Annual Giving Workshop
Learning Objectives
- Highlight key fundamentals in annual giving.
- Discuss proven and emerging practices to maximize results in direct mail, phone, and online giving programs.
- Enhance your interpersonal skills to build strong professional relationships.
- Analyze data and research regarding current and future trends in annual giving.
- Strategize how to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders about the value of annual giving.
- Identify the effectiveness of appeals and apply lessons for more powerful solicitations.
Who Should Attend
- Long-time development professionals with new responsibilities in annual giving who would benefit from fresh ideas and the opportunity to network with others in the field.
- Newcomers and intermediate-level professionals in annual giving.
Meet Your Chair
Colin Hennessy
Colin Hennessy brings over 15 years of professional fundraising and management experience with expertise in annual giving, alumni engagement, segmentation strategy, data analysis, and more. He is recognized as an industry leader with a proven track record of developing philanthropic pipelines through thoughtful interventions informed by behavioral economics, data science, stewardship, and engagement.
As Vice President for Alumni and Donor Engagement, Colin leads a team dedicated to supporting the University of Iowa through thoughtful and innovative engagement and programming—overseeing alumni engagement, communication and marketing, events, and stewardship efforts.
Before joining the UI Center for Advancement in 2022, Colin held leadership positions at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Chicago. In addition, he was a senior vice president and practice area leader at the fundraising management consulting firm Grenzebach Glier and Associates. Colin earned his bachelor’s degree in communication and media studies from the University of Iowa, a master’s degree in adult and distance education from the University of Phoenix, a master’s in public policy and administration from Iowa State University, and a doctorate in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania. He is the 2019 Diane Thompson Award Winner for Excellence in Annual Giving from the Northeast Annual Giving Conference Association. In addition, Colin is a CASE Crystal Apple Award-winning speaker and teacher, in addition to the numerous CASE Circle of Excellence Awards presented to teams under his leadership.
