More than ever, the advancement disciplines rely on each other to ensure school and institutional success. Learn how cross-discipline collaboration works (and sometimes doesn't) from a panel of leaders in alumni relations, fundraising, advancement services, and communications and marketing. Discover the current state and coming trends in collaboration across advancement disciplines. Your institute chairs will share examples of how fundraising, advancement services, alumni relations, and communications and marketing.

Join us as we introduce our esteemed lineup of faculty who will get you pumped up for an exhilarating Summer Institute in Alumni Relations experience! From thought leaders to industry experts, our faculty are poised to deliver engaging sessions that will inspire, inform, and invigorate you throughout the institute. Brace yourself for a weeklong journey of learning, networking, and innovation.

Attendees will meet daily with curated advisory small groups led by expert faculty members to debrief from the day’s learning and problem solve in real time.

• William Pierce: Multicultural Greek Council Room (4th floor), Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St.
• Joycelyn Blizzard: National Panhellenic Council (2nd floor), Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St.
• Reggie Bustinza: Tripp Commons (2nd floor), Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St.
• Josh Harraman: Park View (4th floor), Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St.
• Erika Jordan: Beefeater (3rd floor), Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St.
• Caryn Schultz Korman: Great Hall (4th floor), Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St.
• Terrance Smith: Langdon (4th floor), Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St.
• Katie Young: Capitol View (4th floor), Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St.

As the education sector undergoes seismic shifts, advancement professionals are being called to adapt with purpose and agility. As new advancement professionals there is a powerful opportunity to lead with purpose, creativity, and heart. Join Brian Flahaven, vice president of strategic partnerships, and Jessica Elmore, senior director of cross-cultural learnings, as they highlight the shifts shaping the advancement field and inspire you to see your unique and essential role in the future of education.

In any organization there is an overarching culture that permeates all areas of responsibility including volunteerism, fundraising, and communication. These are the policies and procedures; the knowledge of how things are done. Culture also includes our organizational values and beliefs. It generally frames how we behave at work. There are also subcultures among the different areas of responsibility which depcit how your teammates relate to one another, share information or opinions, make decisions, and work toward goals. All of which will have an impact on results, especially when leading through change. Peter Drucker, the ‘father of management,” is famously quoted saying “culture eats strategy for breakfast.” Meaning you can have all the strategic plans, policies and procedures that you want, but at the end of the day it is the behaviors and reactions of people that drive culture and determine which plans, policies, and procedures succeed or fail. In this session, we will focus on the nemesis of a healthy culture - the “silo mentality” - and how to move toward positive collaboration and avoid these classic pitfalls in change management.

In the ever-evolving landscape of alumni relations and fundraising, understanding and leveraging the power of data is critical for success. This session will delve into the strategic use of metrics and KPI to drive alumni engagement and boost fundraising outcomes. Attendees will learn how to harness data to identify trends, measure engagement effectiveness, and tailor outreach efforts for maximum ROI.

Effective portfolio management is the linchpin between prospect identification and philanthropic outcomes. This session explores strategies to increase discovery activity, support thoughtful portfolio composition with qualified prospects, ensure movement through the gift cycle, and optimize ongoing management through purposeful reviews and data-informed insights. We’ll share real-world examples of how to:

• Structure workflows that move prospects from research into portfolios efficiently
• Increase discovery activity without relying on rigid metrics or formal accountability
• Conduct portfolio reviews that inspire action and improve portfolio health
• Use data to identify gaps, stagnation, or opportunities in existing portfolios

Whether you're refining a mature system or building new structures, this session focuses on practical ways to activate the pipeline and support meaningful fundraising activity.

Strategic and generative conversations are at the heart of our work. Questioning and listening are powerful life skills. First, they will help you create productive donor relationships. What organizations do you support with your philanthropy? Where are we on your list of philanthropies? How do you make your philanthropic decisions? What has been your most meaningful gift? Quality questions elicit amazing information that will guide you in the solicitation process and help you build relationships on campus with your supervisor, peers and faculty members. Learn how to develop questions instead of talking points that will inform your gift strategy, advance relationships, and result in a joyful, generous "Yes" to your request for increased engagement with your institution, a significant gift to one of your priorities or for whatever you were hoping that volunteer or colleague would do to help you achieve your goals.

One of the greatest privileges of working in education is in a community filled with unbounded ambition. although most academic-development interaction centers around prospect and donor work, this session will explore ways we can cultivate meaningful relationships with members of the academic and campus community to strengthen fundraising potential and expand our intellectual curiosity. You can learn how to effectively identify who and how to approach them, maintain relationships, and build your own board of directors.

Parent engagement and fundraising efforts pose unique challenges to a traditional development program. With parents, there tends to be a narrow window of opportunity for engaging, cultivating, soliciting and stewarding parents, so we must thoughtfully plan the critical fundraising touches along the way - from the admissions cycle through graduation. If we do this well we can achieve our goals and provide rewarding experiences for our parents and families. Let's explore the journey of parents/families and discuss ways to optimize fundraising opportunities along the way.