Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

PRECONFERENCE WORKSHOP

Tuesday, April 17

1:00-2:00 PM
Registration

2:00-3:00
Orientation to the IRF Field
Learn how to access CASE resources for foundation executives and how you can become more engaged in your professional association. CASE members and nonmembers welcome!

3:00-5:00
Preconference Workshops

• The Next Generation of IRF Leaders
  What are foundation boards and institutions looking for in their next foundation CEO or executive director? This workshop will focus on how foundation COOs, CFOs, counsels or other executives can prepare to make the leap to foundation CEO.
  Speaker: Dennis Barden, Senior Vice President, Witt/Kieffer
• Leading a Small Shop
  Leading a foundation with limited resources and staff can be a challenge. This workshop will provide tips on how to get the most with the least. While open to all, this workshop will be most beneficial for small four-year foundation and community college foundation executives.
  Speakers: Kenneth Cooper, Executive Director, Cosumnes River College Foundation; and Lisa Heise, Controller, Great Basin College Foundation

5:00-6:30
Welcome Reception

CONFERENCE PROGRAM

Day 1, Wednesday, April 18

8:00-9:30 AM
Welcome and Keynote Address
A noted expert on higher education, Robert Berdahl will share his insights and thoughts on how institutionally related foundations can best support their institutions.
Featuring: Robert Berdahl, Interim President, University of Oregon, Chancellor Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley and former President, Association of American Universities

Sponsored by

9:45-11:00
Elective Sessions

• Profile of High Performing Foundation Fundraisers
  Speakers: John Glier, President & CEO, Grenzebach Glier & Associates
• Are Alternative Investments Worth It?
  Whether you are considering adding alternative investment options to your foundation's portfolio mix or your foundation has used them for years, one of the major questions that foundation leaders often find themselves asking is whether the long investment period and high level of fees are worth the investment risk. This session will cover the use of various alternative asset classes in an endowment portfolio, and how to employ performance measurements such as IRR, Net Multiples and Real Return with your investment decision makers to measure their efficacy. Using real-world investment examples, we will take a look at the fee structure of alternatives and how investors can benchmark performance against similar investments in the public markets in an effort to answer the question, "Are alternatives worth it?"
  Speakers: Rob Fischman, CFO, University of South Florida Foundation; Ken Souza, Investment Director, University of South Florida Foundation; and Michael Patalsky, Managing Director, Wilshire Associates
• Leveraging the Leadership Potential of Community College Foundation Boards
  This session will outline a model of volunteer-led board assessment, recruitment, orientation, and education aimed at building board capacity and engaging boards as philanthropic leaders and advocates. The session will also provide participants with an opportunity to share ideas about how to strengthen the foundation-institution partnership and manage potential board conflicts.
  Speakers: David Bass, Director, Foundation Programs and Research, AGB; and Karen MacArthur, Emeritus Executive Director of Institutional Advancement and Executive Director, Delta College Foundation 
• Compliance Issues of Related Organizations
  Does your organization often have difficulty accumulating and presenting related organization disclosures within the annual tax filing?  If yes, you are not alone.  The Form 990 and Schedules offer opportunities and challenges when addressing related organization reporting.  This session will address compensation reporting, Schedule R, and other areas within the filing.
  Speaker: Karen Gries, Partner, Exempt Tax Services, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP

11:15 AM-12:30 PM
Elective Sessions

• Gift Fees
  More institutionally related foundations are introducing gift fees as a way to generate funding to cover foundation operations. While simple in concept, gift fees can be structured in a variety of ways and apply to specific types of gifts. During this session, a panel will discuss the pros and cons of gift fees as a funding source and share advice on what foundation leaders can do to determine if gift fees are right for their foundation.
   Panelists: Elizabeth Banycky, Interim CEO, Southern Illinois University Foundation; Donna Koeppe, Vice President of Administration and Treasurer, Oklahoma State University Foundation; and Pamela Purcell, Vice President and General Counsel, Director of Planned Giving, University System of Maryland Foundation
  Moderator: Tiffani Shaw, Executive Vice President, University of Iowa Foundation
• Assessing, Building and Maintaining Bench Strength
  As pressure mounts for advancement and development organizations to meet the demands of increasingly larger campaign goals, assessing, building and maintaining a high-performing and productive staffing environment has never been more important. This session focuses on how to identify and define mission critical positions; assessing existing talent and organizational staffing gaps;  aligning high performers with mission critical positions and developing a robust succession plan informed by the strategic talent analyses performed above.
  Speaker: Zachary Smith, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Development, University of California, Riverside
• Community College Alumni Relations: What's the ROI?
  As community colleges look to expand their alumni relations programs, what can be expected from the return on investment? How should you be structured to optimize your investment? What about alumni boards? Annual dues? Hear from a diverse panel about what has worked for them.
  Speakers: Kathy Hall, Executive Director, Kirkwood Foundation; and Victoria Rexius, Manager of Alumni Relations, Schoolcraft College Foundation
  Moderator: Paul Heaton, Director, CASE Center for Community College Advancement
• Considerations When Selecting Alternative and Long Only Managers
  Chris Blume and Yvonne Woo of Goldman Sachs will discuss best practices when evaluating both long only and alternative asset managers for an endowment. Issues discussed will include the process of selecting managers and the on-going evaluation of performance and risk management.
  Speakers: Christopher Blume, Chief Investment Officer, Goldman Sachs Institutional Client Solutions; Yvonne Woo, Managing Director, Alternative Investments & Manager Selection, Goldman Sachs

12:30-2:00
Luncheon and Panel Discussion: The Donor Perspective
A panel of donors will share their thoughts on giving in an uncertain economic environment and how they decide which charitable organizations to support. They will also provide advice on how foundation executives can best work with major donors.
Featuring: John and Rita Canning; Charles Kierscht; and Gayle Wolski
Moderator: Leonard Raley, President and CEO, University System of Maryland Foundation

Sponsored by:

2:15-3:30
Elective Sessions

• Engaging the Community College President
  A healthy relationship between president/chancellor and chief advancement officer is critical to fundraising success. Hear from two college leaders and their foundation executive directors about what it takes to make the relationship work - and some things to avoid. How can you work together to create a culture of philanthropy at your community college?
  Speakers: Robert Breuder, President, College of DuPage; Catherine Brod, Executive Director, College of DuPage Foundation; Mary Spangler, Chancellor, Houston Community College; and Kelly Zuniga, Executive Director, Houston Community College Foundation
• Tax and GR Update
  What is happening with legislative proposals to limit the value of the charitable deduction? What college, university and foundation activities are attracting scrutiny from the Internal Revenue Service? Karen Gries and Brian Flahaven will provide an update on the latest legislative and regulatory developments affecting institutionally related foundations. 
  Speakers: Brian Flahaven, Director of Legislative, Foundation and Recognition Programs, CASE; and Karen Gries, Partner, Exempt Tax Services, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP
• Now to Next Capacity Building Case Study
  This session outlines a systematic approach to enhancing a foundation's performance and capacity across the full range of its functions. The process starts by identifying attributes of top performing peer and aspirational foundations and programs. We will also identify standards of quality, and develop annual and longer-term plans to move foundation personnel and functions to the next level. Discussion will challenge participants to think about how their foundation could develop similar capacity building plans and how such work can inform the strategic decision-making of boards.
  Speakers: Kelley A. Bergstrom, President, Bergstrom Investment Management; and Tom Mitchell, Executive Vice President, University of Florida Foundation
• Best Practices in Endowment Investing
  This presentation will introduce the Endowment Model, the term used to describe the manner in which many large college and university endowments manage their investments. Discuss the best investment practices of large endowments and successful institutional investors and explore what aspects of these practices can be adopted by other endowments and what the dangers and pitfalls are in doing so. The presentation will cover recent trends in endowment investing and review the current market environment.
  Speaker: Ravi Karra, Managing Director, Cambridge & Associates

3:45-5:00
FEATURED SESSION
State of Higher Education
Three prominent leaders in higher education will share perspectives on the challenges facing public colleges and universities and the increasingly important role that foundations will play in helping institutions achieve their teaching and research missions.
Featuring: William Kirwan, Chancellor, University System of Maryland; Mary Spangler, Chancellor, Houston Community College; and James Votruba, President, Northern Kentucky University
Moderator: John Lippincott, President, CASE

Sponsored by:

5:00-6:00
Networking Reception 

Sponsored by:

6:00
Conference Adjourns for the Day
Dinner on your own

Day 2, Thursday, April 19

8:00-9:00 AM
Finding Opportunity in Uncertain Economy
The global recovery continues but at an anemic pace. Jim Sarni will address the following topics from an institutional investor's perspective and what themes he follows in order to take advantage of certain growth opportunities and mitigate risk in others.
Featuring:  James Sarni, Managing Principal, Payden & Rygel

9:15-10:30
The Past, Present and Future of the IRF Field
A panel of early foundation leaders will reflect on the lessons they've learned during the past two decades and will look ahead to the future of the IRF field.
Featuring: Dave Bahlmann, President & CEO, Ball State University Foundation; Gerald Fisher, Former President, University of Minnesota Foundation; and Susan Kubik, Executive Director, Northampton Community College Foundation
Moderator: Curt Simic, President Emeritus, Indiana University Foundation

10:45 AM-NOON
Elective Sessions

• FASB Update
  Learn the latest developments in accounting standards and standard setting and how they affect institutionally-related foundations (IRFs). Topics will include:
  

  ·    International convergence, especially the major FASB/IASB projects on financial instruments and leases

  ·    The two major projects recently added to the FASB's agenda to refresh the NFP financial reporting (FAS 117) model

  ·    Recent Accounting Standards Updates and other ongoing FASB projects of note for IRFs.

  Speaker: Jeff Mechanick, Assistant Director, Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB)
• Building It Inside Out: Integrating Foundation Communications with University Positioning
  Your donors and prospects don't silo your communications based on which particular box in your org chart is generating the message. Rather, they tend to expect that communications are coming from "the university" and are based on an integrated communications or marketing strategy. Now, while you're still marveling at their naiveté, is the time to realize that, actually, their expectations are on target—it's just that most universities aren't organized to deliver an appropriately effective and cohesive message. That's where the integrated marketing and planning process comes in. Through presentation of a philosophical and structural framework, buttressed by case studies from a number of very different public universities (one a flagship, one part of a broad system, and one regional), participants will have a chance to see where they might fit and how they might structure a more results-oriented communications program.
  Speaker: Robert Moore, President and Chief Executive Officer, Lipman Hearne
• Is Your Foundation Registered in States Where you Fundraise?  
  Of course as an institutionally related foundation you are soliciting your alumni, as well as other friends and supporters of your higher education institutions. However, what you may not be aware of is the state registrations that can be triggered in forty states by those charitable solicitation activities. Simply sending an annual solicitation mailing to alumni living in any of those states may require timely, detailed registration with a government regulatory office. We will discuss why compliance is important and offer suggestions for navigating the many requirements.
  Speakers: Tracy Boak, Of Counsel, Perlman and Perlman LLP; and Jennifer Smith, Assistant Vice President, legal, University of Iowa Foundation
  
• Short Course in Tax Treatment of Fringe Benefits for University and Foundation Executives
  This fast-paced hour will highlight the tax rules applicable to fringe benefits associated with "fun, food and moving around," such as cars, planes, spousal travel, club dues, corporate expense accounts, tickets to sporting events and meals, and will also include an update on employment tax audits and the employer's liability for taxes.
  Speaker: Marianna Dyson, Member, Miller & Chevalier

NOON-1:30 PM
CASE Commonfund Awards Luncheon
Honor the 2012 recipients of the CASe Commonfund Institutionally related Foundation Awards.

Sponsored by

1:30-4:00
CEO Conversation
Share best practices, strategies and advice with fellow foundation CEOs and executive directors. Topics for this discussion will be determined by the session's participants.
Facilitators: Laura Brehm, President and CEO, University of Montana Foundation; Jonathon Enslin, President, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Foundation; and Sid Micek, President, University of Illinois Foundation
Moderator: James Moore, President and CEO, University of Arizona Foundation

1:30-2:45
Elective Sessions

• Short Course in Tax Treatment of Fringe Benefits for University and Foundation Executives
  This fast-paced hour will highlight the tax rules applicable to fringe benefits associated with "fun, food and moving around," such as cars, planes, spousal travel, club dues, corporate expense accounts, tickets to sporting events and meals, and will also include an update on employment tax audits and the employer's liability for taxes.
  Speaker: Marianna Dyson, Member, Miller & Chevalier
• Pragmatic Approaches to Foundation Planning
  Strategic planning poses special challenges for foundations which may have little control over revenue streams and whose organizational priorities are largely informed by institutional objectives. Traditional strategic planning models that assume a high level of autonomy, robust human resources, and mature, well-established business models may not be appropriate to many foundations. This discussion addresses approaches to planning aimed at clarifying mission and strategic intent; identifying specific objectives aligned with institutional needs, financial and operational constraints; and yielding practical action plans and observable outcomes.
  Speaker: David Bass, Director, Foundation Programs and Research, AGB
• Benchmarking for Community Colleges
  More community colleges participated in the most recent Voluntary Support of Education (VSE) survey than ever before. Hear a detailed report on the numbers so you can do your own analysis. Also get an update on the IRF Data Book and learn how you can benefit from participating in this CASE benchmarking project. 
  Speaker: Paul Heaton, Director of the Center for Community College Advancement, CASE

3:00-4:00
Affinity Group Roundtables
An opportunity for foundation executives to discuss issues in an informal setting with their peers.

• Financial Staff
• Legal Counsel
• Community College Staff

4:00-5:15
Foundation Independence
The legal landscape for foundations has changed a great deal since Thomas Roha developed his Seven Touchstones of Foundation Independence for the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges in 2000. Roha will discuss how foundations should view the touchstones in this new environment.
Featuring: Thomas Arden Roha, Founding Partner, Roha & Flaherty

5:15-6:30
Networking Reception

Sponsored by

6:30
Conference Adjourns for the Day
Dinner on your own

[Back to top]

Day 3, Friday, April 20

9:00-11:00 AM
Commonfund Seminar: Getting and Spending
William Jarvis of Commonfund Institute will provide an update on foundation endowment performance and asset allocation trends and lead a discussion on foundation gift and spending policies.
Featuring: William Jarvis, Managing Director, Commonfund Institute

11:00
Conference Adjourns

[Back to top]