Comprehensive campaigns can present a range of challenges and opportunities for CFR professionals. Campaign goal setting can highlight the differences between individual giving and CFR, as our donors are less likely to be motivated by campaign goals per se, and we can find ourselves having to help other Advancement colleagues understand where our work fits into the structure of a campaign. At the same time, campaigns can provide CFR professionals opportunities to share our deep institutional knowledge (and closer relationships to the academic program) with colleagues, acting as translators between different campus constituents to craft donor-ready projects.

Led by presenters who have a combined 84 years of experience in higher education grants work at 10 different institutions, this session will help CFR staff at small colleges learn how to leverage their knowledge and expertise to help their colleagues in Advancement (e.g., planned giving, principal gifts, major gifts, annual fund) to achieve overall fundraising campaign goals.

Small colleges typically have very limited staff dedicated to CFR (one or two people), whose success often hinges on building collaboration across departmental and disciplinary boundaries and balancing the desire of funders for sweeping transformation with the time and structural constraints faced by faculty and staff inside smaller institutions. Attendees will learn how their unique position at their institutions can provide insights into academic programs which can focus and refine campaign operations, engagement, and storytelling.

Attendees will learn how to:
–Turn grant proposals into campaign goals, plans, and narratives
–Leverage relationships with both faculty and advancement colleagues to create new cross-campus working relationships
–Parlay their deep knowledge of academic programs, campus culture, and community partnerships into content-rich ideas ready for fundraising
–Help advancement colleagues bridge donor interests and campus priorities to ensure faculty buy-in, scalable projects, and careful stewardship of philanthropic gifts
–Manage up and across to ensure that colleagues and supervisors understand how CFR differs from other advancement functions

Demand for private philanthropic dollars has never been higher, but many Corporate and Foundation Relations teams are currently constrained by budget limitations and hiring freezes. How are different colleges and universities optimizing the resources they have? What organizational structures and staffing models are best suited for this moment? Is the prospect management model working, or are new kinds of roles needed? In this session we will present several staffing structures from an array of institution types, and explore how different models manage common challenges and deploy staff to address demand for services in a changing environment.

The COVID-19 Pandemic, the murder of George Floyd, and the uncertain federal landscape have caused significant changes in the foundation sector. This presentation will explore how evolution in foundations' priorities, strategies, and procedures has affected higher education and the implications for advancement work.

As higher education grapples with questions of access, advocacy, and public trust, how do we move beyond traditional fundraising models to build authentic partnerships that create lasting change? Join Carmen Rojas, President and CEO of the Marguerite Casey Foundation, for a powerful closing conversation that challenges us to reimagine our role in this changing landscape.  In a conversation with Brian Flahaven, CASE Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at CASE, Dr. Rojas will share insights on the intersection of advocacy and development, and how universities can leverage their unique position to champion lasting institutional and public change.