For Aalto University, as for many universities, fundraising is not simply about asking for support. It is about fundamentally changing how society understands the university’s role, relevance, and value. In contexts where donating to universities is neither widely understood nor commonly practiced, fundraisers face distinctive challenges: public skepticism or indifference, assumptions that public funding is sufficient, limited awareness of societal impact, and a weak emotional connection between individuals and institutions. This keynote explores how Aalto University crafted and delivered a fundraising campaign that addressed these challenges head-on. The campaign aimed to make the university’s societal impact visible, concrete, and personally relevant—successfully engaging both major institutional donors and individual private supporters, despite the absence of a strong philanthropic tradition.

What does meaningful alumni engagement look like when it truly aligns with university strategy? You get a clear look into the strategic alumni model of the University of Vienna and how modern alumni relations work in practice. We look at how to measure alumni engagement in a meaningful way and how to reach young alumni early. You learn why structures, roles and governance decide success or failure in alumni work. International best practice examples show what works and what to avoid.

This interactive session explores key questions many fundraisers encounter in international fundraising, particularly in the USA, UK, Europe, and Kenya. The focus will be on major gifts, foundations, and private donors, with practical insights into how partnerships can be initiated and nurtured from scratch, while taking cultural differences and their impact into account. The session will cover topics such as identifying prospects, approaching foundations and high-net-worth individuals internationally, and building strong, trust-based relationships. Participants will also be encouraged to reflect on the importance of internal processes within their own organisations, including what needs to be in place before making an ask and what follows after it has been made. Participants are warmly invited to bring concrete questions related to tools, systems, and back-office aspects of international fundraising. Questions can also be submitted in advance.

A CRM system is made of the technical platform, the processes run on the platform, and the people who use it. A lot of times focus is on which platform to choose, whereas the processes and the people are expected to fall in line by themselves. We challenge this approach and put emphasis on rethinking the processes and securing the commitment of the users. At the same time, the technical solutions are developing rapidly, affecting the entire landscape. In this interactive session, we will talk about our experiences and invite you to share yours

A case-for-support outlines what needs funding, why it matters, and why your university is best placed to deliver it. With clear costs and timelines, it becomes a strong offer for donors. Effective fundraising relies on accessible, rigorous cases that show societal impact and align priorities across faculties. In the workshop we will discuss how to create compelling cases and collaborate with stakeholders to reach financial goals.

This workshop explores what real value an alumni network creates for a university and how it can be used as a strategic tool rather than just a community of former students. Participants will reflect on how alumni can support broader goals such as reputation, recruitment, research, fundraising, and societal impact, and what kinds of value matter most in different institutional contexts. The focus is on clarifying, strengthening, and making visible the value alumni networks can bring to the university as a whole, and the benefits of harnessing networks directly in alumni engagement efforts. After the presentations, participants will break into working groups to reflect, share and apply the ideas to their own contexts, shaping practical approaches they can take back to their institutions.

This session will cover: - What do I do if the leadership and/or academic faculty are not committed to advancement? - How do I argue for a fair share of my university’s budget for advancement? - We have a very small budget and shop: where should we focus our resources?

When traditional matching campaigns weren’t an option, Aalto University had to chart its own path. The result: nearly €20 million raised from more than 1,000 supporters in just over a year. In this discussion, we’ll explore how to design a multichannel campaign that not only attracts new supporters but also maximises income from loyal donors. You’ll hear how the entire university united behind a shared ambition – reshaping internal ways of working and pushing the boundaries of what university fundraising can achieve in Finland. Join the conversation to gain practical insights and fresh inspiration you can apply to drive change in your own institution.

What if your strongest advocates aren’t only alumni, but the friends who champion your mission every day? This campfire explores how to engage students, parents, employers, volunteers, and community partners as a broader ambassador network. Bring your own examples, challenges, and experiments—what’s worked, what hasn’t, and what you’re curious to try. Expect open discussion, quick brainstorming, and peer coaching. We’ll crowdsource light-touch practices and tools that fit different contexts and capacities.

Alumni engagement is diverse and often integrated in various departments’ initiatives. Alumni can open doors to donations, serve as ambassadors, support student recruitment and foster corporate collaboration. How can we create a more cohesive and unified approach to enhance our alumni relationships? What bridges need to be built to facilitate joint efforts over departmental boundaries? How can we ensure communication is consistent and coherent? Let's discuss practical ways we can join forces to create stronger, more meaningful relationships with our alumni!

Unlock the full potential of your fundraising strategy by putting your alumni data to work. In this session, we’ll explore ways to use insights from engagement history, giving patterns, and demographic data to build stronger relationships and drive meaningful fundraising results.

What is the right mix for effective alumni communication? What channels are currently most effective for engaging alumni? Join this discussion on Navigating Alumni Communication, where we will share best practices regarding alumni communication across a variety of channels. We will discuss trends and shifts within the field, our biggest challenges, and how we measure success across different channels.

This is a working session aimed at identifying realistic options for building an endowment or capital fund in a way that fits our cultural context. We are mapping what is truly feasible. What excites you about building an endowment? What concerns you most? Which options and donor pathways are realistic?