Community Colleges Track

Sunday, July 15

3:00-4:15
Community College Campaign Leadership, Prospects and Case: Getting It Right Before the Feasibility Study

Campaigns succeed when the college and leadership are truly prepared for big gift fundraising. If you aren't campaign ready, your feasibility study won't tell you much more than to "get ready." So what do you do to prepare for a campaign? How do you know when you are ready to campaign? What processes and challenges lie ahead? Since 2010, Portland Community College (PCC) has undertaken a strategic program to prepare for its first-ever campaign, with all the work preceding the campaign feasibility study. This session examines the most important readiness factors for PCC and similar community colleges.
Speakers: Marianne Briscoe, President, Brakeley Briscoe; and Kristin Watkins, Associate Vice President, College Advancement, Portland Community College

Monday, July 16

10:30-11:45
Sign of the Times: Multichannel Donor Communication Boosts Engagement

Advancement professionals must apply a multichannel marketing communications approach using traditional and social media to effectively engage donors. In this session, Sharon Beales of Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) and Judy Magnusson of Ellucian will share best practices for engaging via social networks and a college's website-where 65-70 percent of donors seek institution information. The session will offer insights on MCCC's successful multichannel donor communications program and on effectively integrating and tracking donor communications initiatives.
Speakers: Sharon Beales, Vice President, Development and External Relations, Montgomery County Community College (Pa.); and Judy Magnusson, Project Manager, Ellucian
 

2:15-3:30
Strategic Leadership by Community Colleges: Fundraising in the Face of the New Funding Landscape

Community colleges have been subject to unprecedented funding cuts in the past few years. This is most likely an irreversible trajectory and dealing with it requires strategic leadership by boards, presidents, vice presidents and deans. This session is designed to tackle the perceived obstacles and provide possible solutions so that community colleges can successfully engage in fundraising.
Speaker: Ara Serjoie, Vice President of Development, Clark College Foundation