NOON–1:00 PM Registration
Please stop by the registration desk starting at 12:00 p.m. to check in and pick up your conference materials.
1:00–1:15 Welcome and Introductions
1:15–2:15 Running with Scissors: Top Development Tips for Academic Leaders
Ok. So now that we’ve established what we know to be a winning approach to Development, let’s get granular. With more than 30 years of experience seeing what truly has an ROI worthy of your investment of time, energy and calories, we’re going to address what we consider the key ingredients and some cases, requirements to either establish a focused, high-achieving Development program or to take yours to the next level.
2:30–3:30 Workshops (choose one):
Effective Volunteer Management
Volunteers engage with you in many ways. They participate on advisory boards, they host your students through internships and co-ops, they engage with your faculty in their classrooms and other opportunities. They also play a vital role in securing philanthropic support. It is exciting when volunteers share passion for our institutions. It can also be time and resource-intensive on both sides of the relationship. This session will explore best practices in volunteer engagement, what you need to know to be successful. You will learn from others’ experiences and explore challenges and benefits of building and sustaining rewarding volunteer programs.
Building a Diversified Portfolio of Supporters
How do we find the most meaningful approach to organizing a Dean’s external work? We’ll discuss scenarios for relationship building activity at all levels and how this activity effects the organization of time and calendars. We’ll explore strategies, tactics and assessment tools that can help us achieve positive outcomes for our institutions.
Powerful Storytelling & Building Your Case for Support
A call to adventure. A shared sense of direction. The ability to make a difference, an impact. A well-conceived and crafted Case for Support provides the foundation for our fundraising, communication and outreach strategies. And in truth, the community we hope to reach can extend well beyond our alumni base and internal stakeholders if we can capture our vision and ambition in a Case that is compelling and memorable. But today, in our Snapchat world, that’s not enough. We need to take the aspirations of our Case and engage the reader and listener through powerful storytelling that inspires engagement and action. This workshop will consider what it takes to achieve both.
The Keys to Purposeful Advisory Boards
Many institutions find that active and engaged volunteer committees are key components of successful development programs. But what are the actual benefits, and what kind of staffing and planning are necessary to create and nurture your volunteer advisory boards for development purposes? Participants are encouraged to share their successes and challenges in forming and working with advisory boards.
3:45–4:45 The Role of the Dean in Successful Development
The dean has a special role in successful development, including designing the case for support, deepening the engagement of top potential givers and participating in all phases of the Cycle. This session highlights important areas of development for deans and includes ideas and strategies to keep in mind throughout the rest of the conference and beyond.
4:45–5:45 Networking Reception
Join conference speakers and your colleagues to network and unwind after the first day of the conference. Complimentary hors d'oeuvres and drink tickets will be provided. Don't forget your business cards!
5:45 Conference Adjourns for the Day
7:30–8:30 AM Continental Breakfast
8:30–9:30 From Our Donors' Perspective
Enjoy this rare opportunity to hear directly from two remarkable philanthropists about their motivation and commitment to supporting higher education. This conversation will explore their experiences as donors, their philosophies for their philanthropy, and will offer insights into how they engage with institutions and what contributes to their decision to give. The discussion will also explore what our panelists expect from the institutions they support and their motivation to invest so generously.
9:45–10:45 Bespoke Development and the Art of Echoes
Successful, strategic Development cannot be characterized as simply a financial transition aimed at filling a need or addressing a shortfall. While requiring thoughtfully tailored planning and rigorous and consistent implementation, success is often defined by the art and creativity that complements the science because Development is, first and foremost, about relationship building. It is about introducing and attracting investment in and support for a vision that is compelling and engaging. So let’s dispel some myths, build on some truths and better understand an approach to Bespoke Development that will inform all of our sessions together.
11:00 AM–NOON Workshops (choose one):
Artful Ask Workshop (repeats at 2:15 PM)
For many, the idea of making an ask for support is the most daunting aspect of Development. The truth is, with preparation and practice, your confidence and comfort will increase dramatically. In a series of role plays, we will consider not only the sort of preparation required to ensure your meeting is fruitful and enjoyable, but also what a conversation during an actual visit might sound like. One hour on this workshop’s stage and you’ll be ready for your close-up. Guaranteed!
Anatomy of a Successful Donor Visit
We often think of a solicitation as a singular event, a meeting where we "ask for the order." In actuality, this is more than just a transactional visit and when done right it should ensure success at every stage of the solicitation process. Strategic and generative conversations are at the heart of our work. Questioning and listening are powerful life skills. First and foremost, they should help you create productive donor relationships. Using the five stages of the solicitation process, 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.
Strategic Planning for Your Faculty
Creating development strategy is critical to an effective fundraising effort, and is less daunting than you think. We will explore the fundamentals of how deans and development professionals can craft and execute a solid development strategy in a way that will transfer to any context.
The Role of Data and Metrics in Your Advancement Program
Advancement programs have access to robust information systems, and it can be easy to become overwhelmed and lost in the data. In this session, we’ll focus on how to use data to better understand our constituencies, prioritize prospect activity, enhance stewardship and allocate resources to achieve positive outcomes. We’ll share methods for tracking, reporting, surveying and other analytics that will inform and empower our teams for success.
NOON–2:00 PM Luncheon and Plenary, The Winning Partnership
A true partnership between a Dean and their development officer is the key to successful fundraising but what does it take to create this type of relationship? In this moderated conversation, hear from a seasoned Dean and development officer as they discuss the importance of clear roles, responsibilities and expectations. They’ll also explore critical success factors to consider and implement as well as tips and attributes to make your partnership a winning one.
2:15–3:15 Workshops (choose one):
Artful Ask Workshop (repeated from 11:00 AM)
For many, the idea of making an ask for support is the most daunting aspect of Development. The truth is, with preparation and practice, your confidence and comfort will increase dramatically. In a series of role plays, we will consider not only the sort of preparation required to ensure your meeting is fruitful and enjoyable, but also what a conversation during an actual visit might sound like. One hour on this workshop’s stage and you’ll be ready for your close-up. Guaranteed!
Major Gift Strategies
Working with an individual to make a major philanthropic investment in your organization is a very personal and unique experience, with no two donors and no two gift plans being exactly alike. Your success or failure in closing a major gift depends on how well you know the donor, how well you listen and your understanding of what he or she wants to accomplish with his or her philanthropy. Learn how to gain the trust of major donors and prospects, how to use faculty, trustees, colleagues and volunteers, and how to develop customized gift strategies that will maximize results. Walk away with a strategy for one of your donors that you can begin implementing as soon as you get back to campus.
Open Forum for Deans
An informal and interactive Q&A/discussion session for deans. Participants can raise their own challenges and share experiences related to best practices in working within development.
Open Forum for Development Officers
An informal and interactive Q&A discussion session for development professionals. Participants can raise their own challenges and share experiences related to best practices in working with deans and other academic leaders.
3:30–4:30 Transformational Gifts
Philanthropic investments that truly shape our institutions are rare, but the work that leads to these opportunities is ongoing. In this session, we will discuss how best to build the capacity to secure transformational gifts at your institution using a framework that looks at the various elements: The relationship with the donor, the academic leader, the vision, the business model, and extraordinary stewardship.
4:30 Conference Adjourns for the Day
4:45–5:45 Study Hall (optional)
Attendees will have the opportunity to sign up for 15 minute coaching sessions with conference faculty. Participants are encouraged to attend in teams and can raise their own challenges or use this time for personalized follow-up on information shared at earlier sessions.
7:00–8:00 AM Continental Breakfast
8:00–8:45 Recognition and Stewardship
All gifts must be recognized and any opportunity for recognition is also an opportunity for stewardship. In this session we’ll explore how to effectively involve potential supporters and past donors in the institution’s vision, ensuring that they feel meaningfully engaged and are receptive to an invitation to invest in that vision. And once you get that all important ‘yes’, we’ll address how stellar recognition and stewardship not only shows gratitude and fulfills our responsibilities, but can also lead to the next gift.
9:00–10:00 Ethics/Schmethics: How Tough Can It Be?
Ethical issues are more top-of-mind than ever in development. Transparency, accountability and the highest ethical standards of personal and institutional conduct are vital to our success. Review ethical issues related to our work in development and consider the tools and approaches we use to ensure we all remain on the highest ethical ground.
10:15–11:15 Workshops (choose one):
Much Depends on Dinner
While Lord Byron penned “…much depends on dinner”, in our work, we are experiencing the truth of it daily. Frequent dining, both formal and informal, receptions, hosting, toasting, meeting and greeting are all part of our role regardless of whether we are academic or development leaders. But how many of us have actually been taught (or trained!) to not only be comfortable, but confident and fluent in the language of etiquette when hosting a dinner, working a room, making introductions to a dignitary, choosing the best seating arrangement for a donor visit or simply selecting the right fork for your lemon or bacon? Well, fret no more. You’ll feel well equipped for any Michelin experience after our workshop together.
Campaign Basics for Deans
Campaigns are now ubiquitous in college and university fundraising. What used to be periodic efforts to increase funds raised for projects or themes are now regular and sustained fundraising structures that are more frequent, pursuing larger and larger overall goals. We will review the basic planning framework of a campaign and explore its relevancy in today’s environment. We’ll also talk through the trends and pressures related to comprehensive campaigns in the context of national conversations about tuition, endowment size, and so forth.
Partnerships with Alumni Relations
Recent trends in philanthropy and engagement make it increasingly important that development and alumni relations professionals work closely together in order to maximize success. We’ll discuss the patterns that institutions are experiencing and help you develop a road map to increase alumni engagement and philanthropy.
A Fine Balance: Health, Work and Happiness
By this point in the conference we have convinced you that you will actually be conducting advancement and development work 100% of the time, but you are likely thinking how is that possible on top of all of the other demands on your time and energy? In this session we will review some of the evidence supporting the fact that the key to success in advancement is similar to the key in other aspects of your job, taking care of yourself. We will implement some practical tools so you leave this session with a realistic plan and some strategies to stay active and healthy in your role as an academic leader.
11:15–11:45 Final Thoughts
Please don’t leave quite yet! Join us for a pithy and inspiring wrap-up conversation that will highlight and prioritize what we’ve heard over the last 3 days. Faculty members will join in and share what they consider to be their top take-away as you shortly depart to wend your way back to your Mothership and continue your Development journey.
