Donors—particularly major donors—are increasingly seeing their gifts as investments. And just like any corporate investor, they want to know their gifts’ ROI. Universities that leverage their president, chancellor, cabinet, and faculty chairs effectively to build authentic relationships with donors are the ones seeing the biggest returns in today’s philanthropic marketplace. University of Arkansas – Fort Smith has transformed its major giving program thanks to the relationships its Chancellor Terisa Riley and department chairs such as Kendall Ross have built with key stakeholders and donors. Since Dr. Riley arrived on campus three years ago, major giving has skyrocketed. The university is set to exceed its $75 million centennial campaign’s financial goal by 33 percent, with record individual gifts and giving levels.

To understand how other universities can build similar donor/president relationships, this presentation will focus on:

-the role of the university’s advancement office in the process
-qualifying and prioritizing the right donors
-ideal allocation of a president’s time to fundraising
-taking the first step in building the relationship
-the types of cultivation events or individual meetings that are most effective

We all know you can’t ask for the next unless you have successfully stewarded (and spent!) the last one. Join us as we dive into the complexities of fund compliance and utilization programs, what makes them successful (or not!), and the indispensable partnerships across your division and the campus that ensure their success. Whether you are in advancement services or a frontline fundraiser, everyone has a role to play in this space. We will explore the core components of a program that ensures your philanthropic funds are spent according to donor intent and to maximum capacity. We will explore strategies to strengthen collaboration between multiple key stakeholders for a more cohesive and effective approach. From data, reporting, metrics, and engagement and education programs, we will cover what you need to strengthen and streamline your fund stewardship program. Using real-life case studies from two rock solid donor compliance programs in the District, we'll give you all the tools you need to ensure success in this challenging space.

Advancement and Development services are approaching a new horizon when working with internal employees and external partners. Through discovery work, Dallas College Advancement and Development has created a new model for leveraging funding using network systems to support students and provide partners with a roadmap for success. This session will explore the new model, its benefits, and how it can be used to create a more efficient and effective way to manage sponsored program projects.

Discover Texas State University's innovative strategic corporate engagement program, a pivotal step towards the coveted R1 status. Join us as we unveil a groundbreaking initiative that unites internal university stakeholders, aligning them with a singular vision and igniting powerful industry relationships. In partnership with UNITE Corporate Engagement, we'll delve into how this program opens doors to enhanced career services for students, support for academic excellence, expanded industry-sponsored research, and a boost for university-wide initiatives. Get ready to explore the future of corporate collaboration at Texas State University.

We all know that a robust donor pipeline is key to a sustainable, growth-oriented development operation. but how do we combine the relationship-building power of major gifts with the scalability of annual giving activities? The answer: Digital Experience Officers (DXOs)! In this session, you will hear how the OK State Foundation Annual Giving Team built a DXO program to engage and upgrade donors in the middle of the pyramid to identify and hand off the next generation of major gift prospects. Your presenters will share their experience building a program from the ground up, how they collaborated with peers to form a program that was right for their institution, and how the program has grown and changed in its initial two years.

This session challenges the traditional model of community college grant development which can be reactive and inefficient. Leaders from the Dallas College Advancement & Development team will share why and how they have shifted toward a culture of strategic grant seeking. Learn how to use grants strategically to advance the innovation efforts of your college in a proactive and effective way. Participants will gain tools, insights, and strategies they can immediately deploy.

Dashboard reports and self-service tools can be very beneficial for advancement shops. They save time by giving end-users access to the metrics they need, help keep departments on track, discover insights to help diversify programming, and give fundraisers valuable feedback on activities. But tables with numbers do not an effective dashboard make. In this session we will discuss what makes an impactful, equitable, and inspirational dashboard report, hear from the VP of Advancement at Texas State University on what make a good dashboard for leadership, discuss tips on how to avoid analytical bias, and identify ways you can diversify and spruce up your reporting.

Fundraising is often described as both a science and an art. In pipeline building, we often only focus on the science of the equation by moving prospects in one direction of the donor pyramid. In this session, attendees will learn artful ways to rethink the traditional donor pipeline and strategies for collaborating with annual giving, prospect researchers, gift officers, and clinicians. Flipping the traditional model of donor acquisition that starts with annual giving and leads to major gifts, this session will highlight stories of successful collaboration and partnership with different starting points. Attendees will learn how to use this new model to increase donor engagement, new donors, and gifts.

Fundraising organizations play a critical role in our culture and the communities they serve, but they must be well-run and efficient to achieve their goals. If we're being honest, though, our organizations are often resource-poor, inefficient, and even behind the times. Building an effective organization through growth and change can be especially difficult.

In this session, Jake Logan, VP for Advancement at UTEP, and Chelsea Lamego, FundMiner CEO and previous AVP for Advancement Operations at UTEP, will discuss the innovative and analytical approach to organizational change that helped them garner the support of stakeholders across their organizations and exceed expectations along the way.

Jake & Chelsea will share real-life experiences you can apply to fundraising operations in any nonprofit organization on its path to success. They will discuss actionable methods to help you be more strategic, allocate your resources more effectively, and ultimately significantly impact the people you serve.

Donor relations pros and front line fundraisers rejoice. Let's work together to make fundraising magic. This session will provide a partnership roadmap for your fundraising shop. We'll fill your magic toolbox with proactive strategies, processes, and tips to dazzle even your biggest critics. You'll raise more money, make a bigger impact, and enjoy some belly laughs along the way.