Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 1, Monday, Nov. 8

12:30-12:45 PM
Welcome and Introductions

12:45-1:45
Managing the Annual Fund: The Most Misunderstood Job on Campus
When most people hear the words "annual fund," they immediately think of turn-key operations that focus on raising small gifts and that have limited interaction and impact on development and alumni relations as a whole. We know it is much more than that. It requires the juggling and management of numerous internal and external constituencies, maintaining primary responsibility for impacting participation rates and supplying a continuous pipeline of new major gift prospects. In this kick-off session, we will discuss the annual fund in the broadest sense: managing multichannel/multisegmented direct response programs, utilizing volunteers, driving an annual giving agenda in a politically charged environment, and maximizing revenue and participation on a budget. Whew, we've come a long way!

2:00-3:15
Elective Sessions (choose one)

• Connecting, Coordinating, and Collaborating for Annual Fund Success
  The annual fund plays an important role in our institutions, securing resources today and building a pipeline of prospects for the future. In an era of comprehensive campaigns and high-end annual giving programs, the overlap between annual giving and major and planned gifts is significant. In this session, we'll talk about ways to position the annual fund within the development office and look at opportunities to enhance results for your programs and those of your colleagues through collaboration.
• Messaging and Branding: The Trains are Running On Time, Now What?
  The solicitation calendar is set. The printing press is fired up. We have dial tones in the phone room. The online giving page is open for business. Now what? Discuss building a brand, developing the right messages for the right segments, and utilizing students and alumni to develop content.
• How to Measure the Success of Your Annual Giving Program
  Now more than ever, annual fund managers and directors are being asked to perform better and better with fewer and fewer resources. It has never been more important for you to monitor the return on investment for each project and program that you execute to assure that you are best allocating your limited resources. Learn what the key measurements are to evaluate the success and improve the performance of your annual giving program, how to put a data-driven process in place, and how to use reporting, analysis and ROI to help you focus on your priorities and assure that your goals are met. We'll look at sample reports and discuss how to analyze your program in the short- and long-term.

3:30-4:45
Elective Sessions (choose one)

• It All Starts With a Plan
  Effective planning paves the road to success. We'll talk about setting goals, defining the elements of a plan, integrating methods and constituencies, building a budget, and how you fit into the bigger picture of development.
• So Many Prospects, So Little Time: Using Segmentation to Drive Solicitation
  Most annual funds are called upon to solicit everyone, but given a limited amount of time and money to do so. In this session, we'll look at how you can use your own data-and/or vendor data-to segment your population and invest your resources in ways that will maximize your program's success.
• Giving Thanks: Stewardship in the Annual Fund
  In the traditional view of the fundraising cycle, stewardship leads into cultivation for the next gift. In annual giving, with its incredibly tight timeframe, stewardship and cultivation are really one in the same. Learn stewardship best practices and find out how you can incorporate them into your annual giving plan.

4:45
Conference Adjourns for the Day
Dinner on your own

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Day 2, Tuesday, Nov. 9

8:00-9:00 AM
Continental Breakfast/Roundtables

9:00-10:15
The Many Methods for Making the Ask
In annual giving, we have the opportunity to connect with our prospects through many different channels, some personal, others personalized. Most annual giving programs don't have the resources to do it all. Explore our solicitation options and consider the investments of time and money they require and their relative effectiveness to help you determine the right mix for your program.

10:30-11:45
Elective Sessions (choose one)

• How to Grow Your Online Fundraising Dollars and Donors
  Online fundraising by nonprofits grew from $250 million in 2000 to more than $5 billion in 2006, and it is estimated that it will continue to grow at an alarming rate of 30 percent per year. Online fundraising may soon become the primary form of fundraising (it's already making a dent in direct mail fundraising). Are you employing the right ePhilanthropy strategies to maximize your capacity to raise funds online? This session provides you with 10 ePhilanthropy practices (along with some tips and techniques) that will help you attract and engage online donors and drive your online dollars.
• Utilizing Your Volunteers
  Volunteers can help you build your annual giving program, but they can also take up a great deal of your time. How do you utilize volunteers effectively? How do you energize your volunteers to keep them coming back for more? We'll address these questions and more in this session. You'll come away with great tips for effective recruitment, training and recognition.
• Just Pick Up the Phone
  Phonathons provide a wonderful opportunity to strengthen the connection between your prospects and your institution, especially when students, who can talk about how they have personally benefitted from annual fund gifts, make the calls. Review the key elements of a successful phonathon program, from setting goals to analyzing results and everything in between.

11:45 AM-1:00 PM
Lunch on your own

1:00-2:15
Elective Sessions (choose one)

• Direct Mail: New Roles for an Old Medium
  Electronic communication is all the rage. Does snail mail really matter anymore? We say yes! The role it plays may be changing, but it is still a critical part of your communication mix. Look at ways to keep your direct mail fresh, relevant and productive.
• Making the Ask: The Art of Personal Solicitation
  Increasingly, annual fund professionals are being called upon to make the ask. In this interactive session, we will discuss ways to incorporate personal solicitation into your annual fund strategy and increase your effectiveness as a solicitor.
• How to Introduce Voice Messaging Into Your Annual Giving Program
  Once you've tackled the basics, you should explore how emerging technologies might advance your annual giving program. It has been said that the future is voice messaging, not voice mail. In this session, you'll be introduced to voice broadcast messaging, learning what it is and how it works as well as the benefits, risks and opportunities it offers. Whether you are a large school, with a large staff and a large budget, or a small school, with a small staff and a small budget, you'll learn how to successfully introduce this latest trend into your annual giving program.

2:30-3:30
Targeted Constituencies
Successful annual funds solicit support from every member of the school community. Doing so effectively and efficiently requires definition of and strategic focus on each of your target constituencies. Discuss typical and unusual approaches to defining constituency groups and share tips and caveats.

3:45-5:00
Elective Sessions (choose one)

• Part of the Solution: Faculty/Staff Campaigns
  Make your annual faculty/staff campaign an integral and vital part of your annual giving program. This segment can energize and motivate others to give. Building a sense of purpose, determining a campaign structure that makes sense for you, and using faculty and staff in other aspects of your program are all part of what will be discussed in this session.
• Young Alums: The Future Never Looked So Good
  It's all about building a connection, creating a sense of purpose, and giving them the keys. Discuss why the current generation of young alumni and students are one of the most generous on record...and what it takes to get them engaged with your university.
• Part of the Annual Fund Family: Parents and Grandparents
  The families of your current students-and even of your alumni-can be among your school's biggest fans. We'll look at ways to capitalize on their enthusiasm and build strong giving from this important group.

5:00
Conference Adjourns for the Day
Dinner on your own

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Day 3, Wednesday, Nov. 10

8:00-8:45 AM
Continental Breakfast/Roundtables

8:45-10:00
Elective Sessions (choose one)

• Beyond Participation: Leadership Giving in the Annual Fund
  As the goals for annual funds continue to grow, so does the importance of donors at the top of the pyramid. Discuss strategies for engaging these high-end prospects (and their prospect managers), recognizing their philanthropy, and making the case for significant investment in the annual fund.
• Getting Back and Giving Back: Reunions in the Annual Fund
  A strong reunion giving program can bring substantial benefit to your annual fund-renewed focus on the institution, engaged volunteers, and, of course, increased giving. Review the components of successful reunion giving programs and discuss ways to incorporate reunions into your overall annual fund strategy.
• How to Build a Culture of Philanthropy Among Your Students (Beginning with Freshmen)
  Most annual giving programs start the process of building a culture of philanthropy during the final semester of a student's final year on campus. After more than a decade of running a less than successful annual Senior Class Gift Campaign, in September of 2007, the Emory Annual Fund decided to change their approach and begin the process of building a culture of philanthropy with entering freshmen (immediately upon their arrival at Emory). This session will walk you through how Emory transformed their Class Gift Campaign (with very little budget and resources) by encouraging freshmen to put their spare change in blue piggy banks.

10:15-11:00
Careers in Development
The annual fund has often been considered a starting point to a development professional's career. So where do you go from here? And what if you don't want to leave? We'll talk about career paths for annual giving professionals and ways to position yourself to move in your chosen direction.

11:00 AM-NOON
Faculty Firing Line and Conference Wrap-Up

NOON
Conference Adjourns

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