More than ever, the advancement disciplines rely on each other to ensure school and institutional success. Learn how cross-discipline collaboration works (and sometimes doesn't) from a panel of leaders in alumni relations, fundraising, advancement services, and communications and marketing. Discover the current state and coming trends in collaboration across advancement disciplines. Your institutes' chairs will share examples of how fundraising, advancement services, alumni relations, and communications and marketing.

Join us as we introduce our esteemed lineup of faculty who will get you pumped up for an exhilarating Summer Institute in Alumni Relations experience! From thought leaders to industry experts, our faculty are poised to deliver engaging sessions that will inspire, inform, and invigorate you throughout the institute. Brace yourself for a weeklong journey of learning, networking, and innovation.

Curious how DEI practices can enhance your engagement strategy but unsure how to proceed? Join us to discover how to harness DEI data to elevate your alumni engagement efforts. Learn how to apply these insights to craft inclusive and meaningful experiences, identify and address the unique needs of alumni from diverse identities, and ensure that every interaction fosters a sense of belonging and community.

Fundraising campaigns are complex organisms. To bring essential investment into our schools, we need to engage thousands of constituents who have a broad range of interests, varied connections to the institution, and very busy lives. (Not to mention the wide array of internal stakeholders on our campuses who require care and feeding, too.) So, where to start? Together let’s cover some of the basics, including that foundational document—the case for support— which will lead us into discussion of the business that underpins campaigns and communications that can bring our institutions—values, mission, character, hopes, and dreams—to life.

Whether you're just starting out or you’re a seasoned professional, join us as we explore our Summer Institute program and your CASE membership. We’ll talk through Institute community features and share tips to enhance your week in Madison. Discover how to leverage CASE's extensive educational opportunities, robust library, and volunteer opportunities to enhance organizational impact and your career. 

Why do some fundraising & advancement professionals thrive where others struggle? What can we learn from individuals who arrive at the highest levels of performance? How might recent studies of expert performers inform our approach to our work? We will explore these questions and review techniques that are essential to our craft. Join us and discover why advancement stars are made and not born.

For more than 10,000 years humankind has been moved by great stories. Stories have changed the course of history, been used to right wrongs, and to educate new generations. Each of our educational institutions is bursting with powerful, meaningful stories. As advancement professionals, we have the opportunity and the challenge to capture this vital information and bring it to life. Many believe that the best fundraisers are also exceptional storytellers. This elective session will dive into the techniques and approaches that will help anyone learn to tell a great story, including time to role play what you’ve learned with your classmates!

Strategic and generative conversations are at the heart of our work. Questioning and listening are powerful life skills. First, they will help you create productive donor relationships. What organizations do you support with your philanthropy? Where are we on your list of philanthropies? How do you make your philanthropic decisions? What has been your most meaningful gift? Quality questions elicit amazing information that will guide you in the solicitation process and help you build relationships on campus with your supervisor, peers and faculty members. Learn how to develop questions instead of talking points that will inform your gift strategy, advance relationships, and result in a joyful, generous "Yes" to your request for increased engagement with your institution, a significant gift to one of your priorities or for whatever you were hoping that volunteer or colleague would do to help you achieve your goals.

Highly sought advancement professionals understand strategy. Whether you’re an early professional, mid-career, or aiming for an executive chair, those who are most valuable to their team understand what their university stands for, who it benefits, and why people should care. These essential but ephemeral ideas are wrapped up in the university’s brand and organizational strategy. In this session we’ll explore how to understand your university’s strategy and how to align your goals, talents and interests with the needs of your institution for the greatest mutual benefit.