Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 1, Tuesday, September 20

NOON
Registration

1:00-1:45 PM
Welcome, Introductions and Overview of Development

1:45-2:30
The Reality of Development During an Economic Downturn
In the past year we have seen some of the worst economic news in decades. Everyone fears opening bank and retirement account statements and we don't want to watch any of the 24/7 cable news channels. So what does this environment mean for philanthropy? Examine giving over the past 50 years during times of severe economic stress, political and social unrest and military conflict. The results may surprise you as we discuss positive strategies to help you through times of uncertainty.

2:45-4:00
Annual Fund Basics
LYBUNTS, SYBUNTS, nevers, direct mail, phonathon, unrestricted, participation-these are all terms you need to know when talking about the annual fund. The annual fund helps to form a habit of giving, enables donors of all shapes and sizes to participate and is an incredible place to identify major gift prospects. This session is designed to provide a nuts and bolts review of the annual fund and how it fits into the development landscape. We will briefly discuss strategies that are tried-and-true as well as new techniques in the growing age of technology.

4:15-5:30
Major Gifts: The Top of the Pyramid
Purpose, passion and process are all key ingredients to building a successful major gift program. This session focuses on the necessity of relationship building strategies and the importance of donor-centered philanthropy. Points covered during the discussion include: developing a process for identifying and qualifying major gift prospects, assessing level of interest and proper gift capacity, securing that first appointment, creating cultivation strategies, timing the ask, methods for personalizing the proposal, tips for closing the deal, keys to follow up and the importance of stewardship.

6:00-7:00
Networking Reception
Bring your business cards and mingle with your colleagues.

7:00
Conference Adjourns for the Day
Dinner on your own

 [Back to top]

Day 2, Wednesday, September 21

7:30-8:00 AM
Continental Breakfast

8:00-9:00
Beginning the Process: Identification and Cultivation
Now that you are hired, you know you are supposed to ask for money. Who should you ask? When do you do it? Is there more to it? YES! There is so much more to development then just asking for money. This session will kick off a day focused on providing an overview of techniques in identifying, cultivating, soliciting and stewarding a donor.

9:15-10:30
Elective Sessions: Cultivation (choose one)

• Introduction to Educational Fundraising
  Endowment. Chairs. Scholarship. Fellowships. What do these terms mean? How do they work? This session aims to give you the scoop of what these terms mean and what you should know about them. This session allows you to ask those questions you think you shouldn't ask.
• Developing a Strategic Action Plan for a Major Gift Prospect
  You have met with a prospective giver and from the qualification meeting, you feel he or she has major gift potential. Who, what, when, why and how do you thoughtfully and strategically share your time with the prospect to bring him or her to a positive giving decision? Find out at this session.
• Energizing and Empowering Your Volunteers and Parents
  If the success of your program depends on the success of your volunteers, giving them the tools and the confidence they need is critical. Learn to identify and recruit effective volunteers. Explore numerous innovative ideas for volunteer training, management and recognition that will energize and empower your volunteers.

10:45 AM-NOON
Session TBD

NOON-1:15 PM
Lunch on your own

1:15-2:30 PM
Elective Sessions: Artful Ask (choose one)

• Planned Giving
  Bequests, charitable gift annuities, charitable lead trusts, CRUTs, CRATs, what? Planned giving is an important and exciting part of any development operation, but it has its own lingo. During this session we will highlight the basic differences all development officers should know about the most commonly used planned giving terms and vehicles.
• Making the Ask (Part I)
  Recommended for those who have not made an ask and not staying for the Introduction to Personal Solicitation Conference, this session will involve a presentation on the art of making the ask. Following the presentation, participants will divide into groups, participate in an initial visit, plan a solicitation, develop the team and make an ask.
  This session is part one of three sessions.
• Corporate and Foundation Giving
  Corporate and foundation fundraising is a different kind of game. It takes a different approach and it is usually an inside job. Explore the basics of approaching corporate and foundation boards and the best strategy for securing leadership gifts.
• Calling All Prospects: Phonathon 101
  Phonathons, with paid callers or volunteers, serve as the base of many development programs and are often the only personal contact alumni and parents have with an institution. Discuss the role of phonathon and the impact it has on the overall fundraising effort as well as the basics one should know in order to use the phonathon program to help achieve the institution's development and engagement.

2:45-4:00
Elective Sessions: All-Around-the-Cycle (choose one)

• Making the Ask: Role Play (Part II)
  Recommended for those who have not made an ask and not staying for the Introduction to Personal Solicitation Conference, this session will involve a presentation on the art of making the ask. Following the presentation, participants will divide into groups, participate in an initial visit, plan a solicitation, develop the team and make an ask.
  This session is part two of three sessions.
• Purposeful Special Events
• Soliciting by Mail and Email and Social Media
  Who says direct mail isn't fun? Discuss what everyone should know before sending out direct mail and email solicitations, from the timeline to the color of the envelopes, to what segments and how often, to cost versus the percent of response. When you leave this session you will know how to use direct mail and electronic media to help achieve your institution's goals and understand the important role they play in the overall development program.

4:15-5:30
Elective Sessions: All-Around-the-Cycle (choose one)

• Making the Ask: Role Play (Part III)
  Recommended for those who have not made an ask and not staying for the Introduction to Personal Solicitation Conference, this session will involve a presentation on the art of making the ask. Following the presentation, participants will divide into groups, participate in an initial visit, plan a solicitation, develop the team and make an ask.
  This session is part three of three sessions.
• Small Shop Talk
  What do you do when you have a small staff, small program and limited budget? Where do you start? Where do you focus? Discuss some of the issues that face small shops and pick up some tips about making the most effective use of your time.
• Prospect and Moves Management
  You have been assigned dozens and dozens of suspects, prospects and donors. Your major gift fundraising success will depend on your ability to manage each through the process of discovery, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship. When and who do you bring in to the management process? Organized efforts and standard reporting will make your career even more rewarding.
• Are You Talking to Me? Marketing and Segmentation
  Our prospect pools are very diverse, and we need to motivate as many prospects as possible to give. Through segmentation, we can better personalize messages and communication methods and more effectively market to various subgroups within our prospect pools. We can also direct resources to the areas with the highest potential opportunity for success. We'll consider several key segmentation strategies-generational, relationship to your institution, recency of giving and gift capacity-and also look at growing trends toward considering ethnicity, gender and affinity (sports, student activities, volunteer activities).

5:30
Conference Adjourns for the Day
Dinner on your own

[Back to top]

Day 3, Thursday, September 22

7:30-8:00 AM
Continental Breakfast

8:15-9:15
Can't Thank You Enough: The Importance of Good Stewardship
The best prospects for future gifts are current donors. So why is stewardship often just an afterthought instead of an integral part of the plan? Discuss ongoing stewardship as a means of increasing donor satisfaction and connectivity, and look at the elements of a thoughtful stewardship plan that serves donors across the gift pyramid. We'll consider why bad stewardship is even worse than no stewardship at all, and review the impact of both on issues ranging from multiyear pledges, donor renewal, gift promotion, gift club upgrades, and future major gift/planned giving commitments. Lastly, we'll highlight potential strategies that you, as the new kid on the block, can use to help rebuild troubled donor relationships.

9:30-11:00
Campaigns
It seems that every organization is involved in, or planning for, a campaign. This session focuses on how you can maximize the benefit of a campaign within your world-your place within the organization. We will quickly take you through the terminology of a campaign and focus on several areas that factor into its success: campaign readiness, staffing, sequencing, leadership, volunteers, prospect identification, research and tracking, gift tables and communications. This session will cover the fundamentals of campaigning as well as provide insights from the field.

11:15 AM-NOON
Words of Wisdom. Your Career in Development. Final Questions
In this thought-provoking session, the faculty will share their personal philosophies and words of wisdom. Additionally we will explore managing your career in development and other topics including managing competing expectations, interdisciplinary fundraising with no clear prospects, work-life balance and more. We have covered a great deal! This final session will also be yours to direct with your questions, situations or concerns.

NOON
Conference Adjourns

[Back to top]