Programme
View the Programme
8th July
09:15 – 09: 30 AM
Arrival and informal networking
09:45 – 10:10
Welcome to the day, icebreaker, goal setting
Amy Webb, Head of Supporter Engagement, Imperial College
Sophie Rivett, Head of Supporter Relations, London School of Economics and Political Science
Richard Nicholl, Head of Educational Programmes, CASE
10:10 – 10:50
How it started vs. How it’s going: reflections on building a Donor Relations programme and keeping it fresh
Five years in to building a Donor Relations team at UCL from the ground-up, Kat will talk about the process of designing and embedding the team, the decisions they made along the way, and what they learned from making them. Whether you're new to the game, a one-person-shop, or an established leader in the sector, the session will help you think about how to create the conditions for Donor Relations success at your own institutions, how to plan for the future, and how to adapt as you go.
Kat Hageman, Executive Head of Campaign and Supporter Engagement, UCL
10:50 – 11:10
Coffee break and networking
11:10 – 11:40
Starting from scratch
What would you do if you had no alumni? Meet members of the Fundraising Team from the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering, the UK’s newest higher education institution, and join them on their journey as a start-up Fundraising Office. You will hear about the highs and lows, the challenges and successes, the lessons learned and the plans for the future. There will also be practical tips to take away to help you achieve fundraising success on a shoe strong.
Harriet Dearden, Head of Fundraising, NMITE
Laura Perratt, Fundraising Associate, NMITE
11:45 – 12:30
Crystal Maze session
Start the fans please! Getting out of your Crystal Maze
Are futuristic methods of demonstrating impact a mystery to you? Are you finding it a challenge to shift your physical recognition and events from medieval to modern? What skills does your team need to launch an industrial size campaign on a small-scale budget? How do change your acknowledgements from Aztec to advanced?
Donor Relations is a niche and specific field and often times we rely on our colleagues and contemporaries to help us so we don’t end up in our own automatic lock-in situation at work. In this interactive session, attendees will become the participants, asking questions and answering with their own insights on how to help our colleagues overcome challenges across the sector. Mandie will act as your very own Maze Master, guiding you through a variety of topics to discuss.
Come to this session prepared to ask, answer and give advice so we can all walk out of the Crystal Dome of Donor Relations.
Mandie Bates, Donor Relations Manager, LSE
12:30 – 13:20
Lunch
13:20 – 13:30
Recap of morning, introduce afternoon
Amy Webb, Head of Supporter Engagement, Imperial College
Sophie Rivett, Head of Supporter Relations, London School of Economics and Political Science
13:30 - 14:00
Roundtable sessions
- Let’s talk events: in person/hybrid/virtual – how do we make them special in our ‘new normal’?
Sophie Rivett, Head of Supporter Relations, London School of Economics and Political Science - International stewardship
Amy Webb, Head of Supporter Engagement, Imperial College
14:05 – 14:35
Digital tools for donor relations
Mandie Bates, Donor Relations Manager, LSE;
Shona McIntosh, Donor Relations Manager, Imperial College London
Janella Sillito, Donor Relations & Communications Coordinator, King's College London
14:35 - 14:45
Coffee break
14:45 – 15:25
Building the Scholar Ecosystem: Connecting Your Institution with Donors & Scholars
Scholarships are a clear tool for attracting donors to an institution but how do scholarships fit into wider donor stewardship and what needs to be done to make them work at different institutions? This session will discuss the process of building an ecosystem around scholarships in order to ensure success and continued donor engagement, no matter the scale of your scholarship gift. Panellists from three universities will discuss strategies around engaging with donors, establishing relationships between donors and scholars, building internal tracking systems, and preparing for that larger scholarship gift
Jo Clark, Senior Donor Relations Manager, University of Warwick
Ikenna Acholonu, Programme Manager - Uggla Family Scholars and Alumni, LSE
Alice Casper, Donor Relations Officer, UCL
15:25 – 16:00
Ask a Fundraiser: How to partner for success
Donor Relations professionals and fundraisers should go together as a perfect pair… but it doesn’t always work that way. This Q&A session gives you the opportunity to ask a fundraiser any burning questions you have: how they view the relationship; what success can look like, and what expertise and value you can bring to the fundraising process.
You can submit questions in advance or ask in the session – all subjects are open for discussion!
Daisy Ayre, Head of Philanthropy, Science Museum Group
16:00 – 16:15
Conference close
Amy Webb, Head of Supporter Engagement, Imperial College
Sophie Rivett, Head of Supporter Relations, London School of Economics and Political Science
Speakers have been asked to stay to answer any further questions until 16:45.