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District V Annual Conference 2025
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13 Results Found
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM CT
Harnessing AI for Everyday Advancement: Tools & Strategies You Can Use Today
Unlock the power of AI in your daily advancement tasks with this hands-on session! Discover free or low-cost tools like ChatGPT that can streamline donor communications, enhance alumni engagement, and simplify data management. Through real-world examples and an interactive activity, you'll learn how to implement AI solutions today, without waiting for large-scale institutional changes. Walk away with practical strategies to make your work more efficient and impactful, all while staying ahead in the evolving world of higher education advancement.
Speakers: Emily Berry, Assistant Vice President for Development, Individual and Annual Giving, Miami University
Competencies: Strategic ThinkingIndustry or Sector Expertise
Experience Level: All Levels
4:15 PM - 5:15 PM CT
Major Gift Fundraising Remotely: Does it work?
Since the pandemic, more fundraisers do their work remotely. What is the impact on our bottom line? Can anyone work from anywhere? What are best practices based on recent research?
Speakers: Karen Aarestad, Associate Vice Chancellor for Advancement, Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Erica Dollhopf
Competencies: LeadershipStrategic Thinking
Experience Level: All Levels
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM CT
Making Milestones: How Two Schools Brought New Life through Reunion and a Sesquicentennial
How can you elevate cherished alumni traditions and allow room for fresh experiences? Learn how Denison University reimagined its reunion experience with enhanced technology, fresh programming, and record-breaking participation. Explore how Macalester College brought its 150th anniversary to life, connecting a global alumni base with fresh twists on existing programming, new ways of storytelling, and ample opportunities to celebrate. Join us to learn about the process from concept creation through execution including planning, communication, events, and more. You’ll walk away with actionable insights and ideas to help you transform your own campus events into unforgettable celebrations.
Speakers: Catie Gardner Smith, AVP of Engagement, Macalester College, Alyssa Smith, Sr. Assoc. Dir. of Mkt. & Comm. Alumni & Family Engagement, Denison University, Samantha Smith, Sr. Assoc. Dir. of Advancement Events, Denison University, Erin Updike, Director of Alumni Engagement, Macalester College
Competencies: Relationship BuildingIndustry or Sector Expertise
Experience Level: All Levels
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM CT
International Impact - Strategic Expansion of Alumni Engagement
How do you engage alumni all around the world and keep volunteers connected despite the distance ? How can they support the University's global strategy? In this session you can share best practices from your institutions and learn how the Notre Dame Alumni Association has expanded their volunteer base to 60+ countries. We will talk about international volunteer recruitment and stewardship and how it supports strategic global initiatives.
Speakers: Lea Barthuly, International Alumni Relations Program Manager, University of Notre Dame
Competencies: Relationship BuildingGlobal and Cultural Competence
Experience Level: All Levels
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM CT
From Data to Decisions: Revolutionizing Fundraising Management Reporting
In this session you'll hear from Kristine Lo, Director of Fundraising Performance Analytics at the University of Chicago, how her team revolutionized fundraising management reporting to ensure managers and staff at all levels had the insights they needed to effectively manage up, down and across. The session will include best practices of effective management reporting, how consistency in management reporting can improve results, and suggestions for how you can audit (or start) your own data-delivery program.
Speakers: Kristine Lo, Director, Fundraising Performance Analytics, University of Chicago
Competencies: LeadershipStrategic Thinking
Experience Level: All Levels
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM CT
An Experiment in Prospecting: How to Increase the Response Rate of Your Outreach
Prospecting often marks the beginning of each relationship we hope to form with a donor. Despite this, fundraisers tend to focus their energy learning more about gift closure conversations than how to reach their donors in the first place. Through the lessons learned during an experiment in prospecting you will learn how you can connect to your intended donor base with ease!
In this session you will gain insights from a study conducted using real prospects. We will talk about how to approach prospecting, what you might expect your results to be and what actually happened in the study. As well as how all of this can inform your work in the future. Additionally, the session will be full of opportunities for you to ask questions and share your experiences in prospecting.
At the end of this session you will be able to identify your target audience, create an outreach plan to increase the responses you receive from your audience and utilize these prospecting tools as an asset that aids the work you do with donors throughout the rest of the gift cycle. Let us help you make the most of the time you spend prospecting so that you can get back to closing more gifts!
In this session you will gain insights from a study conducted using real prospects. We will talk about how to approach prospecting, what you might expect your results to be and what actually happened in the study. As well as how all of this can inform your work in the future. Additionally, the session will be full of opportunities for you to ask questions and share your experiences in prospecting.
At the end of this session you will be able to identify your target audience, create an outreach plan to increase the responses you receive from your audience and utilize these prospecting tools as an asset that aids the work you do with donors throughout the rest of the gift cycle. Let us help you make the most of the time you spend prospecting so that you can get back to closing more gifts!
Speakers: Victor Senn, Major Gift Officer, University of Michigan Ross School of Business
Competencies: Strategic ThinkingRelationship Building
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM CT
Connecting Dots by Collecting Dots: Engagement Data Challenges and Solutions
As the national trend of declining donor counts continues, many institutions are ramping up engagement and acquisition efforts to attract new prospective donors. But increased data collection like this can often lead to differing schools of thought between the engagement professionals who seek to grow the donor pipeline and IT/data partners who aim to protect data integrity. What are the right pieces of data to collect? How can data quality be protected? At what point does data collection hinder a positive customer experience? Is there such a thing as too much data? This session will show how Ohio State Advancement has taken a collaborative approach to working through these questions and more by bringing the two business areas together to develop solutions.
Key topics will include:
• How to align teams, practices, and goals.
• How to determine the right data points to ensure quality data while collecting engagement data to build and strengthen the fundraising pipeline.
• How to select the right data collection tools for varying types of engagement opportunities.
• How to tell the story of how engagement and acquisition data impacts the long-term health of an organization.
Key topics will include:
• How to align teams, practices, and goals.
• How to determine the right data points to ensure quality data while collecting engagement data to build and strengthen the fundraising pipeline.
• How to select the right data collection tools for varying types of engagement opportunities.
• How to tell the story of how engagement and acquisition data impacts the long-term health of an organization.
Speakers: Julie Vargo, CIO of Advancement, The Ohio State University, Samantha Frost, Assistant Vice President, Constituent Experiences, The Ohio State University, Molly Feasel, Advancement Events Manager, The Ohio State University, Angie Theaker, Director, Strategic Project Management, The Ohio State University
Competencies: Strategic ThinkingRelationship Building
Experience Level: All LevelsAll Levels
4:15 PM - 5:15 PM CT
Affinity Groups: Rightsizing Your Investment
Affinity Groups. This tried-and-true engagement strategy has yielded big results at many institutions. But they can run the spectrum in both investment and results. Do you create a mini alumni association, or do you simply try to harness the momentum formed by organic groups? We will look at pro's and con's for each method, when each would be appropriate, the opportunity for a blended approach, and best practices for these powerful programs.
Speakers: Reggie Bustinza, Executive Director of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving, Northern Illinois University
Competencies: Relationship BuildingStrategic Thinking
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM CT
Get to Work: Harness Board Energy & Expertise to Answer Opportunities & Challenges
In this session, you'll hear Board members, alumni volunteers, and professional staff share how they've participated in focused, solutions-based workgroups to take a deep dive into specific opportunities or challenges in alumni engagement. From how alumni can support business strategy development to deepening connections with former Board members — you'll learn how to harness the collective energy and experience of volunteers to advance strategic priorities and initiatives. You'll also gain a better understanding of how alumni/volunteers feel about the sort of "roll-up-your-sleeves" work.
Speakers: David Bambrey, President, University of Illinois Alumni Association, Jennifer Bowie, Assoc. Vice President, Alumni Relations & Annual Giving, Ohio University, Damian Clark, Thomas Ewing Society (former members) Liaison, Ohio University Alumni Association, Jack Kang, Incoming Chair, Northwestern Alumni Association, Norma Lauder, Past Chair, University of Illinois Alumni Association , Lindsay Vahl Dean, Assistant Vice President, Alumni Engagement and Executive Director, Northwestern Alumni Association, Northwestern University
Competencies: LeadershipStrategic Thinking
4:15 PM - 5:15 PM CT
Data-Driven Volunteerism: Transforming Engagement into Philanthropy
How can volunteerism fuel lifelong connections and lead to transformational giving? In this interactive session, we’ll explore data-driven strategies to enhance volunteer engagement and recognition, connecting these efforts to philanthropy. Whether you're running a small program or managing a large alumni network, you’ll discover adaptable tools and tactics to build meaningful volunteer experiences that inspire deeper relationships and drive financial support. You will learn how to leverage data to identify engagement gaps and opportunities, create personalized recognition strategies that resonate with volunteers, and connect volunteerism to the donor pipeline, transforming alumni involvement into impactful giving. Through case studies, discussions, and actionable exercises, you’ll leave equipped to build a volunteer program that not only engages but also fosters a culture of giving. Ready to transform volunteerism into philanthropy? This session is for you.
Speakers: Madison Vaughn, Assistant Director, Volunteerism, Purdue for Life Foundation
Competencies: Business and Financial AcumenStrategic Thinking