All Sessions
View all the sessions for the CASE-NAIS Independent Schools Conference 2023
CASE-NAIS Independent Schools Conference 2023
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58 Results Found
3:15 PM - 4:15 PM ET
Philanthropy Powered by Women; Creating a Women’s Leadership Circle
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.
Speakers: Lori Zaniboni, Regional Director of Major Gifts, Phillips Exeter Academy
3:15 PM - 4:15 PM ET
We Hear You!
Building Deep Alumni Engagement and Planning for a Strategic Future
All schools want to know what their alumni think and how to better engage with them. But what does deep listening mean and how does that translate into tangible engagement? In this informative session, learn how one independent school embarked on a year-long process of pause, reflection and assessment in order to hear – truly hear – what alumni and donors think and feel. Discover the building blocks that any school can employ to engage with its community, such as surveys and interactive sessions, and how to share your results in meaningful ways with your stakeholders, engaging them in your strategic direction moving forward.
Speakers: Noelehua Archambault, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Punahou School, Doug Rigg, Director of Alumni Relations, Punahou School
3:15 PM - 4:15 PM ET
Navigating a Brand Campaign: Strategies for Success
As Xavier High School approached its 175th anniversary, school leaders decided to engage in a brand study to evaluate the school’s position in the marketplace and help ensure its continued strength. Learn how the communications team leading the effort managed relationships with trustees, colleagues, and external consultants; gathered and used data to drive decisions; leveraged low-cost SEO and analytics tools to boost brand awareness; and worked to keep the school’s mission at the center of the work.
Speakers: Shawna Gallagher Vega, Vice President for Communications and Marketing, Xavier High School, Nick Barone, Assistant Director of Communications, Xavier High School
3:15 PM - 4:15 PM ET
From Planning to Closing--The Role of the Head of School in a Campaign
In this interview format session, Dr. Darryl Ford of the William Penn Charter School will offer advice to heads of school and those who support or partner with them about how to succeed in every phase of a campaign from leading strategic planning and a strategic vision conference, to conducting a readiness assessment and feasibility study, to overseeing campus master planning to working with advancement staff, to developing critical relationships with the very top donors, to managing the time required by increased activity in fundraising while meeting the other demands on his time, to serving as the campaign spokesperson during the public phase of the campaign, to providing stewardship to campaign donors. Chief Advancement Officer John T. Rogers will provide perspective on developing an effective partnership with the head of school. In his final year leading Penn Charter and at the close of its successful $125 million comprehensive campaign, Ford and Rogers will reflect on both areas of success and challenges along the journey. They will also address how the current campaign has built a strong foundation for a future head of school and campaign.
Speakers: James McKey, Senior Vice President, Grenzebach Glier and Associates (GG+A), John Rogers, Chief Development Officer, William Penn Charter School, Darryl Ford, Head of School, William Penn Charter School
3:15 PM - 4:15 PM ET
Fundraising BS: Leveraging Behavioral Science to Drive Donor Conversion Rates
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.
Speakers: Melissa Bonafonte, Director of Annual Giving, Ransom Everglades School, Felicity Meu, Senior Director, Partner Success, GiveCampus
Competencies: Strategic Thinking
Topics: Campaigns
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM ET
The Golden Triangle of Revenue Management: Exploring the Business Case and Value in Partnership
A strong relationship between school revenue leaders—directors of advancement, enrollment, and finance—is essential for a school’s financial health. Termed “The Golden Triangle,” these three offices need to have meaningful and long-term conversations to address challenges and align priorities while generating and sustaining the revenues that serve as the school’s primary engine of financial health. In this interactive panel, participants will discuss ways in which the philanthropy, finance, and enrollment teams can come together to generate deeper engagement and higher overall revenue. Taking an integrated and collaborative approach leads to better outcomes across the board for the school. Engage in conversation and take away specific examples of ways that your school can thrive with an expanded partnership. This panel will also include an “ask the experts” session during which you can workshop ideas you have for your school or ask for ideas about how to solve external affairs issues.
Speakers: Nikki Morrell, Director of Annual Giving, St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School, Andrew Weller, Dean of Enrollment and Strategic Marketing, St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School, Jennifer Osland Hillen, Chief Learning Officer, National Business Officer’s Association
Competencies: Strategic ThinkingBusiness and Financial Acumen
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM ET
Leadership in a Changing World: Helping School Heads Thrive
Independent schools are facing a new landscape punctuated by rapid changes in the demographic, economic, and social composition of their student and parent populations. New forms of competition have also emerged providing alternative options for high-quality education. The COVID-19 pandemic and many overlapping crises over the past few years have added an additional layer of complexity to the job, resulting in emotional and physical strain for some school leaders. What skills do independent schools leaders need to succeed in today’s environment? What does the leadership pipeline look like? This session will explore national trends in leadership, key needs of today’s heads, and strategies to support leaders.
Speakers: Amada Torres, Vice President, Studies, Insights, and Research, National Association of Independent Schools
Competencies: Strategic ThinkingLeadership
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM ET
Strategic Engagement: Identify Alumni Priorities and Streamline Deliverables
In this strategic planning session, you will learn how to build projects that lead to big picture deliverables. The session will include facilitated activities that walk you through how to:
-think outside the box to increase alumni engagement
-develop a wide range of projects to deliver on these visions
-prioritize these projects to make manageable yet meaningful advancements towards your long term goals
-identify valuable talking points and partnerships outside of your advancement and development teams to enhance your project values and alumni experiences.
Some of these activities include identifying your stakeholder's key emotional and rational decision making needs, project sequencing: what needs to come first for there to be the most success, and ruthless prioritization: with limited resources, what is realistic to accomplish?
By the end of the session, you will have strategic activities and worksheets to bring back to your school to review as well as a variety of starter ideas from collaboration during the session itself.
-think outside the box to increase alumni engagement
-develop a wide range of projects to deliver on these visions
-prioritize these projects to make manageable yet meaningful advancements towards your long term goals
-identify valuable talking points and partnerships outside of your advancement and development teams to enhance your project values and alumni experiences.
Some of these activities include identifying your stakeholder's key emotional and rational decision making needs, project sequencing: what needs to come first for there to be the most success, and ruthless prioritization: with limited resources, what is realistic to accomplish?
By the end of the session, you will have strategic activities and worksheets to bring back to your school to review as well as a variety of starter ideas from collaboration during the session itself.
Speakers: Katie Gibson, CEO, Wavelength
Competencies: Strategic Thinking
Topics: Alumni Relations
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM ET
There’s a Reason It’s Not Called a Perennial Fund: Building a Fresh Annual Appeal
Schools, by their nature, are cyclical. Seasons ebb and flow, and life begins again with each academic—and fiscal!—year. In Advancement circles, nowhere is this more apparent than in the Annual Fund, which, as its name suggests, happens year in and year out—for better and for worse, a tradition in its own right.
But how much of your Appeal remains unchanged year over year? How much time do you invest in campaign development with so much already on our Annual Giving plates?
The Appeal is one of the most easily-overlooked elements of an Annual Fund but arguably one of the most important… It not only sets the tone for the year but also—in its ideal form—efficiently and effectively conveys a unique case for giving that resonates with parents, alumni, faculty, and friends.
Kickstart your Annual Fund Appeal by exploring the basic principles of concept-development and copy-writing (don’t be boring!), considering organizational theory (what is mimetic isomorphism, and what does it have to do with me?), and reflecting on the unique value proposition and differentiating factors of your own institution (what sets us apart?) to build a fun (and functional!) Appeal that keeps your Annual Fund fresh and your community connected.
But how much of your Appeal remains unchanged year over year? How much time do you invest in campaign development with so much already on our Annual Giving plates?
The Appeal is one of the most easily-overlooked elements of an Annual Fund but arguably one of the most important… It not only sets the tone for the year but also—in its ideal form—efficiently and effectively conveys a unique case for giving that resonates with parents, alumni, faculty, and friends.
Kickstart your Annual Fund Appeal by exploring the basic principles of concept-development and copy-writing (don’t be boring!), considering organizational theory (what is mimetic isomorphism, and what does it have to do with me?), and reflecting on the unique value proposition and differentiating factors of your own institution (what sets us apart?) to build a fun (and functional!) Appeal that keeps your Annual Fund fresh and your community connected.
Speakers: Elizabeth Oswald, Director of Institutional Advancement, The Nightingale-Bamford School, Daniel Hrdlicka, Interim Director of Institutional Advancement, The Cathedral School of St. John the Divine
Competencies: Global and Cultural CompetenceIntegrity and ProfessionalismBusiness and Financial AcumenRelationship BuildingEmotional IntelligenceIndustry or Sector ExpertiseStrategic ThinkingLeadership
Topics: Annual Giving
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM ET
Create Fundraising Harmony with the Development Quartet
Successful, donor-centered development programs depend on many factors. One of the most valuable is a focused and well-coordinated Leadership Team that understands the values of your donors and prospects and the strategic needs of the school.
The Development Quartet (consisting of the Board Chair, the Development Committee Chair, the School Head, and the Development Director) creates a climate within the school that focuses on matching a donor’s interests with institutional values and needs. This team is the backbone of your school’s development and fundraising efforts, providing direction, accountability, authority, and the technical know-how to successfully execute your donor-centered programs.
This session will explore how a Development Quartet functions, how one school used the power of the Quartet to navigate change during the pandemic and set up the school for success going forward, and provide Case Studies for participants to model effective use of the Quartet.
The Development Quartet (consisting of the Board Chair, the Development Committee Chair, the School Head, and the Development Director) creates a climate within the school that focuses on matching a donor’s interests with institutional values and needs. This team is the backbone of your school’s development and fundraising efforts, providing direction, accountability, authority, and the technical know-how to successfully execute your donor-centered programs.
This session will explore how a Development Quartet functions, how one school used the power of the Quartet to navigate change during the pandemic and set up the school for success going forward, and provide Case Studies for participants to model effective use of the Quartet.
Speakers: Michael Christopher, Consultant, Independent School Management (ISM), Charlotte Albertson, Director of Development & Community Engagement, Lausanne Collegiate School
Topics: Trustees