Have you been in organizations where values are everywhere and nowhere? They are painted on the walls, but hard to see in action. This session, led by Harvard Alumni Affairs and Development, will help make organizational values the heartbeat of your advancement team. We will share experiences and outcomes from culture-building programs, operational infrastructure, intentional communications, recognition, and accountability. Facilitated by COO and Associate VP, Siovhan O’Connor; Talent Management Director, Brittany Wilhelm; and Associate Director, Manager & Employee Effectiveness, Melisa Holzman, this session sits at the intersection of leadership, coordination, execution, and iteration necessary to live organizational values out loud.

In this session, we will discuss a new approach to recruitment that explores ways to bring those without a fundraising background into advancement shops and help them flourish and thrive. By examining a case study from Louisiana State University and Advancement Resources, participants will learn the top three qualities new fundraisers should have (curiosity, grit, and professionalism), identify ideas for where to find these candidates and how to equip them for success, and make the case for recruiting outside the box..

It is an industry trend for institutions of higher education to experience turnover among development officers at the end of a campaign. As the University of Florida ends their historic Go Greater campaign, we will discuss creative strategies for engaging and retaining high-performing employees as a campaign ends.

Recruiting major gift officers would be much simpler if new gift officers were easier to find. In this session, we will discuss a new approach to recruitment that explores ways to bring those without a fundraising background into advancement shops and help them flourish and thrive. By examining a case study from Louisiana State University and Advancement Resources, participants will learn the top three qualities new fundraisers should have (curiosity, grit, and professionalism), identify ideas for where to find these candidates, and gain new insights for how to equip them for success.