Day 1, Tuesday, March 16

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. 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 provides a nuts and bolts review of the annual fund and how it fits into the development landscape. Discuss tried-and-true strategies 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 peers.

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

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Day 2, Wednesday, March 17

7:30-8:00 AM
Continental Breakfast

8:00-9:00
Beginning the Process: Identification and Cultivation
Now that you're hired, you know you need to ask for money. Who should you ask? When is the best time to make an ask? Is there more to it? YES! There is so much more to development then just asking for money. This session provides an overview of techniques in identifying, cultivating, soliciting and stewarding a donor.

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

• 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 them to a positive giving decision? Find out at this session.
• Energizing and Empowering Your Volunteers
  If the success of your program depends on the success of your volunteers, giving them the tools and the confidence they need is critical. Discuss how 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
Making the Ask
Focus your attention on your prospective giver and explore the factors that need to be addressed as you prepare for a successful, respectful ask. Explore communication techniques of the successful development professional and get help handling an array of concerns and objections you may encounter.

NOON-1:15 PM
Lunch on your own

1:15-2:30
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 Artful Ask Role Play: Part I (Open only to those not participating in the "Introduction to Personal Solicitation" conference)
  Recommended for those who have not made an ask, this session will involve planning the solicitation call and working with your group to make an ask.
• Corporate & 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. Review the basics one should know in order to utilize 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 Artful Ask Role Play: Part II (Open only to those not participating in the "Introduction to Personal Solicitation" conference)
  Recommended for those who have not made an ask, this session will involve planning the solicitation call and working with your group to make an ask.
• 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? Talk about some of the issues that face small shops and pick up some tips about making the most effective use of your time.
• Soliciting by Mail and E-mail
  Who says direct mail isn't fun? Discuss what everyone should know before sending out direct mail and e-mail 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 utilize direct mail and electronic media to help achieve your institution's goals and understand the important role it plays in the overall development program.

4:15-5:30
I 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.

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

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Day 3, Thursday, March 18

7:30-8:00 AM
Continental Breakfast

8:15-9:15
Elective Sessions: All-Around-the-Cycle (choose one)

• 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 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).

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 and Your Career in Development
In this thoughtful and thought-provoking session, the faculty will share their personal philosophies and words of wisdom. 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 during this conference. This final session is your time to ask questions.

NOON
Conference Adjourns

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