Let’s be honest – managing and reporting on donor funds is no small feat and advancement teams cannot do it alone. We rely heavily on our systems, processes, and organization partners to help us create the best donor experiences we possibly can. But if you ask yourself: Are our donor funds being utilized? Are they being used correctly and timely? Should we be worried when we send out our annual donor fund reports? And if you've shared some of these concerns, you're not alone. In recent years, many organizations have grappled with similar questions, finding little guidance on this vital aspect of any advancement operation. Join us in this session as we look at several case studies on how organizations like yours built the case for support to create and grow a fund management program. It's time to bring the discussion on funds management challenges out of closed-door conversations and begin an industry dialogue to identify what tools, resources, and standards need to be in place to successfully manage and steward donor funds. Whether you are new to funds management or seasoned in the field, come prepared to share your experiences and glean insights from others in this collaborative space.

Many organizations are hesitant to accept more complex gifts like real estate, cryptocurrency, charitable gift annuities, or various other gifts of assets that seem to be outside of their grasp. There are many valid reasons for this. The organization may not want to take on the risk of accepting a highly complex gift. Their gift acceptance policies may not even allow them to accept complex assets. Or they may simply not know whom to turn to for help. This session will explore the ways in which even fundraising shops of all sizes can accept large, complex gifts that have the power to transform their organization.

In Fall 2023, Colorado State University unveiled a dynamic brand platform, launching across campus and in a multilingual recruitment campaign inviting audiences to “Find Your Energy” at CSU. This multi-year, award-winning initiative utilized an omni-channel approach for launch and expansion. MarComm collected broad feedback from stakeholder groups in the CSU community to foster adoption before launching this initiative, which captures a sense of awe and inspiration, telling stories about what makes CSU special. Learn how CSU, determined to propel its position as a leading higher ed competitor in Colorado, engineered alignment to capitalize on brand development and yield impressive results.