Many schools endeavor to authentically and inclusively engage diverse alumni but lack the identity data needed to understand their demographics. In our ongoing efforts to integrate principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion into all of our engagement practices, Miss Porter's School launched an effort to gather detailed identity data via an alumnae census survey. We partnered with The Inclusion Firm to develop a thoughtful survey experience where our alumnae would feel comfortable, represented, and seen. Join us as we discuss our process and the outcomes of the census survey.

Chaminade High School has been serving the Long Island community since its founding in 1930. The school is owned and operated by the Society of Mary, the Marianists. Its 1,700 men study a rigorous co-curricular, liberal-arts curriculum in an atmosphere that emphasizes the development of Christian community and education of the heart. In recent years, the administrative staff has placed heavy emphasis on developing a highly-talented workforce to effectively live out the school's mission. Recognizing and understanding the way people operate, think, and act in the workplace is more important than ever. Moreover, the way a team of people works and collaborates together directly affects output, efficacy, and productivity. This session will cover the core areas that Chaminade focuses on to continue its mission of quality and affordable education through the use of team-building tactics.

Where do I even come up with my ideas for the next campaign? Have you ever struggled with how to bring a creative lens to your campaigns or appeals? GiveCampus and Blair Academy partner together to show you how to analyze, brand and create your own appeals. Utilizing a marketing strategy in a way that will capture your audience's attention and bring in the big bucks.

The way your school handles a crisis situation can affect innumerable lives and the health of the institution. Learn how you (wherever you fall on the org chart) can leverage your leadership skills to help your school community deal with issues large and small. We’ll discuss the steps you can take now to avoid crises and communication techniques you can employ to minimize the impact when bad things do happen. You’ll learn about roles on a crisis team and how you can maximize everyone’s performance. You’ll leave with tips to build your crisis leadership capacity and concrete tools to help you communicate effectively in a range of emergencies.

Whether you remember the magic of High School Musical at the turn of the 21st century or not, the song "We're All In This Together" is the perfect theme song when academic leadership partners with advancement. How many times have you heard "We're all on the admissions & advancement teams!"? A great slogan, but what does this look like in practice? And, how do we demystify the work of our advancement and development teams? We will take you through our journey of inclusion and the successes that come from adopting a higher ed model of partnering with your academic leadership. It all starts with the President or Head of School fostering systems thinking as it relates to harnessing philanthropic support. In the early stages of campaign planning, Mid-Pacific Institute's Vice-President of Academic Affairs, Middle School/High School Principal, Preschool/Elementary School Principal, and Director of Athletics have actively engaged in prospect identification, cultivation, and active stewardship....and it has made all the difference in a $20 million-dollar year!

Great frontline fundraisers are essential to a school's successful work with top donors and prospects, but the highest-functioning fundraising programs have strong advancement services professionals at the core of their major gifts programs. In this panel discussion with three advancement services directors at high-performing independent schools, we will explore the keys to successful partnerships between fundraisers and their advancement services partners. How does advancement services differ from database management? What are the systems that support strong moves management work? Which gift officer metrics should be measured - and why? Where do partnerships between fundraisers and advancement services succeed - and where do they go wrong? How do you know if your major gifts program needs support from an advancement services professional? What are the key experiences and qualities to seek in hiring an advancement services partner for gift officers? These questions and others will be answered by three advancement services maestros who are leaders in their field.

In many ways, there exists a tension between the fundamentals of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and philanthropy and philanthropic practices. Some DEI thought-leaders have taken aim at the philanthropic sector with one going as far to say, “Global elites who ostentatiously give away hundreds of millions of dollars are actually just preserving the status quo that grants them power in the first place.”(Winners Take All, Anand Giridharadas)

How do our schools facilitate a partnership between Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the Development efforts which exist to provide necessary support for school advancement? And how do our schools work to build a DEIB program while simultaneously continuing to support the efforts to foster a culture of philanthropy?

Have you wondered how to inspire women to make a gift of $50,000 or more to your school? Data driven decisions, strong relationships with alumnae, collaboration across departments, and a compelling marketing strategy around a significant event are the keys to building a Women’s Leadership Circle. During this session you’ll hear about the steps that led to a successful campaign from conception to launch to continued growth. Learn how to create and manage a steering committee, utilize data to make informed decisions, and partner with colleagues to help achieve your goals. We’ll also discuss ways to create successful stewardship strategies that allow you to continue to grow the circle. This will be a comprehensive, interactive session that will give you the tools and inspiration to start a Women’s Leadership Circle at your school.

Now it its fourth year, CASE’s Alumni Engagement Metrics (AEM) survey can provide your school with benchmarks and insights to help shape strategies and set goals. By collecting counts of alumni engaged philanthropically, as volunteers, experientially, and through communication, the survey provides a framework for measuring engagement consistently across the globe. In this session we will share key findings from the most recent survey and next steps for using the results. We will also include key learnings from measuring engagement data, including suggestions for how to get started – even if your institution doesn’t capture everything (spoiler alert – you never will!). Bring your questions and your colleagues for this timely session! You’ll come away with: an understanding of the CASE framework for measuring alumni engagement; key findings and trends; and suggestions for applying benchmarks for goal-setting and strategic planning.

Making it easier for donors to give may just be the most effective strategy in the savvy fundraiser’s toolkit—and we’ve got the conversion metrics (and science!) to prove it. In this session, we’ll show you how applying classic principles of persuasion science to your everyday fundraising challenges can dramatically improve donor engagement and move the needle on dollars raised. Using the Fogg Behavior Model as a framework for understanding donor motivation and ability, Ransom Everglades will share the simple strategies their team has implemented to achieve impressive real-world results.