NonProfit Times "50 Most Powerful and Influential Nonprofit Leaders" 2006-2009 and "Oprah Angel"

In the last year, in every community, in every state, nonprofit organizations have been asked to do more--for more--with less. And next year, even more challenging issues will arise that must be addressed: how to care for a rapidly aging population, how to meet pension commitments, how to keep current service levels from being further eroded. What can the sector do? Join Nonprofit leader Robert Egger for a provocative, timely and detailed call to action that will challenge you and our collective sector to stand together and own our collective social, economic and yes, political power. 

Funders Panel

Surfing the Next Wave of Philanthropy: New Strategies for Intergenerational Fundraising

Surfing the Next Wave of Philanthropy: New Strategies for Intergenerational Fundraising Today's philanthropic landscape includes the largest span of generations in recent history-- from the Millennial Generation to the Greatest Generation; people of all ages are engaged in fundraising. What motivates each generation to give, however, is very different, and requires a variety of communication styles and cases for support. In this session, we will discuss key motivations for these donor groups and effective methods for engaging new philanthropists.

Major Gifts for Small Shops

How do you create a successful major gifts program with a small development staff? It's not impossible, but requires resourcefulness, creativity, and, of course, hard work! In this session, we'll address "mission critical" tasks for your major giving program, how to recruit volunteers to extend your resources, and how to prioritize your many responsibilities to be efficient and effective.

The End of Annual of Giving

No one's answering the phone, no one's writing paper checks and the economy is in the tank.  What's an annual giving fundraiser to do?  Old methods of annual giving are facing challenges, but new fundraising methods and tools are emerging at the same time.  CASE Crystal Apple speaker and "Innovations in  Annual Giving" author Bob Burdenski finds the silver linings among the clouds, and makes the case that annual giving is entering a period of unprecedented opportunity.

Getting Board Members to WANT to Give

Giving by the board is the number one indicator of fundraising success. So, why don’t they just give already? Listen to the truth as June reveals how to align board wants and leadership needs, and hear how one non-profit used these truths to bring harmony to board dynamics—and bigger gifts to the table. The insight of more than 50 elite board members from around the world contributed to June’s research and the AlignMint model that evolved from their observations has helped non-profits truly bring balance and a renewed passion to boards, staff, and leadership alike.

Trends that are Changing the World and How to Leverage Them

Technology is enabling new business models and is transforming the way we live, work, play and learn. Hear from the “Tech Nowist” Carlos Dominguez, senior vice president and 18-year veteran of Cisco Systems, on what technology is available now, how’s it being used in innovative ways …and how you can leverage it to be more effective in business, and in life.

Splash versus Stealth: Re-Thinking Capital Campaigns

Some fundraising professionals would argue that the days of the traditional capital campaign-- with its fancy collateral, many committees, and public events— are past, and that unannounced campaigns or continuous major gifts efforts are more effective at a lower cost and risk. Some institutions are even engaging in what some have called “stealth campaigns”—organized, in some cases comprehensive campaigns, intentionally without a public “face” or profile. Does “one size” really fit all? Come hear an expert with 35 years of experience reflect on these issues, and offer practical, actionable advice to help you determine what the advantages and disadvantages of each approach might be for your organization.

Understanding Our Donors and Standards of Performance for Fundraisers

This invigorating session will start with an examination of how donors view the philanthropic experience and what that tells us about how our organizations should engage with them. The focus will then turn to qualitative standards of performance which guide the process of building relationships with top level donors.

Strategizing the Successful Major Gift Solicitation

This lively discussion will concentrate on the key strategy decisions pertaining to the “ask.” Understanding the dynamics involved enables the fundraiser to probe for needed information and make sound decisions regarding who does the asking, for what, how much, when and where. What to look for as possible outcomes of a major gift request will also be explored.

Launching a Patrons Society

Matt will provide participants with an overview of the process of creating a Patrons Society – a high level membership category for the top tiers of annual donors.  Participants will first discuss the goals and (briefly) the psychology behind the establishment of such a membership group, and then move on to the nuts-and-bolts mechanics of the technique.

Board Panel

Creating and Sustaining Effective Board/Staff Relationships

The board/staff dynamic is a critical component to philanthropic success. How can best practices be combined with managing expectations of roles and responsibilities, collaborative relationships and mutual objectives? Experienced and committed board members share their ideas, expectations and insights.

Unsocial Media: What Everyone Else is Thinking but Afraid to Say

Social media has quickly become a crucial piece of the digital puzzle for any sized organization. Like most businesses out in the digital world, non-profit organizations are scrambling to figure out the most effective ways to utilize social networking in order to increase awareness for their cause. Unfortunately for many smaller organizations, social media is on the bottom of a long list of to do's and rarely gets the attention it needs in order to thrive. In this workshop, you will have the opportunity to participate in an "out of the box" dialogue about strategically using social media to build awareness and support for your cause.

Capital Campaigns and Corporate Partnerships

Corporate gifts are a critical part of any capital campaign. But what if you could turn that gift into a real partnership? Hear real life examples of the relationship that has developed between Children's Specialized Hospital and PSE&G following their landmark commitment to the hospital. Learn how you can best match your needs with corporate funding goals to set your organization apart from the competition.

Building Donor Loyalty: The Next Big Fundraising Challenge

In this session we explore the key drivers of donor loyalty and outline concrete ways in which fundraising programs can be modified to significantly improve donor loyalty and retention. We will also examine key loyalty metrics such as donor lifetime value and consider best and 'standard' industry practice in relation to how to use these figures to our advantage.  The session will draw heavily on academic and practitioner research and introduce case material from both the commercial and nonprofit sectors to illustrate how even small improvements in loyalty today can translate into large improvements in the lifetime value of a fundraising database tomorrow.