What does the Trump Administration and Congress have in store for independent schools this year? And how will U.S. tax reform impact giving to schools? This session will cover the legislative landscape for schools in the U.S., with a particular focus on issues affecting school advancement offices and how you can support CASE and NAIS’s advocacy efforts. Global legislative developments impacting schools will also be discussed.

Wondering how to incorporate data effectively into your advancement work? Eager to hear how other schools do this? Who is involved? What their processes look like? What impact they see? Join this interactive session with Hilary LaMonte from NAIS and a group of advancement leaders to see what is working for them. Talk with peers about your best practices and what you would like to try moving forward.

Could this be what your Head of School is thinking when tasked to take on a campaign? Heads are expected to be motivational leaders, innovative thinkers, investors in the school’s mission and culture…and they are often charged with also leading a campaign early in their tenure.

The magnitude and pace of philanthropic giving are amplified when the school’s top leader becomes its top philanthropy champion. But what does that look like? How does a head of school leverage their academic expertise to lead a major fundraising initiative?

In this session, Karen and Emilie will discuss the foundational elements of campaigns, explain why the head of school has a critical role in each, and outline how you can support their success in this role. They will explore:

• Planning and executing a campaign
• Developing a compelling case for support
• Building an engaged board
• Working with donors

Throughout the presentation, they will share information learned from their collective work with more than 50 schools and from information shared directly from heads who are new to this work. Karen has counseled schools across the country on campaigns ranging from $30 million to $250 million and worked with many heads who were preparing for their first campaign. Throughout Emilie’s career, she has worked with heads of schools to create a deep appreciation for philanthropy within the leadership team and across the school community. Their insights and real-world examples will provide actionable strategies for elevating the head’s role in the school’s philanthropic endeavors.

Learn how a largely new advancement team takes a disciplined and collaborative approach to securing principal gifts. This will be a case study highlighting how one school secures 7 and 8 figure gift commitments. Get an inside look at how we leverage our colleagues in advancement services, major gifts, the head of school, and board chair to engage an individual donor at the highest level.

Too often, the fundraisers and team members with the best track records are promoted into management without training and support. We will discuss successful team management: how to build great teams; manage high and low performers; have a flexible/hybrid office, and create an individualized coaching approach that maximizes each team member's highest and best use. Managers need to adjust their approach to meet the changing expectations and behaviors of employees rather than expecting employees to change. Team members are also welcome to join to learn what to expect from management.

Launching a successful campaign requires more than just a compelling cause—it demands a coordinated effort across your entire institution to build and sustain momentum. This session explores how to engage multiple stakeholders— including Board, faculty, administration, admissions, and parent communities—in cultivation, a critical strategy to lay the groundwork for success. Participants will gain practical insights on how to orchestrate multiple touch points effectively, enhance relationship-building efforts, and navigate the complex, often years-long process of securing transformational gifts.

A range of external forces is reshaping the landscape of independent education. From demographic changes and evolving educational models to economic pressures on school communities, this session provides advancement professionals with essential insights into the trends influencing K-12 private school admissions and community engagement. Discover strategies to foster resilience and adaptability, ensuring your school’s continued growth and relevance in an evolving educational environment.

Learn how an Oxford University college – the historic home of Alice in Wonderland – has transformed engagement tracking across its database, helping to drive better conversations and more targeted communications to strengthen its relationships.

Founded by Henry VIII over 500 years ago, Christ Church College runs a bustling advancement office covering major gifts, regular giving, events, publications, careers, campaigns and merchandise.

About a third of the college’s 15K database have donated, but historically it’s been very difficult to track the varied touch points within their community.

Join Christ Church Database Manager Teresa Midwinter and Alumni and Donor Kate Jillings to learn how the college has implemented innovative data rules, color-coded dynamic tagging, and a single, comprehensive activity view of interactions with alumni and donors to better understand and connect with its community.

Annual Fund success comes in many shapes and forms but we all face the same challenges of getting full parent participation. In this session you will learn from the Chinese American International School, based in San Francisco, how they achieve 96-98% participation year over year. Tangible action steps will be shared on how your school can achieve full school participation in your annual fund along with a plan to increase new parent giving and leadership giving.

When your Legacy or Planned Gift Program Team is small (or just you!), you need a clear plan and realistic strategies to be successful. In this session, participants will be guided through an effective, affordable, and easy-to-implement 12-month plan that identifies goals, objectives, and collaborative action steps that lead to new and well-stewarded legacy or blended-gift donors for their school. Content examples will focus on alumni engagement and how partnering with your alumni relations colleagues is the key to reaching (and surpassing!) your fundraising goals.