What does it take to build a student giving culture that students actually believe in? This session highlights how the University of Richmond is reenergizing student philanthropy by giving students real ownership and a clear pathway to lead. We’ll walk through our Junior Legacy Fellows (JLF) and Senior Legacy Campaign (SLC) model, a two step approach that builds confidence, develops leaders, and creates momentum students are genuinely excited about. You’ll see how juniors get hands-on experience with fundraising and event planning, how seniors take the lead on major traditions, and how this structure is beginning to shift the culture around giving on our campus. We’ll share what’s worked, what’s surprised us, and why several institutions have already asked to learn from our model. With live polling, breakout conversations, and practical tools you can bring back to your team, this session is designed to spark ideas and offer a clear, realistic framework for campuses looking to strengthen student engagement and build lasting philanthropic traditions.

Is your advancement team searching for fresh ways to bring in new donors, especially students and young alumni? At Stony Brook University, a steep decline in unique donors became our call to action. Over the past two years, our Annual Giving team worked collaboratively to create a new crowdfunding program aimed at activating the over 350+ student organizations on our campus, their students, friends, parents and alumni.

By utilizing crowdfunding tools such as GiveCampus and partnering with departments across campus – such as Student Affairs, Undergraduate Student Government, Marketing and Communications and our frontline development officers - we created multiple highly successful campaigns that attracted over 250 donors for the University and raised over $27,000 for student organization capital projects on campus.

This success launched Back the Brook, our first-ever giving day designed exclusively for student organizations. In its debut year, Back the Brook ignited our campus community—bringing in $94,000, 600+ gifts, and more than 500 unique donors.

Join us for an insightful and engaging session where we will provide you with practical tools, strategies and templates to establish a collaborative crowdfunding program with student organizations on your campus. Get ready to energize a whole new generation of donors at your institution!

This session explores how alumni engagement professionals can partner strategically with campus colleagues to strengthen connections with students and young alumni. Participants will learn how to identify high-impact campus partners, build mutually beneficial collaborations, and integrate alumni engagement into the student experience well before graduation. Through practical strategies, real-world examples, and actionable takeaways, attendees will leave equipped to create a more seamless transition from student to engaged alumnus—fostering lifelong affinity and involvement with their institution.

Conflict is an inevitable part of leadership, especially during times of change. In this interactive session, participants will explore how to navigate challenging situations using three powerful perspectives: the empathy lens, the leadership lens, and the systems lens. Through a case study approach, participants will analyze a scenario, identify conflict triggers, and determine strategic next steps for managing tension productively. Designed for leaders at every level and in any context, this session offers practical tools, guidance, and strategy for those who are ready to manage conflict with confidence.

The faculty will share professional development strategies and tips, and explore how their roles with students and recent alumni have shaped their careers. We will also have time for Q & A to answer your final questions of the conference.