In this session, we’ll discuss what academic research tells us about giving: why people give (both in life and death), what it means to them, and the benefits that it offers our supporters. We’ll link the findings to professional practice, drawing on examples from HE and the wider charity sector.

We all know it's crucial to keep hold of first-time donors. But with universities raising money for an ever diverse range of projects and with budgets tightening, how do you get your donors to give again? Heather Clement, Head of Individual Giving at the University of Sheffield will tell you how Sheffield has reinvigorated their regular giving programme to get first time and cash donors giving the 'holy grail': an unrestricted regular gift. Heather will also share whether it's possible to shift supporter behaviour and convert community fundraisers and volunteers into donors. Jemma Roper Gurr, Deputy Director, Development at The University of Manchester will join Heather to share practical strategies for improving first-time donor retention. Spoiler alert – donor retention starts before the first gift is made!

Tom Travell has recently joined UCL to reimagine and relaunch their regular giving programme, bringing over 15 years’ experience in charity individual giving, most recently as Head of Acquisition at the British Red Cross. In this session he'll share key lessons from individual giving in the charity sector that can be applied to HE regular giving. You'll hear about planning journeys that drive engagement and inspire repeat giving, how to harness relevance, and what you can learn from humanitarian emergency appeals. Whether you're focused on maximising income or building a pipeline to legacies and major donors, have a large budget and team or a smaller budget and you are the team, there will be actionable take-aways for your programme.

Ideas and experiences for how you can advocate for your programme and gain buy-in from senior decision makers. Come along for real-life tales of patience, creativity and sometimes feeling a little silly. There'll be opportunities to share your challenges and how you've advocated for your programme.

If you raise funds in the US, you need to understand the options that are uniquely attractive to American donors to ensure you benefit from the wealth transfer already underway. Your donors are increasingly using these techniques routinely, and you need a working knowledge of them, and how to reconcile them with regulations applying to non-US charities raising funds in the USA. Imperial College London has started bringing American gift planning techniques mainstream. We will help you think about how you can also respond to this growing trend while complying with IRS regulations. This session is relevant to everyone raising funds in the US, whether in regular giving, mid-value, legacies, major or principal gifts.

Hear how the Regular Giving Team at the London School of Economics made friends with their major gift colleagues and how this led to a blended approach to mid-level giving across both the Regular Giving and Philanthropy Teams. We will share how they are working together to create a seamless mid-level journey to maximise four and five-figure income to the School.