinner to a dynamic alumni recognition program. This strategic shift not only boosted event attendance but also created a pathway (and opened up the resources) to develop captivating awardee videos that continue to engage our alumni long after the award presentation.

Launching a Giving Day is no small feat. Contrary to what the name implies this type of high energy campaign encompasses much more than a single day of philanthropy. This session will outline everything from recommended timelines and strategic messaging to key successes and areas of improvement from UNT's very first on campus day of giving. Join us as we walk through the key components of starting a giving day from initial idea to fruition.

In this dynamic conference presentation, we'll dive into the art and science of branding from both a marketing collateral and personal perspective. As higher education institutions, the data says that branding will help us stand out in a crowded marketplace. We’ll kick off the conversation with practical strategies and creative approaches to create memorable, authentic, and effective marketing collateral that resonates with your target audience.

But branding isn’t limited to our institutions; it extends to you as an individual. During the second half of our discussion, we’ll discuss building a personal brand that leaves a lasting impact. Drawing from real-life success stories, we'll explore how to cultivate your personal brand and how that can help you connect with donors, students, and industry peers. Then, we'll shift our focus inward to understand how your personal brand can empower and motivate your internal team.

Legal concerns in advancement aren't just for planned giving anymore. Whatever you do in advancement – fundraising, alumni relations, communications, or advancement services – knowing how the law affects your work could make the difference between celebrating success and a costly lawsuit. Learn from a "recovering attorney" and advancement veteran about key principles and situations to consider, whether you're planning an event, managing a fundraising campaign, writing a press release, maintaining a database, or organizing a reunion. You'll hear about plenty of real-world examples, so bring your hardest questions and toughest challenges to this lively, engaging, and interactive session – no retainer required!

Do you ever feel stuck with certain prospects or donors and are unsure of how to move conversations forward that may have stalled out (or never happened in the first place)? In this session, two frontline fundraisers will share their strategic process from moving prospects from stuck to solicitation and how they have partnered together to create a model of engagement that utilizes both of their skill sets and unique roles within donor and prospect relationships to expertly drive forward solicitation conversations and proposals.  Join this session to hear practical examples and case studies from this dynamic duo about collaboration and what to do (and not to do!) to generate activity and increase solicitations within your portfolios.