What if every development professional saw themselves as a gardener of legacy? Too often, planned giving feels like a separate garden—quiet, mysterious, and reserved for specialists. But in reality, legacy gifts grow from years of nurturing by every team across advancement. This session explores how small, intentional “seeds” planted in everyday donor conversations can blossom into meaningful, lasting gifts. Using the metaphor of a garden, participants will learn how to spot cues that signal legacy readiness, use natural “seed phrases,” and confidently reference gift options without sounding too technical. Discover the art of legacy-minded fundraising and leave ready to nurture growth that lasts long after the campaign ends.

Higher education fundraising has long been built on the traditional model of individual major gift officer goals—where fundraisers work independently within assigned colleges, programs, or initiatives. While this structure has its merits, it can also create silos, limits collaboration, and hinders the ability to align fundraising efforts with broader institutional priorities. 

At the West Chester University Foundation, we saw an opportunity to rethink this approach. In fiscal year 2025, our frontline fundraising team (four major gift officers) transitioned to a team-based fundraising model, breaking down barriers between major gift officers and fostering a culture of shared success. By shifting our mindset from individual achievement to collective impact, we not only strengthened internal collaboration but also enhanced our donor-centric approach, increased institutional buy-in, and elevated our overall fundraising performance.

Modeled as an interactive, fact-based case study, this session will explore how WCU Foundation successfully reimagined traditional major gift fundraising goals. We will provide attendees with actionable insights to reimagine traditional fundraising goals and unlock new opportunities for long-term success in higher education advancement. 

As schools increasingly turn to predictive modeling and data-driven strategy to identify major gift prospects and optimize outreach, we must ask: who benefits—and who is left out? This session will explore the ethical implications of predictive analytics in Advancement. Drawing from industry data and research into algorithmic bias, we will examine how algorithmic models can unintentionally reinforce various social and cultural inequities, silence emerging voices, and entrench existing power dynamics in philanthropy. We will explore the concept of “encoded silences” — what our data excludes, and why it matters and offer practical strategies for integrating inclusive data practices and stakeholder accountability. Participants will leave with a framework for interrogating their own predictive models, questions to ask their vendors and analysts, and actionable approaches to aligning their data practices with institutional values around equity and inclusion.

Launching or revitalizing an alumni engagement program with limited staff and budget demands creativity, strategic focus, and efficient use of resources. This session provides a practical, tactical approach to building meaningful alumni connections even with a lean team. Participants will learn how to leverage existing institutional assets such as faculty, staff, volunteers, social media, and easy-to-use AI tech to amplify their efforts and impact. We will explore effective strategies for prioritizing initiatives, activating alumni volunteers, tapping into your institution's influencers (everyone has them!), and streamlining operations through technology. Whether you are rebuilding after a period of transition or scaling up a scaled-back program, this session offers actionable insights and tools to implement immediately for success.

Discover how our student and young alumni philanthropy initiatives, anchored by the Senior Class Gift and energized by the competitive spirit of the Battle of the B.O.L.D. (Beavers Of the Last Decade), are cultivating a culture of giving from campus to 10 years out. We'll share strategies, successes, and lessons learned in building lifelong engagement through peer-led campaigns and class pride.

Storytelling is a hot buzzword in fundraising and donor relations in the higher education/non-profit world, but what if you don't self-identify as a storyteller? Or what if you do, but you don't know where to start at your institution? Here's the good news: journalists have been doing this for decades, and in this session, you'll get a peek inside that world. Learn how your team can create compelling content with proven reporters’ techniques — from where to find good stories to how to tell them well and where to share them. We'll delve into what makes a good story, and why those stories can and should fit into all of your Advancement work — from the ask to the thank-you. Learn how to bring storytelling into your everyday, whether you’ve got a massive communications team, or you’re a one-person show. If you're in mar-comms learn how to turn so-called "boring institutional stories" to life, and if you're in development, learn how to suss out story ideas amongst your donor and prospects and pitch to your mar-comms colleagues. I'll share real-time examples of how we "got the story" in both written pieces and video.

Session keywords: small shops, storytelling, communications, stewardship, donors, fundraising

For generations, American higher education has been the engine behind the nation’s progress, driving our economic prosperity, building a skilled workforce, and nurturing a vibrant democracy. But colleges and universities are experiencing a growing crisis of confidence. Once respected institutions whose importance was assumed, they have suffered a steady decline in perceived value. Just ten years ago, 57% of Americans expressed significant trust in higher education. Today, that number has plummeted to 42%. This isn’t just a concerning trend—it’s a wake-up call. There are many reasons this is happening, but a core part of the problem is the narratives used to describe the value of a college degree, which too often focus narrowly on student recruitment and the job-market return graduates receive on the cost of tuition. Left out are countless ways higher education benefits everyone, whether or not they have earned a degree. To combat this erosion of trust, CASE has partnered with marketing firm BVK to create a public service campaign to promote the value of higher education, utilizing research on how to successfully change minds and shaped by the perspectives of those who most benefit from the work that higher education does. Called “College: Proud Sponsor of America at its Best,” the campaign seeks to remind Americans that college is a public good that uplifts every facet of our society, from creating a skilled workforce and fostering economic prosperity to improving our health, promoting democracy, and protecting our national security. This session will introduce participants to the campaign and the various ways their institutions can join the movement.

What do Netflix, campus-wide collaboration, and smashing fundraising goals have in common? Cheshire Academy’s 1794 Challenge.

At Cheshire Academy, we ditched the boring and dove headfirst into a Netflix-inspired annual fund campaign that turned heads, opened wallets, and most importantly - brought our campus community closer together than ever before. Through a dynamic partnership between the Marketing & Communications and Advancement teams, and with the support of our cross-campus 1794 Committee (yep, it includes everyone from coaches to dorm parents to faculty stars), we created an immersive donor experience that showcased the impact of giving in a bold, new way.

From blockbuster-worthy trailers to custom movie posters featuring real faculty, staff, and students, we put storytelling center stage and gave our donors a front-row seat to the magic happening every day at Cheshire Academy.

This session is for anyone ready to shake up their annual fund, boost collaboration between departments, and think bigger (and weirder—in the best way). You'll leave with:
Creative campaign ideas
Collaboration strategies that actually work
and practical takeaways you can tailor to your own school's unique culture

Spoiler alert: We made it happen with limited resources!

Bring your popcorn—we’re rolling the credits on cookie-cutter fundraising. Catflix is now streaming, are you ready to watch?

This session dives into how to create a large-scale signature program that acknowledges and caters to a broad demographic, recognizing that needs, interests, and perspectives span a wide range. While addressing every nuance may not be feasible, thoughtful design can go a long way in celebrating community, building essential skills and inspiration.

We'll walk attendees through the planning, development, and execution of the University of Rochester's first-ever Women's Summit, held in spring 2025. What began as a volunteer-driven idea evolved into a weekend-long gathering, intentionally designed to connect alumnae, constituents, University leadership, and friends of the University through opportunities for learning, dialogue, and community-building.

Session attendees will gain insight into how the Alumni Relations and Constituent Engagement team collaborated across internal partners, formed a volunteer planning committee, and built a cohesive suite of programs with varying formats that reached graduates from the 1960s through current students, as well as parents, staff, and Trustees. You'll learn how to approach similar initiatives within your own organizations, ensuring your programs resonate with a wide audience.

Do you just need a prospect’s email address? Are you trying to understand a donor’s capacity but don’t have the time to wait for extensive research? Looking for simple ways to manage your portfolio? Our presentation is here to help! We will provide tips and tricks for sleuthing on your own and easily incorporating prospect management best practices in your daily work. We'll also discuss strategies to collaborate with your prospect research and management team so you get exactly what you need. Lastly, our session will share useful suggestions to incorporate artificial intelligence in your research, while still protecting the private data of your donors and your institution.

Members of the New England Development Research Association (NEDRA) will leave you with a toolkit to quickly learn all you need to know about your prospect portfolio.