Sessions will be added here as they’re confirmed, so check back!
We’ll have more than thirty sessions in all.
Annual Giving For Athletics
Michael Ellis and Cade McGlynn, Georgia Southern Athletics Foundation
Session description to follow.
Building the Pipeline: Engaging Students in Philanthropy
Kristy Herrington and Jean Lipsky, University of North Florida
Looking for an innovative approach to build your donor pipeline and engage students in philanthropy? University of North Florida has pursued these goals by launching a new student philanthropy program, Ozzie’s Ambassadors, cultivating over 320 new student donors in its first academic year. This session will walk you through our experience from inception to implementation, touching on the challenges and lessons learned. Use our program as a case study to consider new approaches to engaging students in philanthropy on your campus or developing or enhancing a student philanthropy program.
Data-Driven Annual Giving A/B Testing
Megan Poole, University of Virginia
Session description to follow.
Defining, Building, and Exploring Cadences
Emily Etzkorn, VanillaSoft
Curious about cadences? Wanting to transform your outreach strategy to incorporate the use of cadences, but not quite sure where to start? You’ve come to the right place! Join Emily for a discussion designed to demystify cadences and explore the potential impact they can have on your goals. This session will be part informative (what even IS a cadence?), part “how-to” when it comes to the building blocks, and part strategic guide to implementation & evaluation. Whether you’re looking to enhance your pipeline development work, improve the quality of your communication with constituents, or simply looking to explore something new, you should walk away feeling equipped with the tools & knowledge to hit the ground running.
The “Disco” – Mining Annual Giving Data for Pipeline Prospects
Jennie Culotta, University of Maryland
In FY2024 the University of Maryland began digging into the data on annual giving donors to identify prospects for the Leadership Annual Giving team and a small group of other central fundraisers. With a specific cadence of outreach, these gift officers reached out to 550 prospective donors from the “Disco Starting Playlist” for engagement and cultivation. After just a few months, the results were clear – using annual giving data for concentrated pipeline discovery works. In this session, Jennie Culotta will walk you through the dance steps and offer guidance on creating your own DISCO.
The Donor Experience Academy
Elizabeth Chapman, Emory University
Session description to follow.
Engaging Volunteers:
Mobilizing UM’s National Alumni Network in Preparation for a 100th Birthday!
Raphael Walters, University of Miami
With an upcoming centennial celebration, the University of Miami has amplified its engagement efforts with its top 10 ‘Canes Communities (alumni networks). (SEAGC crowd favorite) Raphael will talk about the exciting revamp of UM’s alumni volunteer boards to leverage their impact, and get ready to hear how regional engagement officers have turned up the outreach volume with a cadence approach. All in preparation for the U’s spectacular centennial celebrations nationwide, promising a vibrant and unified presence that’ll make waves across the country!
Establishing & Evaluating your Project Management Game Plan
Mandy Intravaia, University of Florida
We all know efficient management of our projects is a major piece of what makes them successful and sustainable. But finding the time to evaluate and improve our project management techniques can be difficult. During this session together, we’ll take time to review and refine our own processes while preparing for the unexpected challenges of annual giving life. You’ll get to hear some case studies from recent University of Florida campaigns and discover best practices and tools to implement that can improve the overall efficiency of your projects and campaigns.
Ethics in Fundraising
Ric Stewart, Georgia Southern University, Cheryl Ciucevich, Augusta Tech with Bob Burdenski
Fundraisers can often find themselves in tricky (and murky) situations. What if a casino business wants to support your organization? What if a donor wants an explanation of your “prospect research?” What if a prospect in your portfolio takes a little too much of a liking to you? Or picks up your dinner check? Or leaves you something in their will, but not your institution? What about the fundraiser who switches organizations, and takes donors with them? Or what about those frequent flier miles you collect from your business trips? Join a discussion about the many ethical considerations in our work, and some (usually) effective ways to manage the murky in fundraising ethics.
Evaluating Your Workplace Giving Practices to Grow Your Fundraising
Colleen Carroll, Double the Donation
Are you fully leveraging the potential of workplace giving to enhance your fundraising efforts? Between matching gifts, payroll giving, and volunteer-based initiatives, there is a huge opportunity to drive donations through this channel. Whether it’s been a while since you’ve revisited your strategy or you’re seeking actionable steps after a recent evaluation, our upcoming workshop is designed for you. Join us for an immersive session where we’ll delve into the myriad of workplace giving strategies available to grow your institution’s fundraising. This workshop will guide you through a comprehensive review of your current practices and help you address any gaps that might be hindering your success.
Favorites From the 25th “Silver Anniversary” Annual Giving Appeal and Idea Exchange
Bob Burdenski
For 25 years, Bob Burdenski has hosted an annual exchange where hundreds of institutions share thousands of annual giving innovations, ideas and success stories. Awesome appeals, terrific technologies, dynamic discoveries and marvelous messages. It was a great year of pushing the envelope in direct mail, digital and beyond. Come and see 3-time CASE Innovations in Annual Giving author Bob Burdenski dump out his bag of BOB (Best of the Bunch) favorites for some of the clever fundraising ideas of the year.
The 500 Million Dollar Strategy: An Omnichannel Approach
James Barnard and Zach Corbin, BWF
A recent BWF study found that when base-level donors went on to become major donors, their combined lifetime giving averaged $500M per institution. And yet many institutions continue to see declines in their donor counts that threaten our long-term impact. We’re convinced that building a better donor experience is the key to success, and this starts with creating an engagement-first, truly omni-channel strategy. Join us to talk about integrating video and better storytelling into your campaigns (we’ll share our case study for a university that has seen big gains in participation). We’ll discuss the shift from being obsessed with asking to being obsessed with engaging. And ultimately, we’ll share ideas to help you create community and sustainable relationships with your donors.
Frontline Fundraising 101
Laura Southern, Kennesaw State University
Frontline fundraising is not scary and you can do it! This session is a how-to guide focused on the first year on the job for new Annual Giving and Leadership Annual Giving officers. You will learn the basics, plus tips and tricks from someone who has been in the trenches and survived. If you are new to frontline fundraising, it’s easy to be overwhelmed and there is a never-ending to-do list. This session will help you focus on priorities that will build a foundation and lead to success during your first year. We will discuss everything from building your portfolio, how to conduct a discovery meeting, who you need to know on campus and how you should be spending your time to maximize results. This session will be beneficial for new frontline fundraisers, development professionals who are considering a career shift or programs that may want to add a frontline fundraising team in the future.
Give Campus Sponsor Session
Speakers TBD
Session description to follow.
A Giving Day Forum: Extended Days, Additional Days, Giving Tuesdays, Google Analytics, Multichannel Metrics, Dean Diplomacy and More
Diana Forbus, University of Maryland and Sharon Horinka, UNC Charlotte
Many “mature” giving day fundraising programs are now ten years old or more – and the timing, the duration, the metrics, the purposes and methods have all changed and evolved over that time. Join us for a giving day check-in: How do you (continue to) define success? What about Giving Tuesday? How do you achieve campus cooperation? What if we did this more than once a year? And for more than 24 hours? Join us for a giving day forum.
“Go to Checkout” – Discussing the Online Giving Page User Experience
Logan Smart, Centre College
Session description to follow.
Growing and Managing in the Annual Giving Space
Krystal Oliveira Springgate and Michael Richmond, Tulane University Health
This session explores the dual aspects of growing and managing an annual giving program and advancing one’s career in this dynamic field. Based on their extensive experience, Krystal Oliveira Springgate and Michael Richmond will provide insights into building sustainable programs supporting major gifts and overall fundraising efforts. Attendees will learn strategies for program development, career growth, and effective management practices, focusing on creating a robust annual giving foundation that ensures long-term success.
Innovative Crowdfunding
Natalie Huie, UN Charlotte
Discover how UNC Charlotte leverages crowdfunding to empower student organizations, foster campus partnerships, and amplify project visibility. This session will explore successful strategies, collaboration models, and communication techniques that drive impactful fundraising efforts across the university.
Laying the Foundation: Building or Rebuilding an Annual Giving Program
Shelia-Marie Stacy, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Michael Richmond, Tulane University Health
Join Michael and Shelia-Marie for a theoretical and practical session on what it’s like to build or rebuild an Annual Giving program. They’ll discuss where to start, what to ask, and how to manage the challenges and triumphs. Look for real-world examples, discussion, and practical applications. Whether you’re rebuilding a program, starting a program, or considering massive overhauls to how your program operates, this session may offer welcomed guidance.
A Leadership Annual Giving Forum
Gloria Goosby, The Obama Foundation and Sharon Horinka, UNC Charlotte
Let’s talk about all things leadership annual giving. During this forum, we’ll share ideas around building the case for a LAG team, developing cadences and metrics that matter, and sharing results with your internal partners to create enthusiasm for pipeline building.
Mailbox Standouts: Exploring the Best Direct Mail Samples
Colin Waite, MCR
Is it time to spice up your approach? Direct mail is fundamental to building the donor pipeline, but with new channels in the mix it may be time to revisit your mail strategy. Join this conversation to discuss printing hallmarks that target the right people, grab donor attention, calendar the project, and integrate storytelling to optimize results. Attendees will receive free samples from other institutions and gain insights on:
✔ Audiences – segmenting, engagement, personalization
✔ Calendaring – channel integration, production, timing
✔ Design – photos, layout, color
✔ Packaging – envelopes, paper stocks, inserts
Navigating the Ups and Downs: A Discussion for Effective Alumni Engagement
Jackson Alexander and Colleagues, Georgia Southern University
The team from Georgia Southern University will lead a facilitated session for fellow alumni professionals to discuss the highs and lows surrounding alumni giving and engagement. Through peer-to-peer interaction, attendees will hear about the successes and challenges of Georgia Southern’s alumni involvement with both in-state and out-of-state networks, as well as give space for colleagues to share their own experiences for alumni cultivation. From athletic events, to happy hours, to community outreach, alumni professionals face the same challenges across all fronts. Instead of reinventing the wheel, this session will provide colleagues with an opportunity to brainstorm new ideas, share what works and what doesn’t, and highlight innovative strategies to increase alumni participation.
Our Annual AI/Annual Giving Check-In
Bob Burdenski and Co-Moderators TBA
Bring your AI-enhanced annual giving efficiencies to this open discussion about the latest practical strategies and solutions for using AI in AG. Letter drafting? Images and graphics? Step-saving automations? They’re all being used. Learn some new ideas and bring your own.
Post-Pandemic Philanthropy: Engaging Students in a Changing World
Carolyn Clayton, Radford University
Join us for an insightful session where we review a snapshot of the current status of student philanthropy programs. An intern from the Masters of Strategic Communications program and the Director of Annual Giving at Radford University researched this topic during the Summer of 2024. This session will highlight unique programs, positive trends, shared values, and creative approaches to engaging students in philanthropy education and programming in the post-COVID era.
Raise the Sails: Charting the Course to Cultivate Student Philanthropy and Gratitude
Letitia Evans, Elizabeth City State University
Are you looking for ways to give your donor pipeline and stewardship efforts a boost? Join this session that will dive into the journey of the “Raise the Sails Philanthropy Cord Program.” We’ll explore how the idea took shape, the powerful collaboration between Student Affairs and University Advancement, and how the campaign has evolved to become a part of the commencement culture. Plus, you’ll also hear a fresh take on getting students involved in thanking the people who helped make their education possible.
Ring, Ring, Revamp: A Journey to Success for Calling Programs
Justin Parks and Cheyenne Pinkston, Elon University
The narrative around student calling programs often paints a bleak picture. With schools increasingly eliminating calling programs, funding dwindling, call responses plummeting, technology changing, people don’t answer the phone as much, and software costs skyrocketing, the cost of raising a dollar for Phonathon or Outreach programs has never been higher. However, at Elon University, we’ve rewritten this story. Join us for an insightful session on how Elon University has revolutionized its multichannel student outreach program, achieving a remarkable 70% reduction in expenses and a 260% increase in total programmatic giving. Join us to learn about the strategies that drove this transformation, grounded in our core principles of trust, collaboration, resourcefulness, and meticulous organization.
Segmentation Strategies
Lauren Herbstritt, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Session description to follow.
Stewardship for Retention
Diana Forbus, University of Maryland
Today’s engaged and participating alums are tomorrow’s major donor prospects. The entry point for many of our most financially impactful donors is at the Annual Giving level, and many of those whose names are now on buildings on our campus began giving between $25-$200 for several years before becoming more deeply involved. In this session, we’ll walk through some of the steps that University of Maryland took to emulate the stewardship experience at the major gift level at scaled volume to improve retention for donors in years 2-5. This session will also allow plenty of time for discussion, so don’t forget to bring your own ideas and examples of annual giving stewardship to share.
Student Engaged Fundraising:
The Different Phases of the Gardner-Webb Phonathon Program
Kanisha Fowler, Gardner-Webb University
Learn how Gardner-Webb’s Phonathon transitioned to a thriving development program using students to steward, solicit, cultivate and engage alumni and donors. Their traditional methods of calling had a dwindling return on investment, so the Annual Giving team strategically employed students and created a robust development program. This session will break down the different phases of phonathon and will discuss how to employ students with purpose and efficiency within your institution.
A Texting Forum
Rachel Cleary, GetThru and Sharon Horinka, UNC Charlotte
Join Rachel Cleary from GetThru and some esteemed panelists for a discussion on all things texting. Rachel will kick things off with a quick overview of texting and a breakdown of what you need to know now about texting compliance. Then, the group will shift gears to have a wide-ranging conversation on what we’ve all learned since texting went from the hot new thing to a digital engagement must-have.
Thriving in a Small Shop Environment: Strategies, Successes, and Support
Carolyn Clayton, Radford University, Wes Brown, University of South Carolina Aiken, Kanisha Fowler, Gardner-Webb University, Walker McBee Smith, University of South Carolina Upstate
Join us for an engaging panel discussion tailored for annual giving professionals working in small shops. Our seasoned panelists will share effective tactics and strategies that have driven success, from grassroots campaigns to innovative digital appeals. Whether you’re looking for new ideas, seeking advice on overcoming specific challenges, or wanting to connect with others in similar roles, this panel is for you. Come prepared to ask questions, share your experiences, and leave with a network of colleagues (bring your business cards!) ready to support each other in our critical work.