8-9:00 a.m. – Continental Breakfast
Seating/Networking in Ballrooms A and B
9-10:15 a.m. – Breakout Sessions
All About Giving Days (Part 1)
Alicia DeLuca, Florida Atlantic University, and Sadiki Perry, FSU
Ballroom A
Part one of a three-part morning-long big giving day forum. Sadiki will give an overview of Florida State’s Great Give – one of the oldest giving days in the country. Alicia will talk about FAU’s recently-completed fourth Giving Day, which raised over $800K in 2025. Whether you’re launching your first Giving Day or refreshing a long-standing tradition, this discussion forum will share ideas, challenges, and success stories from the front lines of Giving Day planning and execution. Topics will include volunteer and ambassador engagement, digital strategy, stewardship, matching gifts, athletics and student participation, campaign branding, and post-event follow-up. Participants are encouraged to bring questions, examples, and lessons learned as we explore what’s working, what’s changing, and how institutions of all sizes can create meaningful donor engagement and fundraising momentum through Giving Days.
Travel, Talk, Repeat: A Practical Approach to Leadership Annual Giving
Rebekah Cheney and Ryan Laughlin, Winthrop University
Ballroom B
Learn how the annual giving team at Winthrop navigated their first year of implementing a leadership annual giving program. No software: just 250 names, a spreadsheet, hundreds of LinkedIn DM’s, and a vision. The team will talk through their successes from the first year, fess up to the growing pains that come from building a new (and much needed) LAGO program, and provide some key takeaways that you can hopefully translate into your own growing or brand-new leadership program.
From Students to Stewards: Building a Culture of Philanthropy Through Student
Foundation Ambassadors
Savannah Dorlan and Nick Jerman, East Tennessee State University
Ballroom C
Many institutions have student philanthropy groups that focus primarily on promoting
senior class gifts or assisting with alumni events. At East Tennessee State University, the
Student Foundation Ambassadors (SFA) program takes a broader, more intentional
approach. SFA is not simply a student volunteer organization, it is a leadership development program designed to educate students on philanthropy, alumni engagement, donor stewardship, and the impact of private support. Students serve as ambassadors for the University, interact directly with donors and alumni, and help execute key fundraising initiatives such as Forever ETSU Week of Giving. This session will explore how ETSU has built a highly competitive and structured program that serves as both a student leadership experience and a pipeline for future alumni engagement and giving. Attendees will leave with a practical tool to recruit, train, and empower students to become lifelong advocates for their institutions. We will share how ETSU recruits and selects ambassadors, structures
leadership roles, trains students in philanthropy and stewardship, and integrates them into
Annual Giving efforts. We will also discuss how we measure success through application
growth, student retention, and engagement outcomes. Attendees will leave with practical
resources, including sample applications, interview questions, training materials, and
assessment tools, to help them build or strengthen a student philanthropy program that
develops student leaders and creates lifelong alumni advocates.
If They Don’t See It, They Can’t Give: Expanding Reach with Text Messaging
Paul Klenk, GetThru
SGA Room
Annual giving teams can’t rely on email and direct mail alone to break through today’s crowded communications landscape. Adding text messaging to your strategy expands your reach, increases visibility, and creates more opportunities for meaningful donor engagement through a true multichannel approach. Unlike email, text messaging is immediate, personal, and conversational—helping you connect with supporters in real time and inspire action when it matters most. In this session, you’ll learn how GetThru enables institutions to confidently scale compliant, personalized text outreach with built-in safeguards and deep expertise in texting compliance and donor communication best practices.
10:15-10:30 a.m. – Break
10:30-11:45 a.m. – Breakout Sessions
All About Giving Days (Part 2)
Diana Forbus, University of Maryland, Clayton Higdon, WKU, and Alex Echeveste, UTSA
Ballroom A
Part two of a three-part big giving day forum. Diana, Clayton and Alex will all provide overviews of their giving day programs, goals, and strategies. Whether you’re launching your first Giving Day or refreshing a long-standing tradition, this discussion forum will share ideas, challenges, and success stories from the front lines of Giving Day planning and execution. Topics will include volunteer and ambassador engagement, digital strategy, stewardship, matching gifts, athletics and student participation, campaign branding, and post-event follow-up. Participants are encouraged to bring questions, examples, and lessons learned as we explore what’s working, what’s changing, and how institutions of all sizes can create meaningful donor engagement and fundraising momentum through Giving Days. ETSU took a bold step and rebranded its traditional Day of Giving into a full Week of Giving & Gratitude driven by data, analytics, and a desire to deepen engagement across campus and community. Using insights from donor behavior and participation trends, they segmented the week to spotlight different audiences and tailor messaging for maximum impact.
A Leadership Annual Giving Forum
Amanda Talbot, Brown University with Rebekah Cheney and Ryan Laughlin, Winthrop University
Ballroom B
A discussion all about leadership annual giving programs, with an overview from Amanda of the elements of the Brown University leadership annual giving program. Topics will include face-to-face fundraising strategies. alumni, class and reunion leadership giving strategies and giving societies.
Stories That Stick: Turning Impact into Annual Giving Success
Alexis Taylor Watts, University of South Carolina Alumni Association
Ballroom C
What makes donors remember your campaign and give again? Storytelling. Annual Giving isn’t just about making the ask, it’s also about helping donors see the impact they’re making. In this session, learn how to transform everyday stories into powerful fundraising tools that deepen donor connections, strengthen campaigns, and inspire giving. You’ll leave with practical storytelling strategies and a simple framework you can use immediately across emails, direct mail, Giving Day, and social media.
Pipeline… What Now?!!
Rachel Spencer, Vanillasoft
SCA Room
If you’ve ever nodded along in a meeting about pipeline “development”, “sustainability”, or “vitality”, secretly wondering what on earth it means and what exactly it’s got to do with you — this is a must-attend session. We’ll peel back the jargon and get to the heart of what keeps “The Pipe” flowing. From first-gifts to major-gifts, Engagement Centers to Leadership Giving, we’ll unpack how you can make a positive impact on donor pipeline (without a PhD in ‘Buzzword Studies’)
11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m. – Lunch
1:15 p.m.-2:15 p.m. – Breakout Sessions
All About Giving Days (Part 3): Week-Long Giving Days, and When Giving Days Fail
Desmond Pierce, Eastern Tennessee State University and Shelia-Marie Stacy, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Ballroom A
Part three of a three-part big giving day forum. ETSU took a bold step and rebranded its traditional Day of Giving into a full Week of Giving & Gratitude driven by data, analytics, and a desire to deepen engagement across campus and community. Using insights from donor behavior and participation trends, they segmented the week to spotlight different audiences and tailor messaging for maximum impact. Then Shelia will talk about ERAU’s “failure to launch” for its giving day. No one wants to discuss it. No one wants to imagine it happening at their institution. After all, annual giving is the rockstar of testing, new ideas, and reinvention; failure is not an option! Until it is. We strive for sustained growth (or at least consistency) is in our giving days, so what happens when your giving day flops? Join Shelia-Marie for an open, candid — and hopefully humorous — conversation about how Embry-Riddle’s 2nd ever day of giving publicly flopped, dropping from over $300,000 in Year One to just $60,000 in Year Two. She’ll be discussing what we did right, where we lost out, and how we recovered with our internal and external communities. I’ll also be looking at some of the ways we’ve already becoming prepping for Year Three: The Comeback Tour.
Thriving in a Small Shop Environment: Strategies, Successes, and Support
Clayton Higdon, Western Kentucky University and Letitia Evans, ECSU
Ballroom B
Join us for an engaging forum 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 forum 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.
From Funds to Causes: Rethinking How We Talk About Annual Giving
Heather Green, UTSA
Ballroom C
Experimenting with cause-focused annual giving to help donors see universities as places to make a difference. As donor expectations evolve, annual giving programs have an opportunity to move beyond traditional institution-centered appeals and connect supporters with the causes and issues they care about most. This session will explore how cause-focused fundraising can make annual giving more relevant, personal, and compelling by highlighting the tangible impact universities have on their communities and the world. We’ll discuss approaches for identifying meaningful causes, developing donor-centered messaging, testing new campaign concepts, and balancing cause-based appeals with institutional priorities. Cause-focused annual giving can attract new donors, re-engage lapsed supporters, and inspire existing donors to see their institution as a powerful way to make a difference.
Trendy with a Chance of Impact: A Practical Guide to the Big Picture
Dan Gardiner, GiveCampus
SCA Room
Discover the key trends shaping advancement strategy and execution—and how they apply to your institution. This session will share insights from a meta analysis of philanthropy research, GiveCampus data, and real-world examples. You’ll leave with actionable tools and data to evaluate your performance, understand how peers are adapting, and identify opportunities for meaningful impact.
Key Learnings:
◾ Understand the most significant trends currently influencing advancement strategy and execution.
◾ Connect these trends to your institution’s specific goals and challenges.
◾ Gain insight from aggregated data
◾ See real-world examples of how peers are responding to these trends.
◾ Identify where your institution can take action to drive measurable impact.
2:15-2:30 p.m. – Break
2:30-3:45 p.m. – Breakout Sessions
Engaging Families, Inspiring Philanthropy: Strategies for Parent Giving
Andria Silva, Rollins College, Sharon Horinka, UNC Charlotte and Skylar Beaver, The Out-of-Door Academy
Ballroom A
Parents are among the most invested members of our campus communities, yet parent philanthropy often requires a distinct approach. Our moderators will discuss strategies for building meaningful relationships with parents, creating compelling parent giving opportunities, and partnering across campus to strengthen engagement. Attendees will gain practical insights, lessons learned, and ideas they can adapt to their own parent giving programs, regardless of size or staffing structure.
Strategic Planning Made Easy
Cheryl Anderson Ciucevich, Augusta Technical College
Strategic planning doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Join us for a practical, collaborative session designed to demystify development strategy for higher education fundraisers. We will break down complex plans into manageable steps that strengthen every stage of your donor cycle—from discovery through stewardship. Skip the academic jargon and walk away with actionable blueprints and repeatable templates to build lasting donor relationships and elevate your institution’s everyday fundraising.
A Year in Review of Communications from The Fund for Davidson
Morgan Kee, Davidson College
Ballroom C
What happens when you look back at 365 days of annual giving appeals? You find out what
actually worked. Join us for a candid, data-driven deep dive into a full year of communications (mail, email, text, student outreach, phone, AI officer, etc.) from The Fund for Davidson. We’ll look at actual examples to dissect the strategies that drove donor engagement, the messaging that fell flat and ways we segment our communications.
Principles of Ethically Influencing Annual Giving
Clark Gafke, LEAD Philanthropy
SGA Room
Discover the science behind donor motivation in this engaging and insightful session! Principles of Ethically Influencing Annual Giving will equip you with eight proven principles—Authority, Consistency, Contrast, Liking, Reciprocity, Scarcity, Social Proof, and Unity—that inspire donors to make meaningful gifts to their university. Rooted in the groundbreaking research of the Cialdini Institute, these principles provide a framework for authentic and ethical donor engagement. Clark Gafke, a Cialdini Certified Professional and Ethical Influence Practitioner, will guide you through the subtle yet powerful elements of everyday communication that drive generosity. With practical examples and actionable takeaways, this session will empower you to build stronger connections with donors and achieve sustainable results in annual giving. Whether you’re a seasoned fundraiser or new to the field, this session will improve the way you approach donor engagement!
3:45-4 p.m. – Break
4-5:00 p.m. – Breakout Sessions
Managing Volunteers
Jennie Dickerson, MBA, CFRE, Community Foundation of Greater Memphis
Ballroom A
You’re a first-rate frontline fundraiser, but you may be mismatched when a peer voice is more productive. Peers can provide a “join me” testimonial, a pre-existing relationship, some prospect research, and an important extra set of hands. Whether it’s alumni agents, parent class chairs, giving day advocates, crowdfunding champions, board and committee lead donor partners and more, “handing the microphone to someone else” can leverage time, resources, relationships, emotional attachments and institutional knowledge.
Fundraise, Recharge, Repeat: Staying Energized for the Long Haul
Shelia-Marie Stacy, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and Letitia Evans, Elizabeth City State College
Ballroom B
Fundraising can be incredibly rewarding—but constant deadlines, ambitious goals, changing priorities, and the pressure to do more with fewer resources can take a toll. This session will explore practical ways fundraising professionals can recognize the signs of burnout, manage competing demands, establish healthier boundaries, and create more sustainable ways of working. We’ll discuss strategies for prioritizing what really matters, managing expectations, supporting colleagues, and building a team culture that values both results and well-being. Come prepared to share what’s working—and what isn’t—as we exchange ideas for staying energized, engaged, and effective for the long haul.
Annual Giving For Athletics: Engaging Fans, Families, and Champions of Your Program
Taryn May, Rollins College
Ballroom C
Athletics programs inspire deep loyalty and pride—but how do you turn that passion into meaningful philanthropic support? This session will share strategies, challenges, and successes in athletics fundraising. Topics will include building strong partnerships with coaches and athletic leadership, engaging alumni athletes and parents, leveraging events and game-day energy, cultivating major and leadership gifts, and creating a sustainable annual pipeline of support. Join this session to exchange ideas, compare approaches, and leave with practical insights you can use to strengthen fundraising for your athletics program.
Why Mail Still Wins
Ryan Talbert, Excalibur Direct Marketing
SGA Room
Inboxes are full, social media attention is short, and yet the mailbox keeps performing. Why is that? In this session we’ll look at why mail is still the workhorse of annual giving, and what creates a great appeal. From list hygiene and personalization to omnichannel and AI, we’ll walk you through the process. We’ll share real samples, results from recent campaigns, and a candid look at what worked, what didn’t, and what we’d do differently. Practical takeaways for programs of any size.
5:00 p.m. It’s Dine-Around Night!
Whether you’d like to choose your cuisine, your dining companions, both, or neither, we have the dinner activity for you on Tuesday night. We’re organizing dinner party groups at SEAGC for those who want to come along, make new friends, and eat good food. We will post on this page soon a selection of area restaurants — and the dinner party groups you can join.
Note: Dine Around Night is “Dutch treat,” and participants will be expected to pay their own bill.