Join conference faculty to kick off the program, meet fellow attendees, and set the stage to make the most of our time together. During this session, we will review desired learning outcomes, share feedback from the pre-conference survey, and dive into several foundational concepts, including partnership dimensions, development lifecycle, donor bill of rights, and industry standards and resources. This opening session will set the tone for a collaborative and enriching conference experience. By establishing a shared framework, we aim to empower you with the insights and connections needed to elevate your fundraising programs.

In an ever-evolving landscape of philanthropy and fundraising, development officers and deans must stay ahead of emerging trends and strategic opportunities. This session will delve into critical topics and horizon issues that are shaping the future of fundraising, providing attendees with baseline insights and actionable strategies. Topics will charitable giving trends, family offices and Pooled capital, generational giving and wealth transfer, global philanthropy, athletics, and admissions.

Success in university advancement relies on the collaboration of diverse leadership roles, each bringing unique expertise to the table. The advancement ecosystem spans the entire campus, encompassing key figures such as the Chief Development Officer (CDO), Vice President for Advancement, Chief Financial Officer (both university-wide and unit-embedded), Alumni Leader, Deans, and Content or Campus Leaders (ex. the Athletic Director, VP of Student Affairs), and, of course, the President and Provost. All leaders come together to play pivotal roles in shaping and championing advancement efforts. Understanding the distinct contributions of each ensures that philanthropic initiatives align with institutional priorities, ultimately maximizing impact.

This session will cover the critical contributions of volunteer leaders and faculty on your expanded team of resource developers and institutional advocates, and the power of those partnerships in extending your reach, sharpening and amplifying your messages, and cultivating fruitful relationships. As with the partners and stakeholders discussion in Part 1, attention will be focused on alignment of priorities and maximization of impact.

This session will provide insights and strategies into shaping an academic plan through the engagement of faculty and academic colleagues, as well collaboration with university leadership. In addition, the formulation of a fundraising plan and crafting of specific priorities in partnership with development will be explored to provide a roadmap for participants.

Faculty pairs will cover concepts on leadership, management and strategic planning designed for an academic leader. These include: the integration of institutional and academic planning with advancement planning, assessment of school- and unit-based fundraising performance, the role of the dean in ensuring institutional capacity to meet donative intent, and meaningful partnerships to achieve desired outcomes.

This session will cover concepts on leadership, management, and strategic planning designed for a chief development officer but tailored for a dean. These include partnering with a CDO to formulate a development plan that advances the dean’s vision and priorities, engaging in appropriate team and individual performance goal setting, participating in team training activities, including talent development, and evaluating progress and achievement through executive dashboards and qualitative reviews.

Shared and collaborative development of the case for support engages the institutional community in crafting a shared and aspirational vision. In this session, we will discuss a roadmap for realigning your key stakeholders around a narrative and set of philanthropic goals most likely to differentiate your school/unit/institution and build both sustainability and brand. We also will explore the evolution of the case for support across the longer-term framework of a campaign.

Preparing your school or unit to not only be in a position to accept transformation gifts but to deliver on a donor’s vision and intent does not just happen by chance. In this session, we will review the key elements that must be in place for success, including the academic leader and advancement partnership; articulating a clear strategic vision and business plan; and developing ongoing strategies for identifying campus leaders and partners that need to be involved in gift discussions and how to engage them.