While many institutions take time to review strategic policy for the endowments they oversee on an annual basis, too often that simply means reviewing the asset allocation plan while neglecting the spending policy. The only permanent link between the endowment and the institution it supports is the spending policy — a critical component of endowment management that should be revisited just as frequently as asset allocation. In this session, experts at Commonfund will review trends in spending methodologies of participants in the 2023 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments (NCSE) as well as the Commonfund Benchmarks Study of Independent Schools (CSIS) that is produced in collaboration with NBOA; implications on risk profiles and strategic asset allocation; and explain how the right spending policy can help achieve target returns.

This session will provide Advancement professionals with practical insights and actionable strategies for the care and feeding of any alumni engagement platform. Punahou School's Alumni Relations team has implemented innovative engagement strategies that have resonated with their alumni community. By aligning with school traditions, creating interest-based communities, and leveraging alumni engagement platforms, they've successfully fostered a sense of belonging and connection among alumni.

In today's rapidly evolving educational landscape, aligning data-driven insights with innovative strategies is essential for fostering a culture of continuous improvement and securing necessary support for strategic initiatives. This session will provide a comprehensive framework to effectively integrate data and innovation strategies, engaging stakeholders and sharing your strategic success with donors. Participants will gain practical insights and actionable tools to drive innovation and development in their institutions.

Volunteers are a driving force behind our schools’ success and a cornerstone of our communities. We aim to channel their enthusiasm, working together to create rewarding experiences that elevate both our programs and their engagement. In this session, you’ll discover tips for recruiting, retaining, rewarding and – when necessary – compassionately parting ways with a volunteer.
Don't miss this opportunity to discover how to effectively manage alumni volunteers, boosting your daily operations, advancing your institution’s mission, and surpassing your engagement goals.

A special gift project (or nano-campaign) is any advancement endeavor that doesn’t rise to the occasion of a full comprehensive campaign (with the signature elements of a campaign cabinet, a feasibility study, five-year timetable, and multiple funding targets). A special gift project can be built around either one particular audience or one particular funding objective. While not the significant undertaking so many schools pursue in the form of a comprehensive capital campaign, a special gift project can be a very effective means of capturing a strategic priority for a school in expedited fashion. While special gift projects can be swift and relatively simple, they still require the same foundational elements of a fully-articulated campaign, including a strong case, a sound plan, volunteer leadership, and a viable prospect pool. This session is designed as a road map for measuring the viability of a project and then organizing and executing it.

In this panel discussion, a few talking heads (of school) will burn down misperceptions in campaign planning and share how each prepared their school, their Board, their advancement team, and themselves for a successful, efficient, and goal-achieving campaign. The panelists will share the keys to their successes; the challenges they encountered and overcame; and the surprises along the way. What have they learned that they wish they knew before? How much time have they devoted to campaign work? What are their regrets, if any? What are their words of advice? Topics addressed will include distilling campaign priorities from strategic and master plans; ensuring collaboration among Board committees; resourcing and partnering with the advancement office; working with campaign volunteers; and more. Come prepared with your own questions to ask!

Led by two seasoned philanthropic leaders, this session will focus on ways to habituate the school community to supporting annual giving, which is seen as the key to successful capital, endowment and targeted programmatic campaigns. They will explore ways to make annual solicitations stand out and not be humdrum, busting myths about annual giving along the way. Particular focus will examine the role of the Head in annual fundraising and discuss how to involve volunteers. The presenters expect give-and-take and encourage audience participation because we know that all of us are smarter than any of us.

This session highlights the importance of data collection from the collaboration between all three aspects of the Advancement umbrella - Marketing, Admissions and Development that’s honed around a school's mission, strategy, and message.
Begin the work of discovering potential donors, enhancing relationships with donors, and qualifying their interests, values, and financial resources from the Admissions/Enrollment process. Find out about your potential donors, their behavior and truly determine what you can do to achieve your goals. Learn how best to communicate with your donors through your marketing and communications analytics.
Let the humble data work for you by identifying giving potential within your school community but also engage with prospects and donors in appropriate and highly personal ways.
Set the stage for inspirational giving by being able to better evaluate the role of prospect research within your development program leading to campaign success.

In times of crisis, school communities—including parents, alumni, and faculty—demand transparency and accountability from their leaders. With stakeholders posting on social media in near real-time, the challenge of managing complex situations becomes even more daunting.

This interactive session is designed for everyone from marketing and communications to heads of schools, trustees, and other key decision-makers. Join us as we share tips and work through real (anonymized) case studies in small groups, with presenters adjusting topics to reflect current trends and crises. Through these case studies, participants will develop crucial skills and recognize the importance of advance preparation and having a comprehensive crisis plan in place.

In this session you will learn the steps you need to take in order to effectively use AI and create your marketing strategy.