Message From Your Chair

Annual giving has long served as the foundation of fundraising programs, in part because we reach out to the entire institutional community. Our success in these efforts has a profound and immediate impact on our institutions and also sets the stage for future gifts.

Over the past eighteen months, the need for current-use dollars has increased as the value of endowments (and the income they provide) has decreased. This shift has put additional pressure on annual giving to produce, just as the economic environment has introduced new fundraising challenges. Come to the conference to gain insights into the tried-and-true techniques of annual giving that remain effective and learn new approaches for raising money in a changing economy. You will leave with ideas that you can implement, peers you can call on for advice, and a renewed sense of excitement about what your annual giving program can achieve.

Tammie L. Ruda, Conference Chair
Executive Director of Annual Giving
Brown University

Tammie Ruda is the executive director of annual giving at Brown University. In this role, she oversees a robust annual fund program that includes class campaigns, direct marketing, student philanthropy, high-end annual giving and recognition programs, and a parents program. She serves as a member of the development office's senior staff, ensuring close collaboration between the Brown Annual Fund and other fundraising areas.

A member of the Brown University development staff since 1993, Ruda has held other positions within the annual fund as well as the directorships of prospect research and advancement information services. Prior to joining the staff at Brown, Tammie worked in the Radcliffe College Development Office.

She is the author of two chapters in Donor Relations: The Essential Guide to Stewardship Policies, Procedures, and Protocol (CASE, 1999) and is a frequent conference presenter. She previously served a three-year term as president of the Annual Giving Directors' Consortium. She received her bachelor's degree in history and science from Harvard University.

Francine A. Cronin
Senior Assistant Vice President for Capital Projects and Advancement Communications
University of Rochester

Francine Cronin brings more than 21 years of experience working in the world of higher education fundraising to her role as senior associate vice president for annual giving at Emory University. She is active on the Development and Alumni Relations Leadership Team and the university's Administrative Council. In the more than six years that she has been at Emory, the annual fund has grown from $3.6 million in fiscal year 2002-03 to $10.2 million in fiscal year 2007-08. This represents an increase of 184 percent. During this same time period alumni participation has grown from 25 percent to 36 percent.

Cronin's desire to work in the development and alumni relations field was sparked during her senior year of college, at the State University of New York at Geneseo, where she served as a committee member of the college's first-ever Senior Gift Campaign (Class of 1987). Upon graduation, she began her career at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), first as assistant director of the Telefund Program and then as director of the annual fund. While working full-time she attended night classes part-time at RIT and in 1993, she earned her master's degree in career & human resource development with a concentration in organizational development. She played an active role in RIT's $100 million five-year capital campaign, "Access to the Future".

After spending six plus years in a large private university setting, Cronin moved back to her hometown of Utica, N.Y., and worked at a small public university-SUNY Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome (SUNYIT). She served as director of development & alumni relations at SUNYIT for more than eight years until she moved to Atlanta in June of 2003 to lead Emory University's Annual Giving Program.

Allen Rosso
Director of Philanthropic Affiliation
University of Chicago

Allen Rosso has made a career in development for the past 16 years. In his current role as senior director of the Office of Philanthropic Affiliation at the University of Chicago, he manages the annual giving program for twelve schools and units, the development and programming volunteer network of the Reunion and Class Council program and the planning and execution of university signature events.

Prior to joining the University of Chicago, Rosso spent five years at Vanderbilt University first as the assistant director of development for the School of Nursing and then as director of the Vanderbilt Fund.

From 1993 - 2000, he worked on numerous local, state and federal political campaigns across the country. He served in diverse roles including finance director, campaign manager, research director and campaign consultant.

Allen is a graduate of North Central State and Franklin University.

Rachel Smith Silver
Director of Major Gifts
Groton School

In her role as Director of Major Gifts at Groton School, Rachel Silver also oversees Groton's planned giving program and coordinates annual fund fundraising and reunion planning for 24 classes. Her previous work includes direct mail, phonathons, and reunion fund raising for the Harvard Law School Fund, and major gift and campaign roles at several institutions including MIT.

Rachel has served on the board of Women in Development of Greater Boston and speaks frequently at conferences on campaigns, planned giving, and donor-centered fundraising. She received her bachelor's degree in Political Science from Amherst College.

Kate Troelsta
Senior Director of Development for Major Gifts
Clemson University

 Kate Troelstra has recently joined the development team at Clemson University as Senior Director of Major Gifts after working at Providence Day School for ten years. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University, she began her development career there as a phonathon caller and later phonathon supervisor. Since graduation, Kate has been in development for more than eighteen years spending seven years in annual giving before moving into major gifts. She has experience in a wide range of fundraising settings including liberal arts colleges, public research universities, professional schools, and independent schools.

Currently, Kate manages a major gifts team of nearly 20, overseeing prospect management, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. While at Providence Day School she directed all development, alumni, and communications programs while managing a significant portfolio of major gifts prospects and the campaign. Her experience prior to Providence Day includes managing a team of 1,500 volunteers as Associate Director of Annual Giving at Rutgers University and implementing a volunteer structure for both annual and major gifts as a Major Gifts Officer at the Dickinson School of Law.

Kate is active in CASE serving as treasurer for District III. As a speaker she has spoken at the Summer Institute in Fundraising, CASE/NAIS, CASE Newcomers in Development, CASE Campaign Strategies Conferences, and District III on topics including campaigns, major gifts, volunteer management, and annual fund.

Guest Speakers

Adam Niermann
Associate Director, Young Alumni Giving
Office of Philanthropic Affiliation
University of Chicago

Adam Niermann has spent the past eight years working in annual giving and volunteer fundraising efforts. During this time he has established himself as an industry leader in student and young alumni giving.

At the Office of Philanthropic Affiliation at the University of Chicago, he manages the team responsible for the Senior Class Gift, Young Alumni Reunions and Class Councils, and the Undergraduate Student Alumni Committee. During his tenure, Niermann and team have overseen a doubling of young alumni donors at UChicago to 31% participation in fiscal year 2010, and built a senior class gift program that most recently achieved a record 81% participation.

At UChicago, he has spearheaded a direct response "participation" strategy to more effectively reach young alumni as well as implemented successful volunteer-driven young alumni fundraising events and programming. From a 1st-year reunion to "Participate" events, the growth in young alumni engagement and participation has helped reverse a trend of decline for UChicago alumni.

Adam is delighted to discuss the best practices, emerging trends and opportunities in the young alumni and student engagement arena.

Jennifer A. McDonough
Partner
Bentz Whaley & Flessner

Jennifer A. McDonough is a partner at Bentz Whaley Flessner, with expertise in overall fundraising and campaign strategy and management and more than 28 years experience in non-profit development including nearly fifteen years consulting experience.

In addition to her work in annual giving, her consulting practice has included campaign feasibility and planning studies, campaign preparation and implementation counsel, development audits, interim staff assistance, search work, annual fund planning, staff training and board/volunteer coaching. She has worked with such higher education clients as Georgetown University, Smith College, University of Illinois, University of Chicago, University of Louisville, University of Arkansas Little Rock, University of North Florida, University of South Florida, University of Cincinnati, University of Massachusetts-Lowell, Purdue University, Indiana State University, Illinois State University, Indiana University School of Medicine, University of North Carolina Charlotte, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Boise State University, Wright State University, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Adelphi University, Queens University of Charlotte, Houghton College, Gustavus Adolphus College, The Asheville School, and Saint Louis School-Hawaii. In addition, her practice includes work with healthcare organizations such as Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, arts organizations such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Los Angeles Opera and social service organizations such as Habitat for Humanity.

Her experience prior to joining the firm includes directing comprehensive development and advancement programs and serving as a Vice President for Advancement at both the University of Vermont and the University at Buffalo.

A graduate of State University College at Buffalo with a B.S. degree in arts education and an M.S. degree in arts management, Ms. McDonough previously worked as the State Arts Education Consultant for the Indiana Department of Public Instruction, as well as for the Arts Coordination Office of the U.S. Department of Education and the National Alliance for Arts Education at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

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