Why is it that there is sometimes a tension between frontline staff and Advancement Services? Is it because we don't speak the same language? Join us in a lively interactive session with Dhiraj Chand, Principal Gifts and Paul Majnik, from the University of Utah along with Clay Buck, Kindsight Fundraising Coach and Caroline Chang, VP Product Evangelism, as they dive into why there is a communication gap and what we can do to bridge that gap to speak the same (love) language.

Are gift clubs dead? Not if you ask their members! But Starbucks, Target, and Amazon have changed what people expect from loyalty programs, and fundraising needs to follow suit. See how the annual giving team at Caltech put personalization over perks and stewardship over rewards to build a leadership annual giving program that accounts for nearly 90% of their annual gift revenue and is growing at a rate of 10% each year.

In today's evolving philanthropic landscape, digital engagement officers are proving to be indispensable in enhancing fundraising strategies and cultivating robust donor pipelines. This session explores how digital tools—such as video, texting, email, virtual meetings, and even traditional phone calls—can transform donor interactions and drive substantial results.

Gain insights from a successful program that developed a digital engagement strategy from the ground up, now generating over $1M annually. Learn actionable tips for streamlining your digital outreach efforts, discover valuable resources, and receive practical samples to implement in your own organization. Benefit from the experiences of seasoned development officers who have navigated this digital frontier, and leave equipped with the knowledge to elevate your donor engagement and fundraising success.

Engaging donors around planned giving opportunities is a powerful fundraising approach. As Professor Russell James, expert in Planned Giving strategies, puts it: cash is not king. Gift officers are often aware of planned giving vehicles but are challenged to find organic ways to guide donors to understand these opportunities. Planned giving vehicles can also seem technical and intimidating to many development officers. Planned giving training often focuses on the mechanisms themselves, which can generate curiosity but leave unanswered questions about how to turn theoretical knowledge into gift closures. This session follows a different approach. Through story-telling and case-studies, this session builds from the relationships and conversations development officers have with their donors to show the path forward to planned giving strategies and partnership approaches that close gifts.

The #1 way to ensure your institution's success & your future success as a fundraiser is ambitious, consistent discovery now. But discovery is one of the hardest parts of fundraising! When you're getting in the door with amazing new potential donors, discovery can feel like an adventure. When you're slogging through names in your database and getting zero responses, discovery can feel overwhelming and oppressive. Join this session for tactical discovery tips from sending better emails to cold calling to turning the conversation to money in that first visit.

This session will highlight innovative and inclusive approaches to building the pipeline through scalable qualification efforts for various audiences - from alums, to parents, to friends! We will take a deep dive into Discovery Journeys, and how they leverage frontline fundraising and mass communication strategies to identify and qualify leadership donors and provide valuable insights into the donor pipeline. This session will also cover the impact of the new Discovery Officer role as an essential part of these efforts, and how this work directly aligns with overall campus-wide pipeline goals.

Learn how to create a dynamic and effective student ambassador program that energizes your community and drives success on Giving Day. In this session, discover how to empower students as brand advocates, equipping them with the skills to promote philanthropy and engage their community. You’ll learn strategies for executing impactful promotional activities, creating compelling marketing and social media content, and fostering meaningful connections with causes, alumni, students, and supporters. Join us to explore innovative ways to elevate your Giving Day through brand ambassadors and leave with actionable insights to boost participation and maximize your Giving Day’s impact!

There's nothing like that inaugural Giving Day. The energy and excitement from campus partners and senior leadership is palpable. But as the event enters year six, seven, eight and beyond, how do you maintain that spark? How do you keep away or recover from plateauing results? This session will cover how UC Irvine shook up their approach to reengage internal stakeholders and reassess the look and feel of the event, resulting in back-to-back record breaking Giving Days. We will share what has worked for us: processes, programs, collaborations, and more.

The fundraising basics to learn about wills, trust, and beneficiary designations from retirement plans. This presentation will explain these terms, discuss the the benefits to the donor and charity, and offer useful conversation starters for gift officers to use with prospective donors. Whether you are a staff person or board volunteer new to fundraising or a seasoned gift officer this session will give you the knowledge and wording to use to secure these important future gifts for your organization.