This workshop will address the needs of new and existing managers to grow their skillsets and support their teams. Join us in tackling topics including effective management, performance management, and managing up, down, and across. Management Preconference Workshop

This workshop will address the needs of new and existing managers to grow their skillsets and support their teams. Join us in tackling topics including effective management, performance management, and managing up, down, and across.

Time: 8:00 AM – 11:45 AM ET

8:00 – 8:30 AM

Registration and Breakfast

8:30 – 9:30 AM

Characteristics of Highly Effective Managers

Thriving teams and institutions require effective managers to lead them. Join us as we explore key traits that define these managers — from adaptability to creativity and resilience. Through case studies and group discussion, participants will develop a toolkit to elevate their management practices and drive success within their department.

9:30 – 10:00 AM

Stretch Break

10:00 – 11:00 AM

Getting to Know Your People and Performance Management

Successful performance management starts with understanding your team. In this interactive session, learn practical strategies to build trust, assess team dynamics, and set clear expectations. We’ll also discuss different approaches to align individual goals with organizational outcomes.

Speaker: Shomari White, George Washington University

11:00 – 11:45 AM

Managing Up, Down and Across and Closing Remarks

Institutions thrive when advancement professionals can effectively navigate relationships at every level. From securing leadership support to motivating staff and volunteers to building authentic cross-campus partnerships, the ability to “manage up, down, and across” is critical for sustainable success. This session will share best practices for setting expectations, inspiring constituents at every level, and collaborating across departments to expand engagement opportunities. Participants will leave with actionable strategies to align stakeholders, strengthen programming, and drive measurable outcomes.

Designed for those with fewer than two years of advancement experience, this workshop explores the fundamentals of advancement across all disciplines (advancement services, alumni relations, fundraising, marketing and communications). Additional topics will include building a culture of generosity and the power of mentorship. Preconference Workshop Integrated Advancement Workshop

Designed for those with fewer than two years of advancement experience, this workshop explores the fundamentals of advancement across all disciplines (advancement services, alumni relations, fundraising, marketing and communications). Additional topics include building a culture of generosity and the power of mentorship.

Time: 8:00 AM – 11:45 AM ET

8:00 – 8:30 AM

Registration and Breakfast

8:30 – 9:30 AM

Introduction to Integrated Advancement
(Based on free CASE online course)

Participation in this session will equip attendees to:

• Differentiate between the core disciplines that make up educational advancement
• Identify the core competencies advancement professionals must develop
• Define the principles, ethics, and job responsibilities that encompass each discipline
• Review the key resources that support advancement professionals in their career journey

Speaker: Jen McGrath, MIT

9:30 – 10:00 AM

Stretch Break

10:00 – 11:00 AM

Building a Culture of Generosity

What does a thriving culture look and feel like? How do you identify what is working and what can be improved via the following pillars — engagement, giving, and volunteerism? In this session, explore integrated advancement strategies and frameworks that you can apply to enhance your institution’s culture.

11:00 – 11:45 AM

The Power of Mentorship and Closing Remarks

Mentoring boosts confidence, develops skills, enhances engagement, and supports inclusion — for both the mentor and mentee. This session will focus on the power of mentorship and key elements that make up strong mentoring programs. Participants will be matched with a mentor and have the opportunity to connect onsite to learn how to get the most from the conference experience.

Parent Fundraising Workshop Agenda Parent Fundraising Workshop Agenda 8:30–8:50 AM Welcome, Introductions, & Setting the Frame 8:50–9:35 AM Session 1: Designing the Parent Journey — Setting the Conditions for Giving

Before a gift is ever asked for, expectations are already in place. This session focuses on how schools can intentionally design the parent experience to support fundraising efforts later.

9:35–9:40 AM

Break

9:40–10:25 AM Session 2: Parent Fundraising That Works — Participation, Leadership, and Strategy

This is the core fundraising session and the clearest differentiator.

10:25–10:30 AM

Break

10:30–11:15 AM Session 3: Sustaining Trust Through the Ask — When Fundraising Meets Reality

Even well-run programs encounter moments of tension. This session focuses on maintaining credibility and momentum when fundraising intersects with tuition concerns, financial stress, or change.

11:15–11:30 AM Closing: Discussion & Questions

8:45 AM – 9:15 AM Poll and Discussion

Get on the same page and break the ice:

• Interactive poll: How Do We Define Young Alumni?
• Open discussion: How does this definition affect your outreach and engagement?
• Why definitions matter for accurate segmentation, messaging, and goal setting
• How institutional culture influences these definitions (i.e. GOLD, 10 Under 10)
• Airing of grievances and bragging rights: What has made you cringe and what has made you brag?

9:15 AM – 10:00 AM Generational Definitions and Norms

Understanding Millennial & Gen Z Engagement

• Basic definitions of generations based on birth year
• Cultural trends associated with generations connected to the term “young alumni”
• Philanthropic habits of Millennials vs. Gen Z
• Their top motivations for giving and volunteering
• How they respond to authenticity, transparency, immediacy, and digital-first communication
• Key themes to keep in mind when crafting communications
• Common barriers to engagement and strategies for overcoming them
• Monthly giving to mimic subscription services
• Time for questions and answers

10:00 AM – 10:30 AM Break 10:30 AM – 11:15 AM Student AKA Future Recent Alumni Engagement

Building a Culture of Philanthropy: Creating the Alumni Pipeline

1. Identifying Student Leaders

• Where leaders emerge (student orgs, club sports, residential life, ambassador programs)
• Working with advisors and staff members to ensure continuity during student leadership transitions
• Integrating philanthropy messaging into established programs such as orientation, tours, Greek life, and residence halls
• Establishing consistent data integrity to code student leaders

2. Training Student Fundraising Volunteers

• Teaching the fundamentals of higher-ed philanthropy
• Developing student storytellers and social media mobilizers/influencers/advocates
• Demonstrating the tangible impact of donors on the student experience
• Using peer-to-peer strategies during Giving Days, class gifts, and club fundraising
• Establishing clear roles for student volunteers and incentivizing participation as professional development
• Normalizing participation beyond just financial giving
• Providing clear paths to volunteering beyond giving days or charitable gifts

11:15 AM – 11:30 AM Closing

In an increasingly uncertain world that demands more of us every day, what keeps us going isn't another productivity hack; it's trust. Trust is the hidden infrastructure of all human relationships, starting with the one we have with ourselves. It isn't built through grand gestures; it's built in the small moments where we pause to listen, connect, and ask questions. Under pressure, it's easy to rush in and fix what's broken without falling apart ourselves. But to build the human connection that sustains us, we must pause to reset and realign with what matters. This keynote reveals how Power-Pausing builds the self-trust that becomes the foundation for every meaningful relationship in our professional lives. When we pause to truly listen, we create the conditions for genuine connection that withstand uncertainty. In times of unprecedented challenge, trust isn't just nice to have—it's the currency that makes everything else possible. Jeanette brings this to life through real-life stories, neuroscience, emotional and somatic intelligence, and behavior-based insights, showing how small shifts can recalibrate the system, regenerate trust, unlock collective intelligence, and transform how people work together.

Overview

AI is no longer an emerging trend—it’s here, it’s powerful, and it will revolutionize the way we work. But educational institutions often lag behind, weighed down by limited resources, content overload, and outdated workflows. This session will help you bridge that gap.

In this fast-paced, no-fluff, rapid-fire session, you’ll get 10 of the most up-to-date, game-changing AI tools for writing, ideation, automation, data analysis, and more—all tailored for advancement professionals. Each tool/tip will be introduced and/or demoed live in just 2 minutes, so you can immediately see what it does, why it matters, and how it can save you time, improve productivity, and transform the way you work. No filler, no vague AI talk—just practical, must-know tools, tips, and techniques that will make your job easier. And because digital accessibility is essential—not optional—this session will prioritize inclusive content and accessible methods.

AI is evolving at lightning speed, and by February 2026, new tools and innovations will reshape what’s possible. That’s why this session won’t lock into a rigid list—instead, you’ll get the freshest, most impactful AI tools available at the time. Whether it’s a breakthrough writing assistant, an automation tool, or custom GPT that eliminates mind-numbing busywork, or an AI-powered data tool that simplifies complex analysis, you’ll leave with concrete, ready-to-use, and affordable solutions.

Whatever Colleges and Universities can do, so can independent schools and small shops. Just ask Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, MA, as they are one of the most active SAA programs on the independent school circuit. You can start one too. This session is for all independent school and small shop professionals who hope to engage current students with their Advancement and Alumni offices on how to get started and how your current students can prepare for life after graduation as "Alumni in Training."

To ensure the right people are in the room and to maximize the return on every interaction, Boston College has adopted a collaborative, data-informed approach to campaign event planning. Central to this approach is a simple yet scalable scoring model that leverages both engagement metrics and research data—such as giving history, volunteerism, event attendance, and wealth indicators—to identify high-potential prospects in each market. This model has proven especially effective for building invitation lists for mid-sized events in secondary markets, where deeper prospecting is necessary beyond known donors and managed portfolios.

Beyond improved attendance and giving outcomes, this model has strengthened cross-team collaboration, increased operational efficiency, and informed strategic decision-making well beyond campaign programming.

In this lightning-fast session, we’ll condense decades of higher ed print communications experience into 60 ideas that you can use TODAY to make your print publications more read, more loved, and more valuable — and expand their impact beyond the printed page. From optimizing your print publications for the coffee table, to techniques that can make your headlines 8x more engaging, to leveraging modular story structures to create highly readable brand-aligned content: participants will come away with concrete ideas that they can implement immediately and make a real difference for their publications and communications.

If you know, you know! We’re inviting everyone (not just Grease fans) to join us for an interactive session about building skills in your current role that will prepare you for the future. We’ll identify what those skills actually are, what it takes to go after them, and how you make them your own. After this discussion, you’ll have employers singing, “You’re the one that I want!”