Now in its second year, the advancement data collaboration between CASE and NAIS has produced comprehensive, standardized data and benchmarks that school leaders can use to help shape strategies to meet goals. With this abundance of information, it can be overwhelming to know which data to pay attention to, how to measure effectively, and the best ways to communicate results. It is tempting to point to the highest number or most exciting result and celebrate that achievement, however building a comprehensive strategy to focus on the fundamentals is critical for long-term success. In this session, we will share key findings from the most recent survey, practical examples of how your program can use the DASL Advancement data, and tools available through DASL and CASE Insights to guide you in making data-informed decisions.

With intensive planning, The Kinkaid School was able to launch the largest capital campaign in the School’s history in October 2021, just 15 months after a new head of school took office in the midst of COVID-19 and societal unrest. Kinkaid’s head of school and chief advancement officer will share lessons learned in communications, board relations, volunteer engagement, and advancement staffing which helped secure $120 million in pledges in only 22 months. This remarkable progress convinced the board to confidently increase the working goal from $125 million to $180 million, a number just $20 million less than the total the community had given in the 115 years before the campaign commenced.

Quality communications work resonates with a broad swath of constituents and brings everyone into the conversation - it makes everyone feel included. How often, though, have you crafted a social media campaign, a print magazine, an admission or marketing piece, a video, only to hear from your Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging team that you shouldn't use it? Or even worse, you didn't ask them for feedback and ended up hearing from a segment of your community that you missed the mark and possibly alienated a group of families or alumni? When the DEI and Communications offices hold up mirrors to each other's programs, it supports a culture of belonging. In this session, we will discuss not only the importance of fully integrating a DEI lens into your communications work, but best practices for creating a culture that allows both programs to thrive.

Join us for an engaging session that will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of annual giving strategic planning and its benefits. Discover how to gather data to identify meaningful strategies, regardless of your school’s size. Learn best practices for strategic planning and how to narrow down priorities based on your school’s unique needs and aspirations. Gain valuable insights into creating a framework for a strategic plan, socializing the plan with leadership, colleagues, and campus partners, refining your strategies based on feedback, and regularly revisiting the plan to ensure continued success.

In school, in sport, in work, and in life… the antidote to othering is clear. The antidote is belonging. In our singular worlds, all of us are navigating the tensions of the responsibilities of our necessary day to day work, the execution of our visionary strategies and the beautiful complexities of the people we work alongside. And in those tensions, there is a sweet spot for creating a belonging world that is real. Let’s put the pieces together and figure out where we go from here. Here we go, together.