Regardless of how an advancement shop chooses to structure alumni relations and development, there are natural opportunities for alumni teams to collaborate with development teams to engage prospective and current donors in meaningful ways. In this session, you will hear relevant examples of alumni professionals partnering with development officers to cultivate donors in the major gift cycle, while also providing alumni audiences with unique and special experiences. You will gain insight into the win-win opportunities that you can create in your advancement shop that lead to major gifts while also engaging alumni with impactful, alumni-centered programming.

Uncover the art of Impact Reporting in this insightful presentation, where we delve into defining impact and the diverse types of stories organizations can tell. Learn how to identify meaningful narratives with the help of advancement services and discover strategies to share these stories effectively, even on a limited budget. We'll cover practical tips for storytelling techniques and cost-efficient communication methods that highlight your organization's successes. Join us to understand how to craft and share compelling impact stories that resonate and showcase your organizations values.

Your head is full of everything you've learned about annual giving, alumni, volunteer engagement, personal solicitations, direct mail, prospect management, advancement services, communications and campaigns. Now what? How do you pull together all the pieces for a successful program? Strategic thinking and planning, of course! We'll discuss ways to plan for success, whether you're managing an office, a program, a staff-or just yourself. So, you have a great idea but aren’t sure how to get the green light. Have been asked to take on developing a new program to engage alumni and donors, but don’t know where to start? In this session, we will cover the ins and outs of strategic planning not just at the organization-wide level, but also at the program or department level. We will cover the why, approaches for ensuring ROI, managing outcomes, aligning resources, and lead an interactive exercise to support the development of meaningful roadmaps.

Join us for an engaging presentation that explores the transformative power of artificial intelligence (AI) in the realm of educational fundraising. Uncover the potential of AI to revolutionize how institutions connect with alumni, build relationships, and secure vital financial resources. Come learn how AI can empower your institution to achieve new levels of fundraising success while fostering lifelong relationships with donors.

In the ever-evolving landscape of alumni relations and fundraising, understanding and leveraging the power of data is critical for success. This session will delve into the strategic use of metrics and KPI to drive alumni engagement and boost fundraising outcomes. Attendees will learn how to harness data to identify trends, measure engagement effectiveness, and tailor outreach efforts for maximum ROI.

Enhance your development strategy with this insightful session on collaborating with fundraisers to set and achieve meaningful goals. Learn effective techniques for aligning fundraiser objectives with organizational priorities, establishing realistic and ambitious targets, and monitoring progress. Explore best practices for fostering strong partnerships between development staff and fundraisers to drive success and maximize impact.

Do people read emails anymore? Yes—they do. But not the way you think. This talk will show you exactly how to write subject lines, optimize your links, and lay out your email copy so your message gets across. In this session, you’ll learn: How to write good subject lines that increase open rates. Typical email reading patterns and how to use them to your advantage. How to appropriately use formatting and white space. Recommendations on sentence structure and reading level. How to use links and buttons to guarantee click-through. A quick way to test if your email will get read. This session is useful for everyone, whether you send mass emails or just internal ones.

From “annual fund in a campaign”: All of our institutions are either preparing for, in the midst of, or transitioning out of a campaign. There is no absolute truth about whether to integrate your annual fund (and alumni engagement goals) into the campaign, but there are some important considerations to address before you make your decision. And you may even discover mid-way that you want to go in a different direction. This discussion will explore some of the pros, cons, and factors to consider in deciding how, when or if to use your campaign to promote annual giving (and alumni engagement).

Effective multimedia experiences leverage technology to “show” stories in new and interesting ways. Whether it be audio, video, animation, augmented reality, virtual reality or [insert technology not invented yet], none of these will resonate with your audience unless they have an authentic emotional story at their core. Ravi invites all around the proverbial campfire to unpack the primordial hooks and motivations of enduring storytelling. Collectively, we will examine how new and existing technologies can be integrated to serve content to emotionally engage both new and old audiences. In this session, you will:

• Learn how to identify core story forms within their brand and institutional messaging.
• Consider how time-based media can offer a new perspective on an existing story.
• Get inspired by how new media vehicles can be leveraged to support and extend an established advancement strategy.

Professional development is essential to finding fulfillment in one’s career. With intentional actions and steps, you can chart a path to sharpen and expand your skills, talents, and network. In this session, you will learn how to benchmark your current position and explore next steps for your career, discover how to identify what alumni leaders expect from mid-level and senior-level professionals, and glean insights on how to make connections with professional mentors and potential sponsors for your career growth.