Message From Your Chair

The old maxim goes, "If you don't know where your constituents are, it's hard to get them to contribute." For those of us working in alumni and donor records, the buck stops with us on that issue. Constituent records form the backbone for any fundraising, alumni or membership operation. For us to be able to do our jobs effectively, we must be as well educated as possible on changing technology, regulations and requirements that affect what we do. This workshop provides a unique opportunity to learn and share best practices for records maintenance that foster communication with your constituents and drive successful fundraising efforts.

By attending the Alumni & Donor Records workshop, you will gain experience that can only be gained at a conference focused exclusively on alumni and donor records issues. Special time will be devoted to reviewing regulations that impact how constituent records are maintained. As we often get absorbed in the minutiae of our jobs, the conference will help you gain a broader perspective of your role in the overall scope of advancement. We will discuss new technologies, automated processes and other tools to improve operating efficiencies at our institutions. Finally, and perhaps foremost, you will have an opportunity to share your questions, thoughts and ideas with colleagues and network to build a resource list of peers for future consultations.

Regardless of your role in your institution's constituent records operation, whether you are an alumni records manager, director of operations, database manager, and even a data-entry specialist, do come and share this golden opportunity with us. There will be something for everyone, and you will return after the conference informed and inspired; all the better to perform your critical functions at your institution.

Gail A. Ferris, Conference Chair
Director, Development Services
The Catholic University of America

 Since January, 2008, Gail A. Ferris has served as director of development services at The Catholic University of America. As director, he supervises the university's alumni records, gift processing, and prospect research and management, as well as the university's Millennium development information management system.

In 2006 and 2007, Ferris was director of development systems at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. There he had responsibility for maintaining the database tracking the museum's 200,000 members and the processing of all gifts to the museum. In February, 2007, he assumed responsibility for budget for the Development division, as well as interaction with the museum's information technology, operations, legal, and human resources areas.

Previously, Ferris served as director of development operations at the World Wildlife Fund - U.S., where he was responsible for biographic and gift records, including prospect research and management, budget and human resources. He also served as executive director for advancement records at The George Washington University (GW); as a consultant-in-residence at GW for Systems and Computer Technology Corporation (SCT); as director of information management in Georgetown University's Office of Alumni and University Relations; and as director of alumni records at Yale University.

 Active in the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), he has served as faculty member and chair for several CASE conferences and as chair of the Matching Gifts Advisory Council. He is the recipient of the CASE Crystal Apple Award for outstanding teaching.

Amanda Brown
Senior Philanthropy Systems Specialist
The Nature Conservancy

Amanda Brown has worked for the Nature Conservancy for 10 years at both the local (state chapter) level and in the central Advancement Services Department. In her current role, she is responsible for processing gifts in accordance with donor intent and applicable finance and accounting rules; providing support for major gift fundraising such as input and tracking of donor information; and conducting advanced training for staff in the use of the donor database (Team Approach). Additionally, she is often involved in the review and updating of business procedures, training materials and other documentation used throughout the organization. Based in the Nature Conservancy's San Francisco office, Brown supervises five employees located throughout the western United States who have similar responsibilities.

Prior to working at the Nature Conservancy, Brown worked as a fiscal technician at the University of Washington in Seattle. She holds a bachelor's degree in natural resource planning from Humboldt State University.

Debby C. Charron
Director, Gift Administration
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Foundation

In November, 2009, Debby Charron accepted the director of gift administration role for The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Foundation. With a hospital-wide fund conversion project in the works, Charron's primary focus has been to create, systematize and manage a new fund cost center process for the foundation. Overseeing the daily operations of the foundation's data center, Charron is ultimately responsible for the management of all donations processing, receipting, acknowledging and pledge management activity for a department raising in excess of $55 million annually. Additionally, PCI compliance, lockbox/caging services and document imaging are all critical functions of the foundation's data center.

Prior to her move to Philadelphia, Charron spent several years in Atlanta, serving as the inaugural director of advancement services at the National Foundation for the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (NFCDC). She was recruited by NFCDC while fulfilling a similar role for Oglethorpe University, also located in Atlanta, Ga. At both places, Charron's expertise in operations management was instrumental in providing a solid infrastructure to support efforts in data management/gift processing, annual giving, corporate and foundation relations, planned giving and stewardship.

Past and current accomplishments in the field include benchmarking for trends in development and communications work, measurable standards of employee performance, and the design and implementation of a three-system interface program to allow for systematic exchange and update of prospect and donor data.

Charron's work in the field of development services spans nearly sixteen years at various health organizations and institutes of higher education, including SUNY New Paltz and The Sage Colleges in New York.

Wayne Combs
Director, Advancement Services & Information Management
Occidental College

Wayne Combs is the director, advancement services and information management at Occidental College. Previously, he served as manager, gift, data, and record services at UC, San Diego.

As campaign operations manager for University of Washington's $2 billion campaign, he oversaw a three-year strategic plan for nine operating units. He began his career in higher education at UCLA supporting advancement efforts in the use of technology to prepare for a $3 billion campaign.

Combs received his master's of business administration degree in innovation and his master's of management degree in technology from the University of Washington. He received his bachelor's degree in economics and public policy from Pomona College.

Keynote Speaker

Jon Thorsen
Director of Advancement Services
The Nature Conservancy

Jon Thorsen is director of advancement services at The Nature Conservancy, where he oversees the areas of Business Information & Analytics, Fundraising Systems, Prospect Development and Prospect Management. A former university librarian and instructor, he joined the development profession in 1987 and has led research and advancement services operations for such organizations as Princeton University and the American Red Cross.

A former president of the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement, Thorsen received the association's Distinguished Service Award in 1999. He currently serves as a consultant to the board of directors of the Association of Advancement Services Professionals and chair of that organization's Best Practices committee.

Thorsen has given presentations on many facets of the development profession at conferences of AASP, APRA, ADRP, AFP, CASE and other organizations. His articles on the advancement services profession have appeared in numerous publications, and he has contributed to the books, Constituent Relationship Management: The New Little Black Book of Politics and People to People Fundraising: Social Networking and Web 2.0 for Charities. He also contributed forewords to anniversary editions of Taft Foundation Reporter and the Corporate Giving Directory. His column "Up to Speed" appears monthly at https://workingphilanthropy.com.

This faculty member has earned a CASE Crystal Apple award in recognition of excellence in teaching at 10 or more conferences, workshops, and institutes.