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    DC Tidal Basin with cherry blossoms

    Annual Conference for Corporate and Foundation Relations Officers

    Washington, DC | May 22 - 24, 2019
    Annual Conference for Corporate and Foundation Relations Officers
    • Conference Committee
    • Key Session Speakers
    • Featured Session Speakers
    • Preconference Workshop Session Speakers
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    Join us in Washington, D.C. to hear directly from corporate and foundation pros regarding what they consider to be key drivers in forming partnerships. Build your skill base in writing successful proposals, researching prospects and developing effective stewardship efforts. Develop a network of contacts from across the CFR community while expanding your knowledge of current and possible future trends in CFR funding.

    This annual event brings together more than 400 development professionals, grant writers, officers and prospect researchers to engage in conversation about the challenges in securing external support for our institutions. Join us in May for a program that will focus on strategies that will work for your institution.

    Who Should Attend

    • Development professionals—at any level of experience—who are responsible for securing external support from corporations and foundations for educational institutions

    • Assistant, associate and directors of corporate and/or foundation relations

    • Grant writers and officers who work primarily with non-government solicitations

    • Prospect researchers who work to support corporate and/or foundation fundraising efforts from across their campus

    • Directors of development for schools/units who routinely seek corporate sponsorships, underwriting, and gifts or foundation grants for their school/institutional activities.

    Key Session Speakers

    Author's Photo

    Day 1 Wednesday, May 22

    1:15-2:30
    Conference Welcome and Opening Key Session

    Reframing Philanthropy - A New Paradigm for Partnering 

    Maurizio Vecchione, Executive Vice President, Global Good and Research, Intellectual Ventures

    View full bio.

    Author's Photo

    Day 2, Thursday, May 23

    7:30-8:45 AM
    Breakfast Keynote Session

    A Conversation with Cecilia Conrad

    Cecilia Conrad, Managing Director, MacArthur Foundation and CEO, Lever for Change

    View full bio.

    Author's Photo

    Day 2, Thursday, May 23

    11:30-12:45
    Luncheon and Key Session

    Being the Change in Higher Education

    Tomeka Hart, Senior Program Officer, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

    View full bio.

    Author's Photo

    Day 2, Thursday, May 23

    11:30-12:45
    Luncheon and Key Session

    Being the Change in Higher Education

    John King, Jr., President and CEO, Education Trust and Former Secretary of Education under President Obama

    View full bio.

    Author's Photo

    Day 2, Thursday, May 23

    11:30-12:45
    Luncheon and Key Session

    Being the Change in Higher Education

    Pat Roe, Vice President of Mission Advancement and Philanthropy, Strada Education Network 

    View full bio.

    Author's Photo

    Day 3, Friday, May 24

    8:30-10:00
    Closing Keynote Session

    Ten Big Ideas: The National Science Foundation's Vision for the Future

    Suzanne Iacono, Head, Office of Integrative Activities (OIA), National Science Foundation

    View full bio.

    Preconference Workshops

    Wednesday, May 22
    7:30 AM-1:00 PM

    This year’s conference will feature a retooled newcomer's workshop designed to emphasize networking and a crowd-sourced agenda. It will focus learning outcomes on topics deemed most in-demand by registered participants. In other words, our valued newcomers' voices will dictate content choices! 


    Through a round-robin format paced to allow sufficient engagement with the chosen topics, small groups of attendees will interact and network with each other and 7 thought leaders from the field of CFR. The session faculty will rotate to each of the groups and deliver brief presentations, lead discussion, answer questions, and provide sample templates or other materials that will ensure that participants leave the half-day session with a state-of-the-art toolkit on the core topics of interest. This participatory design ensures deep and broad networking opportunities and delivery of tools for effective practice and high performance. Designed for those with 0 to 3 years’ experience as CFR officers, the workshop will position attendees to optimize the remainder of their conference experience set a positive trajectory for long-term success in the field. 

    Breakfast and lunch are included in this separate workshop registration.

    Separate registration fee required.

    Newcomers Workshop Program 

    7:30 - 8:10 AM 
    Breakfast, Welcome and Overview of Newcomers Workshop with Faculty Introductions

    8:10 - 10:15 AM 
    Session 1 of Round-Robin Table Discussions (four 30-minute topics*) 

    10:15-10:25 AM 
    Break 

    10:25-11:55 AM 
    Session 2 of Round-Robin Table Discussions (three 30-minute topics*) 

    11:55 AM-12:20 PM 
    Lunch 

    12:20-1:00 PM 
    Open Q&A with Newcomer’s Faculty 
    (continued over lunch) 

    1:00 
    Adjourn 

     

    Round-Robin Table Discussion Topics

    • Productive Faculty Meetings: Understanding Needs, Setting Expectations, and Developing Projects
      Carla Ingrando
    • Creating Internal Partnerships and Compiling Data to Build Holistic Corporate Success
      Jessica Watts
    • Managing Internal Expectations for What CFR Is (and Is Not) Able to Do
      David Johnson
    • Creating Effective Short Proposals
      Shelese Lane
    • Leveraging CFR Competencies in Major Gifts Partnerships
      Michelle Wamsley
    • Responding to Big RFPs – Getting the Word Out, Creating Collaboration, and Finding Internal Support
      Cory Rutz
    • Prepping for Impactful Funder Visits (at Their Place or Yours)
      Kate Norton

     

    Newcomers Workshop Faculty

    Newcomer's Chair,
    Ryan Sauder, Assistant Dean of Academic Advancement & Senior Director of College Grants, Franklin & Marshall College

    Carla Ingrando, Executive Director, University Corporate and Foundation Relations, Cornell University

    David Johnson, Associate Vice President for Corporate and Foundation Relations, Lewis and Clark College

    Shelese Lane, Director of Development, Foundation Relations, Georgia Institute of Technology

    Kate Norton, Director, Corporate & Foundation Relations, Dartmouth College

    Cory Rutz, Director, Foundation Relations, Indiana University

    Michelle Wamsley, Assistant Vice President for Foundation Corporate & Government, University of Richmond

    Jessica Watts, Executive Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, University of North Texas

    Foundation Master Class is SOLD OUT

    Wednesday, May 22
    7:30 AM-1:00 PM

    Howard Hughes Medical Institute

    This newly formatted half-day workshop will be off site at the HHMI headquarters in Chevy Chase, Maryland.
    Master classes are designed for CFR officers with 10+ years of experience.

    Attendees will visit HHMI headquarters and meet with various HHMI staff members, who will provide a workshop on how to effectively communicate science to various audiences. Following, David Asai, senior director in science foundation, will facilitate a dialogue with attendees on the needs of colleges and universities related to diversity and science education, and how HHMI might meet these needs.

    This master class is held in conjunction with the Annual Conference for Corporate and Foundation Relations Officers.

    Separate registration fee required.

    Wednesday, May 22
    8:00 AM-12:00 PM

    Solving Complex Problems: What Universities Can Learn from the National Academies

    This will be a half-day workshop at the conference hotel.
    Master classes are designed for CFR officers with 10+ years of experience.

    Society is facing an array of complex policy questions. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are distinctively qualified to provide nonpartisan, objective guidance for decision makers on pressing issues. Since their founding in 1863, the National Academies work to marshal the energy and intellect of the nation’s critical thinkers to respond to policy challenges with science, engineering, and medicine at their core. Combining a meticulous process of information collection, evidence analysis, and deliberation, staff at the National Academies work collaboratively to facilitate dialogue across disciplines to advance understanding of critical issues and to solve difficult problems.

    Corporate and Foundation Relations Officers are often the connection point for faculty, business leaders, and community champions as they tackle complex problems and source funding. Leaders from the National Academies will walk us through their approach to problem solving, and then attendees will have the opportunity to work collaboratively on a case study. Half of our group will discuss the role of universities and hospitals as anchor institutions and the other half will work through the intricacies of optimizing training and support for graduate students and early career scientists in STEM disciplines.

    Separate registration fee required.

    Corporate Master Class Program 

    8:00 AM 
    Introduction and Welcome Address on the topic of "The National Academies Approach to Solving Complex Problems" 

    Mr. Tom Rudin, Director of Higher Education and Workforce, National Academies 

    8:50 AM 
    Q&A with Tom Rudin 

    9:00 AM 
    National Academies “Lightening Talks” (20-minute program overviews from National Academy representatives from Engineering, Science, and Medicine)

    Dr. Ken Jarboe (NAE), Dr. Alina Baciu (NAM), and Dr. Lida Beninson (NAS) 

    10:00 AM 
    Break

    10:15 AM 
    Two concurrent sessions, attendees choose one:

    • Case Study #1: Universities as Anchor Institutions
      • Conversation led by Dr. Alina Baciu
    • Case Study #2: Early Career Scientists in STEM Disciplines
      • Conversation led by Dr. Lida Beninson

    11:45 AM 
    Wrap Up

    Mr. Brandon Zollner

    12:00 PM 
    Workshop conclusion and box lunch

     

    Alina Baciu, Senior Program Officer, National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
    Lida Beninson, Program Officer, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
    Ken Jarboe, Senior Program Officer, Manufacturing, Design, and Innovation, National Academy of Engineering
    Josh Moore
    , Associate Director of Foundation Relations, Indiana University
    Tom Rudin, Director, Board on Higher Education and Workforce, National Academies of Sciences
    Session Designer: Brandon Zollner, Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

    This master class is held in conjunction with the Annual Conference for Corporate and Foundation Relations Officers.

    Separate registration fee required.

    Program

    8:00 AM - 1:15 PM
    Main Conference Registration

    7:30-11:30 
    Preconference Workshops
    Separate registration required.

    • Newcomers Workshop
    • Foundation Master Class - SOLD OUT
    • Corporate Master Class

    9:30-11:30 AM
    Affinity Group Discussions for Liberal Arts and Academic Medical Centers (optional)
    All are welcome to join a structured conversation on the unique challenges and opportunities involved in running a corporate and foundation relations office at a liberal arts college or academic medical center.

    1:15-2:30
    Conference Welcome and Opening Key Session
    Reframing Philanthropy - A New Paradigm for Partnering

    As executive vice president of Global Good and research at Intellectual Ventures, Maurizio Vecchione leads efforts to invent and deploy technologies to improve life for the world’s neediest populations. In our opening keynote session, Vecchione will share his perspective from within one of the world's most complex philanthropic ecosystems, providing specific insights to the work of Global Good – a collaboration between IV and Bill Gates. Learn about how modeling data can inform future global population needs and thus shape efforts toward “reverse innovation.” He will discuss new models of philanthropic engagement, and the role academia can play within robust hybrid partnerships that go beyond the grant. Vecchione will help CFR officers to better understand the vital role we can play in evolving our relationship with funders to forge long-term partnerships toward achievable global impact.
    Maurizio Vecchione, Executive Vice President, Global Good and Research, Intellectual Ventures
    Session designer: Jennifer Martin, Executive Director, Foundation Relations, UC San Diego

    2:45-3:55
    Elective Sessions (choose one)

    • Funding for Improving Patient and Community Health
      Most academic institutions try to engage patients and communities in their research with varying degrees of success. This session will discuss how to identify both funding agencies and community partners to build a successful portfolio of funding to support academic-community partnering. The session includes speakers from (1) the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) and (2) SunTrust Bank who will describe their respective focus on (1) research that helps patients and care providers make better-informed healthcare decisions and (2) advancing people along their road to financial security and wellness. The PATIENTS Program at the University of Maryland Baltimore, Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church, and other partners in West Baltimore collaborate to address physical, mental, financial, and spiritual well-being. The PATIENTS Program has evolved as a campus-wide infrastructure to support all community-engaged health and wellness research aimed at improving the health of the community and individuals via informed decision-making.
      Gail Graham, Patient and Patient Advocate/Advisor, The PATIENTS Program; NaTasha Horton, Vice President, Community Development Manager, SunTrust; Lisa Stewart, Senior Engagement Officer, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute; and Franklin Lance, Senior Pastor, Mount Lebanon Baptist Church 
      Session Designer and Moderator: C. Daniel Mullins, Professor and Chair, Pharmaceutical Health Services Research, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy

    • Best Practices in Working with International Foundations and Corporations
      This session covers the challenges, rewards and intricacies of working with international funders—both foundations and corporations. Speakers who hail from some of the largest research universities and small liberal arts colleges identify key trends that enabled their success in building partnerships with international funders, as well as the challenges. They offer a broad view of the arc of cultivation of international funders, eliciting feedback from the audience as well about their own experiences, and share what challenges—either externally or internally—they may have faced. This session is especially timely considering the federal government's renewed interest in limiting foreign influences at universities, and how we in the field should deal with this new trend in the shorter and longer term.
      Kenna Barrett, Director of Development, American Podiatric Medical Association & APMA Educational Foundation; Carla Ingrando, Executive Director, University Corporate and Foundation Relations, Cornell University; and Emily Kessler, Senior Director of Development, Georgetown University
      Moderator: Kate Norton, Director, Corporate and Foundation Relations, Dartmouth College

    • How Foundations are Changing the Landscape of Cities and Neighborhoods
      With 80 percent of the U.S. population living in urban areas and a continued trend toward urbanization, U.S. cities are faced with pressing economic, social and environmental challenges. Hear from a panel of representatives from the Annie E. Casey, Kresge, and Rockefeller Foundations who are committed to transforming neighborhoods and urban centers and improving the lives and well-being of people living in them. Learn about their grantmaking strategies in cities such as Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Detroit, Houston, and many others across the country, and discover how they approach partnerships and the role that universities can play in helping to address the challenges urban areas are facing.
      Wendy Lewis Jackson, Managing Director, Detroit Program, Kresge Foundation; Otis Rolley, Managing Director, Economic Resilience and Operations, U.S. Jobs and Economic Opportunity Initiative, Rockefeller Foundation; and Charles Rutheiser, Senior Associate, Center for Civic Sites and Community Change, Annie E. Casey Foundation
      Session Designer and Moderator: Donna Lartigue, Associate Director, Foundation Relations, University of Michigan

    • How to Build Large-Scale Data Science Partnerships
      Data science has emerged as a critical tool for businesses around the world, with insights from big data that drive systems improvement, profit and social impact. Academic institutions are in a unique position to build long-lasting, strategic initiatives with companies through data science partnerships. Learn how the University of Vermont and MassMutual (Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company) worked together to create the MassMutual Center of Excellence in Complex Systems and Data Science, a $5M, five-year commitment announced in October 2018. Explore successful building blocks for centers of excellence, the ethical use of data and how to build large-scale collaborations in this space.
      Chris Danforth, Flint Professor of Mathematical, Natural, and Technical Sciences, Endowed Chair and Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Associate Director, University of Vermont Complex Systems Center; Peter Dodds, Director, University of Vermont Complex Systems Center; University of Vermont; Adam Fox, Head of Data Science, MassMutual
      Session Designer: Alexa Woodward, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, The University of Vermont Foundation

    4:05-5:15
    Featured Sessions (choose one)

    • Tides of Change: Science Funding in the Age of the MeToo Movement
      In September 2018, the National Science Foundation made an announcement of new policy related to harassment that was part of action items identified as the result of a survey conducted by the National Academy of Sciences, published in June 2018. The survey was funded in large part by the NSF, but additional support was provided by some private national foundations including the Henry Luce Foundation, HHMI, and Burroughs Wellcome Fund. While harassment—sexual or other—in STEM fields has always been a topic of discussion on campuses and within STEM departments, these new policies have the potential to create a brave new world for the STEM fields in higher education. This issue has the attention of federal and private funding agencies and sits at the intersection of public interest with the MeToo Movement.

      So, what does all of this mean for institutions pursuing research funding? This panel discussion covers the relevance of the study, the implementation of the study's recommendations, the importance of public engagement (the MeToo Movement) and what this will mean for institutions applying for both NSF and private funding for research.
      Carlotta Arthur, Program Director, Clare Boothe Luce Program; Joan Wennstrom Bennett,Distinguished Professor of Plant Biology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Chair, Committee of Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine for the National Academies; and Sarah Simmons, Assistant Director of Science Education, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
      Moderator: Amanda Adolph Fore, Senior Communications Advisor to the President, CASE
      Session Host: Jill Bond, Associate Vice President, Foundation Relations, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
    • Corporate Engagement: Creating Multiple Stakeholders for Optimal Success
      Break down the silos of university and industry relationships and create a more collaborative model of engagement—that is the ideal goal for optimal corporate engagement success. Identify key ways a development officer can navigate through a company to create multiple stakeholders that will help to move the relationship and engagement toward optimal success. Learn how to develop a platform with a central strategy that includes intentional spokes to cultivate and foster a more holistic relationship with a company, creating a strategic partner. Discover how to develop a top-line strategy, while integrating multiple sub-strategies and school/unit priorities, that aligns with the goal of the engagement. Learn how to define your purpose for the engagement, identify the strategically aligned prospects, and recognize and acknowledge a win. 
      Session Designer and Speaker: Tarsha Whitaker Calloway, Vice President, Advancement, Woodruff Arts Center

    5:15-6:30
    Networking Reception

    6:30
    Conference Adjourns for the Day
    Dinner on your own

    7:30-8:45 AM
    Breakfast Keynote Session
    A Conversation with Cecilia Conrad
    In April 2019, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation opened their second round of the 100&Change funding program. Built around a vision that foundations can be responsive to great ideas from the field, the $100M funding initiative is designed to address critical social challenges in a conc¬rete and impactful way. In this fireside chat, Joanne Spitz from Baylor University will interview Cecilia Conrad, managing director of the 100&Change program and chief executive officer of Lever for Change, a new nonprofit that will match wealth donors with high-impact philanthropic opportunities. The session will focus on the 100&Change program evolution, the role and strength of academia in 100&Change participation, and how individual and corporate philanthropists are joining the movement to offer high-impact competitions as well as significant matching funds. 
    Cecilia Conrad, Managing Director, MacArthur Foundation and CEO, Lever for Change
    Moderator: Joanne Spitz, Senior Director of Grant Initiatives, Baylor University 
    Session Designer: Carol Hobson, Director, Foundation Relations, UC San Diego

    8:45-9:55
    Elective Sessions (choose one)

    • Partnerships for a Diverse Workforce
      Attracting and retaining a diverse workforce is a top priority for most companies. Find out how three organizations are using broader corporate partnerships to help ensure the next generation of talent represents a workforce from different backgrounds and perspectives.
      Joe Matthews, Vice President of Purchasing and Diversity Officer, Gentex; and Chad Johnson, Supervisor, Diversity and Inclusion Office, Marathon Petroleum Company LP
      Session Designer: Brandon Zollner, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, Assistant Campaign Director, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
    • Evaluating and Accepting Controversial Funding
      In recent years, there have been several controversies over colleges and universities accepting funds from organizations whose actions are perceived by some to run counter to the "common good." The private funding landscape increasingly reflects a diversity of opinion, and controversy in and of itself can be subjective and varied from institution to institution. Even with prior planning, grant officers may find themselves grappling with sticky situations that impact students, faculty, alumni and university leadership. Speakers share stories and best practices around making decisions in this difficult space.
      David Johnson, Assistant Vice President of Corporate and Foundation Relations, Lewis & Clark College; Heather Kurtz, Director of Foundation and Corporate Relations, College of the Holy Cross; and Jennifer Stancil, Director of Foundation and Corporate Relations, University of Richmond
      Session Design and Moderator: Karen Ossen, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, Wellesley College
    • Building Partnerships with Corporate and Community Leaders
      This session focuses on the how to and why it's important to build partnerships with corporate leaders and community stakeholders (faculty, staff, students, etc.) at your organization. Think strategically about your organization's partnerships with corporations beyond event sponsorships and one-off activities. Get practical how-to suggestions for establishing a scholarship with a cooperative education component for students in specific majors that relates to the corporation's business/industry needs, for organizing corporate cultivation events for industry leaders to network, exchange ideas, and share industry knowledge with your university; for engaging corporate leaders in programs on campus that support student access and success at your university; and for developing an industry engagement brochure as a corporate cultivation tool.
       Lori Friedman,Executive Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations and Strategic Industry Engagement, Wentworth Institute of Technology and Patrick Fromal, Vice President of Sales, Shimadzu Scientific Instruments
      Session Designer and Speaker: Beth Curtis, Associate Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations
    • Research Administration: Friend, Not Foe
      As corporations and foundations continue to look for big ideas that span institutions and combine disciplines, degrees and departments, the research funding landscape has become complicated—and so have budgets. Research administration departments have expertise in budget management, true personnel cost and complex financial reporting, but are often removed from the philanthropic grant process making grant close-out and implementation difficult. How can CFR teams best leverage the expertise of internal research administration departments? How can research administration departments adapt processes developed for primarily federal grants to better accommodate this increase in complex philanthropic research funding? There was an imperative from leadership to answer these questions as Thomas Jefferson University quickly grew from four hospitals to 18. Using a case study approach, discuss challenges, successes and lessons learned as collaboration comes to the forefront of their research enterprise.
      Brian Squilla, Senior Vice President of Administration and Chief of Staff, Office of the Provost; Molly Gerber, Vice President of Principal Gifts and Chief Strategy Officer; and Emma DelVecchio, Associate Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations; Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health

    10:10-11:20
    Elective Sessions (choose one)

    • Corporate Curveballs: Nimbly Navigating Negotiations Internally and Externally (Interactive Session)
      Join representatives from NACRO—the Network for Academic Corporate Relations Officers—for a highly interactive workshop of fast-changing internal and external negotiations at varying stages of corporate partnerships. Hear about NACRO's essential skill sets necessary for corporate relations professionals and think about how to use them to build relationships across campus and with your corporate counterparts as you build and maintain mutually beneficial partnerships. How do you handle a faculty member who goes silent the week of an important campus visit? What do you do when leadership pushes a short-term ask that jeopardizes your carefully honed long-term strategy? When do take the reins during a meeting that's in danger of being led astray by a well-meaning but overzealous faculty member? Share success stories, tales of woe, and best practices for navigating complex situations within the corporate relations sphere.
      Anna Chowdhury, Assistant Director, Industry Strategic Partnerships, Texas State University: and Jessica Watts, Executive Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, University of North Texas
      Session Designer: Heath Wood, Senior Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations, Georgia State University
    • Using Data Analytics to Identify and Prioritize Corporate and Foundation Prospects
      This session provides an overview of several strategies for identifying and prioritizing corporate, foundation and other non-individual records in your database. Using proven data-driven approaches that have traditionally only been applied to prospecting for individuals, learn how to leverage your internal data, as well as append data from external sources, to provide a comprehensive, 360-degree look at your foundation, corporate and other organizational records. This type of identification and prioritization has proven very successful over the past 10+ years when applied to individuals and can be equally successful for other types of records, providing timely information, increasing prospecting efficiency, and reallocating valuable resources away from these labor-intensive tasks.
      Andrew Schultz, Director of Analytics, Bentz Whaley Flessner
    • What's the Big Idea about the Big Picture?
      Silos limit capacity in responding to our society's biggest challenges. This session balances perspectives as funders view cross-sector collaboration to address these challenges within a larger scope. As more funders have initiated collaborative funding opportunities, it benefits our organizations to strategically, intentionally and meaningfully do the same.
      Tarsha Calloway, Vice President of Advancement, The Woodruff Arts Center; Jessica Nigro, General Manager, Technology & Innovation Policy, External Affairs, Daimler; Colin Duncan, Managing Director, Deloitte; and Tjuan Dogan, Assistant Vice President, Social Impact Innovation, Emory University
      Session Designer and Moderator: Juanita Sheppard, Senior Associate Director for Foundation Relations, Emory University
    • Working with Community Foundations and Donor Advised Funds
      Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) assets grew from $85 billion in 2016 to $110 billion in 2017. How do universities work with the advisors managing DAFs to help connect donors to exciting charitable opportunities in order to advance important policy change? Join us for a discussion with a panel of DAF managers from community foundations, financial service charitable programs, and philanthropic advisors to learn how universities and DAF managers can work together to help DAF philanthropists grant funds to the issues they care about most. Speakers will include leaders from community foundations and other national organizations managing DAFs.
      Drew Hastings, Chief Development Officer, National Philanthropic Trust; Richard Peck, Vice President of Development and Philanthropy Services from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation; and Joanne Pipkin, Director of Development, the Greater Washington Community Foundation
      Moderator: Kate Norton, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, Dartmouth College

    11:30-12:45
    Luncheon and Key Session
    Being the Change in Higher Education
    Improving access and expanding student success in higher education are goals shared by most university leaders. There are many divergent ideas about how best to accomplish these goals, and almost as many demonstration projects, from pipeline and cohort programs to initiatives that encourage on-campus employment. Join Tomeka Hart from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; John King, Jr. from Education Trust, and Pat Roe from the Strada Education Network for a discussion about change in higher education.
    Tomeka Hart, Senior Program Officer, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; John King, Jr., President and CEO, Education Trust and Former Secretary of Education under President Obama; and Pat Roe, Vice President of Mission Advancement and Philanthropy, Strada Education Network 
    Session Designer: Jen Lawrence, Senior Executive Director of Foundation Relations, Indiana University

    1:00-2:10
    Elective Sessions (choose one)

    • Guiding Faculty to the Department of Defense: Why, When and How
      As foundation relations professionals discuss research projects with faculty, we often recognize that a foundation funder might be difficult to find—but we sense that there are agencies that might be a good fit, if only we knew more about them. Likewise, foundation funders are often motivated to help ensure the research they support is successful by encouraging faculty to creatively pursue complementary funding from federal sources. This panel offers an opportunity to learn about the Department of Defense, which funds a broad range of research, but which uses processes and sets priorities that are distinct from both private and other federal funders. Get an overview of the DoD's processes and opportunities so that you can know when it is appropriate to direct faculty to look to DoD as a potential funder of their research. Bonnie Blazer-Yost will discuss her experiences as a DoD grant recipient.
      Bonnie Blazer-Yost, Professor, Biology Department, Indiana University; Jessica Kenyon, Vice President, The Conafay Group; and Charles Peterson, President, MarquiSci, Acting Chief Medical Officer, Critical Link LLC, Medical Director, Hagerstown Treatment Center for Opioid Use Disorders
      Moderator: Faith Kirkham Hawkins, Associate Vice President for Research, Indiana University
    • Adapt-Migrate-Perish: Exploring a New Value Proposition for CFR
      The changing philanthropic landscape presents new opportunities for savvy CFR professionals to be nimble, value-added strategic partners in project visioning and institutional planning. Fail to adapt and we risk stagnation at best, obsolescence at worst. Staking our claim to relevance within this emerging context requires naming and honing the core competencies unique to our work as CFR professionals, as well as demonstrating for senior leaders how they can collaboratively leverage these distinctive talents and abilities for the broader benefit of the institution. Come prepared to learn and practice the art of structured brainstorming during this interactive, outcomes-focused, and guaranteed-to-be fun workshop. Together, we will explore (and claim!) a new value proposition for CFR in higher education.

      Ryan Sauder, Assistant Dean of Academic Advancement and Senior Director of College Grants and Foundation & Corporate Relations, Franklin & Marshall College
      Session Designer: Michelle Wamsley, Assistant Vice President, Foundation, Corporate and Government Relations, University of Richmond

    • No Unsolicited Proposals: Mastering the Secret Handshake and Getting in the Door
      You have a faculty member with a wonderful and very fundable project, and after a careful search, you've identified a foundation that's a perfect fit. Then you see those four words, "No unsolicited proposals accepted." In the face of such adversity, what's a CFR officer to do? Are there other ways to get in the door of these Fort Knox-like foundations? Which colleges and universities are already in, and how'd they get there? Discuss other ways to make inroads with foundations that don't accept unsolicited proposals, learn about the rationale behind such policies (and why up to 60 percent of private foundations operate this way), and share stories of success from colleagues across CFR.
      Jennifer Sobol, Director, Foundation Relations, Carnegie Mellon University; and Melanie Vignovich, Charitable Relationship Manager, Institutional Advancement, University of Pittsburgh
      Session Designer and Moderator: Marisa Bell-Metereau, Director of Foundation Relations, Duquesne University
    • Foundations, Corporations and Public Policy
      Foundations and Companies seek to foster technological, marketplace and social change to bring about a more humane, just and enterprising world. While there are many ways to encourage change, one effective strategy is to influence government policy. This session explores how foundations and industry leverage their grantmaking and advocacy to change policies or regulations, influence the direction of government funding and even seek to change the fundamental structure of institutions. Learn how business and foundation leaders develop their strategies, manage the "messiness" of the process and select the key points at which multiple streams of ideas, people and resources meet to effect decision making. Find out how universities can participate in this process and identify grant opportunities for your centers, institutes and faculty. 
      Jacob Ruytenbeek, Legal Counsel and Digital Aviation Policy Advisory, Thales; Chris Meek, Senior Director of Global Relationship Management, S&P Global, Chairman and Co-Founder of SoldierSocks.com; Mark Onley, Policy Coordinator, The Good Food Institute; and Pam Cohn, Managing Partner, Ascension Global
      Session Designer and Moderator: Gary Girzadas, Executive Director, Corporate and Foundation Relations, Syracuse University

    2:45-3:55
    Elective Sessions (choose one)

    • Improving the Limited Submission Process
      Review best practices for improving the competitiveness of the limited submission process, producing stronger proposals.
      Julie Elzanati, Director of Foundation Relations, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Michelle V. Joyce, Senior Director, Foundation Relations, Department of Development, University of Notre Dame;
      Session Designer and Speaker: Jill Bond, Associate Vice President, Foundation Relations, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
    • Assessing CFR Performance: Are We Doing It Wrong?
      Do you ever think your office is being measured incorrectly based on the work you do? Are you frustrated with institutional leadership not grasping or buying into emerging organizational trends? Wish you had some data to share that could compel some change? Want to see a kitten riding a turtle? Well then, this session is for you! Explore leading academic theories underlying the reasons why institutions are so reticent to shift CFR models. Discover a robust university-business collaboration (UBC) ecosystem framework developed by practitioners and academic researchers from across the globe to help explain what is important in modern CFR work. Examine the results of a comprehensive study that helps better understand that how we are all measured is misaligned with institutional objectives. Discuss where we go next as a profession.
      Cameron J. McCoy, Assistant Vice President, Economic Engagement, Lehigh University
    • Corporate and Foundation Relations for Community Colleges: Building Partnerships
      Community colleges are relative newcomers to the corporate and foundation relations landscape. This session engages community college representatives and explains how the unique mission of two-year institutions allows for engagement with potential funders. At the same time, community colleges often benefit from partnerships and consortia involving four-year education partners, community organizations, nonprofits and other corporate partners. Discuss best practices in building such consortia and share approaches for research institutions to engage potential community college partners.
      Danielle Stiles-Polk, Executive Director of Development and Brian Thomas, Executive Director, Grants Development, Ivy Tech Community College
    • Universities, Tech Companies and the NSF: Collaborating via Public-Private Partnerships
      Universities, corporations, and the federal government are all trying to maximize impact. More and more, the three are working together. Google, Microsoft, and National Science Foundation will share their philosophies and practical tips for establishing and nurturing mutually beneficial partnerships. 
      Elizabeth Bruce, Director, University Relations, Microsoft; Meghan Houghton, Senior Advisor for Strategic Engagements, National Science Foundation; and Sepi Hejazi Moghadam, Head of Special Projects, Google
      Moderator: Carla Ingrando, Executive Director, University Corporate and Foundation Relations, Cornell University

    4:15-5:25
    Elective Sessions (choose one)

    • Translating Your Talent: Growing Your Role, Growing Your Career
      Hear from an executive talent management professional and university partner about the most successful ways to develop your current role and grow your career within the advancement field.
      Tahsin Alam, Associate Vice President, Talent Management and Organizational Development, Rutgers University Foundation; and Mindy Suissa Cohen, President, Higher Talent Executive Search
    • Internal CFR Value: Developing a Holistic Approach 
      Does your office have a communications plan that supports your efforts to build relationships across campus? Are you interested in examining how your office uses various communication tools to enhance your work? Emory University's Office of Foundation Relations has been working to identify strategies that clarify and enhance our communication with campus stakeholders (university leadership, research deans, deans of faculty, faculty and advancement colleagues). By using a SWOT analysis and SMART objectives, we have been able to identify opportunities to better engage these stakeholders and, consequently, become more visible on campus. During this session, we will use our experiences as a case study and explain our process in developing an OFR communications plan. The ultimate goal of our office's plan is to strengthen internal relationships, foster a culture of grant seeking, and develop the programming that supports these goals. Prior to the conference, we will query foundation relations offices to determine if they have a strategic plan for communications, and what kinds of challenges they face with respect to internal communications. You will leave with a tool kit for your office that can be used to develop communication strategies. We will use cellphone-enabled polling to pose communications-related questions to attendees. Results from live polling will be shared with session participants and made available to any interested OFR/CFR offices. 
      Barbara Voss, Coordinator, Foundation Relations; and Tiffany Worboy, Director, Foundation Relations, Emory University
    • Fundraising for Equity Programs and Research
      Hear from Wayne State University and foundation partners who have worked together to fund equity programs and research on campus, in Detroit, and nationally. Learn how faculty and program officers from the W. K. Kellogg connect over a shared mission to engage community members. Understand the funding landscape for equity research from the William T. Grant Foundation. As foundations continue to focus on equity issues, we will help you understand what this means for your institution and community in terms of programming, research and grants.

      Khalilah Burt Gaston, Program Officer, W. K. Kellogg Foundation; and Jenny Irons, Associate Program Officer, William T. Grant Foundation
      Session Designer: Julie Burtch, Director of Foundation Relations, Wayne State University

    5:30
    Conference Adjourns for the Day
    Dinner on your own

    7:30-8:30 AM
    Breakfast Roundtables

    8:30-10:00
    Closing Keynote Session
    Ten Big Ideas: The National Science Foundation's Vision for the Future

    As head of the Office of Integrative Activities (OIA) at the National Science Foundation (NSF), Suzi Iacono is a member of the senior management team that developed and now leads the "10 Big Ideas" program, which represents $300M in planned investments in 2019. Since 2017, NSF has been building a foundation for big ideas through pioneering research and pilot activities. In 2019, NSF will invest $30 million in each big idea and continue to identify and support emerging opportunities for U.S. leadership in big ideas that serve the nation's future. This conversation may well set the stage for ongoing public and private investments in topics such as quantum physics, data science and engineering, and the future of work.
    Suzanne Iacono, Head, Office of Integrative Activities (OIA), National Science Foundation
    Session Designer: Jill Bond, Associate Vice President, Foundation Relations, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

    10:20-11:30
    Elective Sessions (choose one)

    • Diversifying the Profession: Proactive Strategies for Hiring, Retaining and Developing Inclusive Teams
      Even as we understand and seek to champion the value of diversity in the workplace, it's often difficult to know how to successfully build a diverse team of CFR professionals in a market with a traditionally shallow pool. Our panel of experts share their observations and research from the field, along with strategies to develop a more diverse pool of talent and highlight available resources for both managers and practitioners.
      Birgit Smith Burton, Executive Director of Development Foundation Relations, Georgia Institute of Technology
      Moderator: Anita Walton, Director of Diversity and Talent Management, CASE 
      Session Designer and Speaker: Juliette Cagigas, Director of Foundation, Corporate and Government Relations, Scripps College
    • Ask the Experts

    11:30
    Conference Adjourns

    Register now to secure your spot!

    Early Bird* Pricing

    Conference

    $995,  Member

    $1,340, Nonmember

    Newcomers Workshop

    $265, Member

    $265, Nonmember

    Master Classes

    $295, Member

    $295, Nonmember

    Regular Pricing

    Conference

    $1,080,  Member

    $1,425, Nonmember

    Newcomers Workshop

    $265, Member

    $265, Nonmember

    Master Classes

    $295, Member

    $295, Nonmember

    *Early bird ends April 12, 2019.

    Registration is online only.

    CASE accepts payment by check or credit card for conference registration fees.

    Register by April 12 and save $85  

    Plus, register two or more from your institution at the same time online and receive a $50 discount each!  

    Register Online

    Registration is online only. CASE accepts payment by check or credit card for conference registration fees.

    All prices shown above are in U.S. Dollars. If your preferred currency if not USD, the fee will display in your preferred currency at the start of the registration process. CASE accepts USD, CAD, AUD, SGD, EUR & GBP.

    The hotel rate is not included in your conference registration fee. You are responsible for making your own hotel reservation.

    Meet Your Chair

    Jennifer Lawrence
    Conference Chair

    Jennifer Lawrence

    Senior Executive Director of Foundation Relations, Indiana University

    Jen Lawrence leads the Foundation Relations team in the Office of the Vice President for Research at Indiana University (IU), serving as Senior Executive Director of Foundation Relations. Before joining IU, she served in a similar role at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, and prior to that worked in Foundation Relations and Communications at Northwestern University.

    Earlier in her career, Lawrence worked as a communication strategist, helping corporations and organizations refine and optimize their institutional identities. She holds a master's degree in speech communication and a bachelor's degree in mass communication, both from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She completed coursework at the University of Iowa toward a doctorate in communication studies with a focus in technology, leaving ABD. In 2013, Lawrence earned a master of fine arts degree in fiction writing from Northwestern University. She has taught courses in grant writing, rhetoric and composition, creative writing, and public speaking.

    • Meet the rest of the Conference Committee

    Hotel & Travel

    This conference will be held at

    Omni Shoreham Hotel

    2500 Calvert St NW
    Washington, DC 20008

    View Map

    Discounted room rate

    $249

    Deadline for discounted room rate

    April 22, 2019

    You may still register for this event after the discounted hotel deadline has lapsed.

    Book your Room online

    The hotel rate is not included in your conference registration fees. You are responsible for making your own hotel reservation. Book your room online.Occasionally, room blocks fill before the hotel deadline, although hotels may have additional rooms at a higher rate. Please make your reservation immediately to ensure the discounted rate and availability.

    ROOM BLOCK WARNING

    CASE Conferences have recently become the target of wholesaler companies trying to sell rooms for CASE Conferences. If you receive a phone call offering to make your reservation and take credit card information over the phone for a CASE Conference, do not conduct this transaction! You run the risk of arriving at the hotel and not having a reservation, or being unable to change or cancel your reservation without penalty, and possibly compromising your credit card details. It is recommended CASE Conference attendees follow the suggested channels for booking accommodation within the conference block following the instructions on this page.

    City Guide
    • While You're here

    See & Do

    Indulge your inner foodie. Visit historic sites. Discover fascinating museum exhibits. Extend your experience outside the conference hotel and explore the sights, sounds and good eats of the city!

    Visiting Washington, D.C.
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