The Senior Leadership Forum sessions will include industry experts on the following topics: Integrated Advancement Model, AI and How it is Changing the Future of Advancement, and Accessibility and Affordability of the Independent School Model. *Separate registration required

In this session, we'll dive into the powerful role that psychographic data plays in transforming donor engagement strategies. Beyond traditional demographic information, psychographics reveal deeper insights into donors' values, motivations, and behavioral tendencies. By understanding what truly drives donors to give, advancement professionals can create highly personalized outreach and engagement strategies that resonate on a more meaningful level. Attendees will learn how to collect, interpret, and apply psychographic data to build stronger, more loyal donor relationships, enhance campaign effectiveness, and ultimately increase donor retention and support. This session is perfect for anyone looking to make their fundraising efforts more targeted, strategic, and successful in today's data-driven world. By integrating AI with psychographic data, we’ll show how you can create detailed donor personas, test engagement strategies in real-time, and gather actionable feedback to continuously refine your approach. This allows for truly personalized outreach, resulting in deeper donor connections and more time-efficient, effective, data-driven fundraising efforts for senior and executive leaders.

Schools only have so many levers to pull when it comes to our business model. Increase enrollment? Increase tuition? What is auxiliary revenue? Philanthropy has the potential to fuel accessibility and stability for our schools. Join us for a conversation with leading minds on rethinking the independent school business model and the importance of philanthropy.

In a challenging independent and international school landscape, and in dynamic and fast-paced school environments, it’s incumbent upon school leaders to maximize return on investment in advancement. The “advancement model” is one solution to ensuring an outstanding external affairs program at your school. While many schools claim to work on the advancement model, few lean into all it offers. Learn from industry experts about how to generate significant impact through strategic collaboration among your development, alumni, communication, and enrollment offices.

The new normal of consistent change is leaving leaders concerned about being left behind. Instead of implementing half-baked, panic-driven ideas...it's time to identify the Easter eggs the future has left for us. In this talk, technology futurist Crystal Washington will show you and your team how to innovate, thrive and enjoy the ride. In this session, you will:
• Understand the gifts the future really has to offer, allowing you to shape and manipulate for your ultimate outcomes.
• Identify the most under-utilized Easter eggs of innovation...which you already have in your basket.
• Create a framework to future-proof your career and organization...and avoid getting scrambled.

Wondering what your new chief advancement leader needs to thrive in your organization? It's not what you think. We have been training new-to-school advancement professionals since 2018 through the CASE School Advancement Institute, and year after year, our comprehensive training leads us to the same conclusion: the nuts and bolts are good, but your leadership is a must. Clarity, goals, accountability, and education are critical for them to thrive. And just like we give them a road map for their success, we'll give you yours too.

In this session, we will delve into the pivotal role of the advancement office in mitigating the erosion of institutional trust affecting education as a whole and independent schools amidst contemporary societal challenges. Against the backdrop of polarizing political climates, evolving parental expectations, and varied perspectives on the goals of education, we will examine how these factors - exacerbated by the ubiquity of social media - contribute to heightened skepticism and distrust. We will explore these dynamics and discuss strategies for advancement professionals to proactively build and sustain trust. By highlighting successful initiatives in transparent communication, ethical fundraising practices, and community engagement, attendees will gain practical insights to strengthen institutional integrity and resilience in an increasingly complex and skeptical environment.

Engagement is the name of the game, and the critical question every Development office should regularly ask is: "Is the work we are doing deepening authentic relationships within our community?" Join us for an insightful session that delves into the Donor Engagement Cycle and its ultimate impact on growing philanthropic support. We’ll focus on one key donor segment – alumni – sharing innovative ideas and practical strategies that underscore the “value-add” for alumni, and are applicable to K-8, K-12, and development offices of all sizes.
Discover an enhanced approach to capturing and analyzing key metrics, enabling you to identify trends and make data-driven, strategic decisions. Participants will gain valuable insights and walk away with actionable ideas to deepen relationships with alumni, driving lasting support for your school.

Eileen Savage, Christine Pina and Clark Wight have had exciting and robust careers as they juggled balancing family, careers and community life. These nonprofit professionals will offer career-making-and breaking-observations for both candidates and hiring managers. They will describe how they decided to stay put, and how they knew when to leave some of the nation's cutting edge independent schools and complex nonprofit organizations. Each will present an exclusive history of how they navigated their careers, reinvented themselves and kept it healthy, lively and fun.

Stories can ignite passion and inspire action. Yet, far too often, they are missing from strategic planning and campaign design. In this engaging and interactive session, we'll reveal how narrative can supercharge your school's vision, captivate your community, and inspire unprecedented support. We'll equip you with the essential ingredients of a strategic story, share insider tips for crafting a resonant narrative, and take a deep dive into an example from Wheeler School.