Noon–1:00 PM
Conference Registration
Welcome to Seattle! Stop by the registration desk at 12:00 pm to check in and pick up your conference materials.

1:00–1:30
Conference Welcome and Introductions
Join the conference chair to meet the conference faculty, learn about our conference group, survey results, and expectations. We’ll discuss our goals and objectives for the conference and how to get the most out of your time in Seattle.

1:30–2:30 
The Overall Development Process
Kick off the conference with an interactive session on nuts and bolts of how the development cycle works. We will cover an overview of advancement and philanthropic trends, discuss fundraising constructs, donor motivation, engagement and more.

2:45–4:00
A Look at Ethics in Fundraising
As Development Officers our jobs seem fairly straightforward - raise money for our institutions.  In reality, we are put in difficult positions on a regular basis.  We will cover some of the key principles in fundraising ethics and discuss how to navigate the challenges.

4:15–5:30 
Engagement: What Does it Really Mean?
Alumni and donor engagement are critical to our success. What does it mean? How should we definite it in our organizations? How do we measure it and how does it inform our work as fundraisers?  We will use this time to look at some of the tools and metrics that institutions can use to quantify their alumni and donor engagement and what success looks likes across different institutions.

5:30–6:30
Networking Reception
Join conference speakers and your colleagues to network and socialize after the first day of the conference. Don't forget your business cards! Wine, beer and hors d’oeuvres will be provided.

6:30
Conference Adjourns for the Day
Dinner on your own or small group dine arounds.
Would you like to join a group for dinner?  Sign-up for small group dine arounds at the registration desk.

8:00–9:00 AM
Breakfast Roundtables by Institution Type
Join your peers for optional small group discussions during breakfast. Discuss what you’ve learned so far, share your biggest challenges, review hot topics and discuss solutions with your peers. Groups will be organized by institution type. A continental breakfast will be provided.

9:00–10:15
Annual Giving Fundamentals: Leadership Annual Giving, Soliciting an Annual Gift and Building a Pipeline Annual giving programs have always been the main staple of higher education fundraising programs and continue to be a critical component of advancement. In our industry, annual giving programs have risen to sophisticated levels that were unimaginable just a decade ago. This session will explore the core functional areas and strategic focus of the modern annual giving program.

10:30–11:45
Elective Sessions on Annual Giving Topics (choose one):

• The Power of Thank You
  A lot of detail and strategy goes into solicitations for annual giving. Are you saying thank you properly? Making your donors feel invested is the first step toward getting a second (or third or fourth) gift. We will discuss some tried-and-true ways as well as some new approaches for stewarding annual giving donors.
• Building an Annual Fund Plan
  Successful annual giving programs require a lot of planning. But it can be hard to know how to set goals and determine key initiatives to ensure a solid plan. This session will cover how to involve key stakeholders, analyze past performance to set goals, and align the annual giving program with university and campaign priorities.

11:45 AM–1:15 PM 
Lunch
On your own

1:15–2:15
“Oh the Places You’ll Go”
This session will discuss important questions to consider as you think about your career in advancement. Topics will include discussions on the politics of managing up, down and across your organizational chart, metrics by which your boss measures your success, and “issues management” in your office.  We will also discuss the importance managing your own professional growth.  

2:30–3:45 
Elective Sessions on Career Topics (choose one):

• A Roadmap for Professional Development
  Ongoing learning is critical in a field as ever-changing as advancement. But it can be hard for emerging professionals to navigate the world of professional development opportunities. This session will explore strategies to develop an individual professional development plan, maximize individual strengths and navigate career development resources.
• Mentor and Mentee Relationships
  The Advancement team at the UW College of Engineering employs a formal mentor program between major gift officers and junior gift officers. In this session, you will learn about the program while hearing from two of their team members, Jessie Muhm (Director of Advancement) and Kaitlin Colleary (Associate Director of Advancement). From 2016-2018, Jessie and Kaitlin partnered as mentor and mentee. Since then, both have been promoted and have new mentor/mentee partnerships.  After a brief overview of UW engineering’s mentoring model this session will primarily feature a candid conversation about Jessie and Kaitlin’s mentoring partnership with the goal of advising attendees about how to find a mentor and how to maximize the relationship.  

4:00–5:15
Uncomfortable Conversations
Communicating with supervisors, subordinates, donors, prospects, volunteers and campus partners is easy when everything is going well but are you prepared to have or navigate those uncomfortable conversations that may involve discipline, politics, challenging donor relationships or inappropriate behavior? These are the conversations that matter and the ones on which our professional relationships depend, so we'd better get them right. Join two of our faculty members for a session on uncomfortable conversations: how to have them, when to have them, and what guidelines you can use to achieve your preferred outcomes.

5:15 
Conference Adjourns for the Day
Dinner on your own or small group dine-arounds
Would you like to join a group for dinner?  Sign-up for small group dine-arounds at the registration desk.

8:00–9:00 AM
Breakfast Roundtables by Topic
Join optional roundtable groups to discuss hot topics in fundraising with your peers.
Groups will be organized by topic. A continental breakfast will be provided.

9:00–10:15
Major Gifts and Campaign Fundamentals
This session will explore the fundamentals of major gifts and will use real life stories and scenarios to address questions. It is often said if an institution is not in a campaign it is getting ready for one. This session will also offer a broad overview of campaigns and resources needed to support them.

10:15–10:30 
Coffee Break
 

10:30–11:30
Elective Sessions on Campaign and Major Gift Topics (choose one):

• Portfolio Management
  Learning how to manage your portfolio of prospects efficiently and effectively is key to success.  How do you determine where and with whom you spend your time?
• The “Comprehensive” Ask and Campaign Readiness
  Are you prepared to make the case for your campaign or capital project – and also make a solicitation for the annual fund?  Why is it so important to practice the “comprehensive” ask?

11:30 AM–NOON
Closing Faculty Q&A
Let's wrap up our time together with final Q and A.  If you have burning questions - now is the time to ask them!  

NOON
Conference Adjourns – Transition to Making the Ask Workshop

Registration is online only. CASE accepts payment by check or credit card for conference registration fees.

All prices shown above are in U.S. Dollars. If your preferred currency if not USD, the fee will display in your preferred currency at the start of the registration process. CASE accepts USD, CAD, AUD, SGD, EUR & GBP.

The hotel rate is not included in your conference registration fee. You are responsible for making your own hotel reservation.

Register Online and Pay by Credit Card

For Further Assistance

If you need assistance or to request an invoice, please visit the member support center, M-F, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. ET.

The hotel rate is not included in your conference registration fees. You are responsible for making your own hotel reservation. Book your room online. Occasionally, room blocks fill before the hotel deadline, although hotels may have additional rooms at a higher rate. Please make your reservation immediately to ensure the discounted rate and availability.

ROOM BLOCK WARNING

CASE Conferences have recently become the target of wholesaler companies trying to sell rooms for CASE Conferences. If you receive a phone call offering to make your reservation and take credit card information over the phone for a CASE Conference, do not conduct this transaction! You run the risk of arriving at the hotel and not having a reservation, or being unable to change or cancel your reservation without penalty, and possibly compromising your credit card details. It is recommended CASE Conference attendees follow the suggested channels for booking accommodation within the conference block following the instructions on this page.