8-9:00 a.m. – Continental Breakfast
Seating/Networking in the Madison Ballroom
9-10:15 a.m. – Breakout Sessions
Frontline Fundraising 101
Laura Southern, Kennesaw State University
Cumberland Room
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.
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
Sapelo Room
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.
Mailbox Standouts: Exploring the Best Direct Mail Samples
Colin Waite, MCR
Ossabaw Room
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
Building the Pipeline: Engaging Students in Philanthropy
Kristy Herrington and Jean Lipsky, University of North Florida
Pulaski Room
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.
10:15-10:30 a.m. – Break
10:30-11:45 a.m. – Breakout Sessions
Post-Pandemic Philanthropy: Engaging Students in a Changing World
Carolyn Clayton, Radford University
Cumberland Room
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.
Ethics in Fundraising
Ric Stewart, Georgia Southern University, Cheryl Ciucevich, Augusta Tech with Bob Burdenski
Sapelo Room
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.
Defining, Building, and Exploring Cadences
Emily Etzkorn, VanillaSoft
Ossabaw Room
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.
Mobilizing our national alumni network in preparation for UM’s 100th birthday!
Raphael D. Walters, M.Ed., University of Miami
Pulaski Room
We’re shaking things up as we transition from Development to Student Affairs, where we’ve amplified our efforts in our top 10 ‘Canes Communities (alumni networks). Learn about the exciting revamp of our alumni volunteer boards to leverage their impact, and get ready to hear how our regional engagement officers have turned up the outreach volume with a cadence approach. All in preparation for our spectacular centennial celebrations nationwide, promising a vibrant and unified presence that’ll make waves across the country!
11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m. – Lunch (On Your Own)
Check out our list of local lunch options that are a short walk away.
1:15 p.m.-2:15 p.m. – Breakout Sessions
DEI: Beyond the Surface
Cheryl Ciucevich, Augusta Tech
Cumberland Room
Dig beyond the labels to understand equality v. equity and inclusion v. belonging. Learn how to move beyond your own biases and use your privilege for the good of all. (Yes, we all have some privilege!) This session will offer an interactive “bingo” game to better understand the concept of privilege and “I Spy” game to examine the complexities of bias and prejudice.
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
Sapelo Room
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.
Ring, Ring, Revamp: A Journey to Success for Calling Programs
Justin Parks and Cheyenne Pinkston, Elon University
Ossabaw Room
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.
Raise the Sails: Charting the Course to Cultivate Student Philanthropy and Gratitude
Letitia Evans, Elizabeth City State University
Pulaski Room
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.
2:15-2:30 p.m. – Break
2:30-3:45 p.m. – Breakout Sessions
The “Disco” – Mining Annual Giving Data for Pipeline Prospects
Jennie Culotta, University of Maryland
Cumberland Room
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.
Innovative Crowdfunding
Natalie Huie, UNC Charlotte
Sapelo Room
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.
Student Engaged Fundraising:
The Different Phases of the Gardner-Webb Phonathon Program
Kanisha Fowler, Gardner-Webb University
Ossabaw Room
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.
Navigating the Ups and Downs: A Discussion for Effective Alumni Engagement
Jackson Alexander and Colleagues, Georgia Southern University
Pulaski Room
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.
3:45-4 p.m. – Break
4-5:00 p.m. – Breakout Sessions
Establishing & Evaluating your Project Management Game Plan
Mandy Intravaia, University of Florida
Cumberland Room
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.
“Go to Checkout” – Discussing the Online Giving Page User Experience
Logan Smart, Centre College
Sapelo Room
In this session we will discuss the online user experience (UX) for higher education constituents. Everything from finding your giving form to ease of checkout and how it impacts the likelihood of a completed transaction. We will begin by examining sites across our industry and evaluating the sticking points for end users. Join in and learn how to help modernize your online donor UX.
The 500 Million Dollar Strategy: An Omnichannel Approach
James Barnard, BWF
Ossabaw Room
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.
Our Annual AI/Annual Giving Check-In
Bob Burdenski
Pulaski Room
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 take-away ideas and bring your own.
7:30-9:00 p.m. – Meet Us at Leopold’s!
