11:15 AM–12:00 PM 
Welcome and Introductions 
Join conference leadership to meet the faculty, review conference highlights and learn how to make the most out of our time together.

12:00–1:00
The Mindset of a Major Gift Officer
Speaker: Dondi Cupp
The expectations placed on major gift officers are wide-ranging and require a diverse blend of skills applied in unique situations. Developing your core competencies will contribute to your long-term success but it all starts with having the right outlook and approach. The faculty will lead a fast-paced look at the mindset required to thrive as a successful major gift officer in the 21st century.

1:00–1:30 
Resources Break

1:30–2:30 
Big Ideas and Storytelling
Speaker: Kayla Hale
The history of your organization is constructed through thousands of individual stories from alumni and friends, some of whose names adorn buildings or whose generosity have built endowments to ensure its future. Many of these stories began with a big idea that was achieved through sharing a transformational vision and subsequently engaging hearts and minds. This session explains how to discover a donor’s “philanthropy philosophy” through active listening and storytelling.

2:30–2:45 
Stretch Break 

2:45–3:45
Faculty Panel: The Current Philanthropic Landscape/Trends in Philanthropy 
Get insights on the education landscape, trends in philanthropy, the role of technology, next generation philanthropy and the rise of entrepreneurial philanthropy during this interactive faculty panel. Come ready to share what you are experiencing at your institution. 

4:00–5:00 
Small Group Conversations 

5:00
Conference Adjourns for the Day
Join your peers from other institutions and conference faculty for facilitated small group conversations to take an in-depth and interactive look at key issues facing major gift officers today.

11:00–11:45 AM
Facilitated Roundtable Discussions

12:00–1:00 PM
Habits of Highly Effective Gift Officers: Self-assessment and Personal Staff Development Plans
Speakers: Kelly Dyer and Edgar Gonzalez  
The most important factor in success (or lack thereof) as a major gift officer is YOU. With the right mindset, hard work and by forming the right habits, you can dramatically increase your chances for success. How you approach, plan, execute, and track your work matters. This session will help you identify characteristics and habits of highly successful major gift officers from goal setting, to persistence, to a laser focus on relationships, and results.

1:15–2:15
Elective Sessions (choose one): 

• Portfolios & Performance – Taking a More Strategic Approach 
  Speakers: Dondi Cupp and David Lively 
  Successful major gift fundraising requires taking a strategic and balanced approach to portfolio management. It also requires a strong alignment between fundraising activities, goals and other factors that contribute to your success. Explore concepts designed to help build effective portfolios and achieve higher levels of success in today's metrics-driven fundraising environment.
• Working with Campus Partners to Drive Collaborative Fundraising
  Speaker: Jeff Jackanicz 
  Development work can no longer be done in silos, with development officers solely representing a major project or idea; instead, the increasingly savvy donor wants to hear from the experts as well. This session will cover how to maximize and manage institutional academic partnerships for larger gifts.

2:15–2:45 
Resources Break 

2:45–3:45 
Elective Sessions (choose one)

• Making the Most out of Discovery & Qualification Visits
  Speaker: Crystal Jones 
  Good discovery starts with two things: 1) identifying prospects by evaluating the spectrum of support and engagement they’ve shown to your organization or institution; and, 2) strategically reaching out to those that need to be nurtured and effectively “qualifying” future philanthropic potential. This session will help you think about how to evaluate your data to identify desirable prospects, and offer strategies to build your skills to have strategic conversations, and ask certain questions that compel you to do the most important thing in a meeting – listen.  Effective discovery will help ensure that your portfolio delivers consistent and powerful results.
• Practicing Inclusive Fundraising
  Speaker: Edgar Gonzalez 
  How can – and how should – higher education development approach fundraising opportunities within diverse communities? This session offers some ideas on how fundraisers and institutions can reflect on their practices, content, and outreach to respectfully and effectively engage donors whose philanthropy may be consciously informed by race, gender identity, orientation, able-bodied status, and a range of other identities. After reviewing some examples, participants will also have the opportunity to share challenges and successes, in the spirit of a candid dialog aimed at helping our work reflect our personal values and institutional missions, and the diverse constituencies we serve.

3:45–4:00
Stretch Break 

4:00–5:00
Faculty Panel: Your Career in Advancement and Closing Q&A  
Close out the conference with a candid facilitated conversation about careers in advancement. Come prepared with your remaining questions for the faculty.