Wednesday, February 13, 10 am-12 pm
Persuasive Writing
Presentation Materials
with Karen Holden, writer & educator specializing in higher ed communications
Karen has worked with diverse development, alumni and corporate relations teams on a wide range of projects, including comprehensive communications plans, major gift proposals, annual appeals and persuasive text for digital and print media. She wrote the campaign case for the Pardee RAND Graduate School, was Senior Writer for External Relations at the USC Marshall School of Business and Development Writer at Marymount College. Before becoming a development writer, Karen taught creative writing at schools, museums and social institutions. She is an award winning teacher as well as a published poet and book artist.
New Media has changed the ways we communicate with constituents, but persuasive writing is still essential to success. The basics remain the same—communications must be clear, concise and compelling. In this highly interactive session participants will learn to identify the elements of great persuasive writing across platforms (print, web, email, speech, video) and practice their persuasive skills in writing exercises. In an era of tightened budgets, advancement professionals across tracks must often do their own writing. We will discuss best writing practices for all levels of experience. Learn how to make your writing irresistible in this practical and engaging session.
Student Advancement Programs – Kryptonite or Super Power?
Presentation Materials
with Tom Bull, Exec. Dir., Portland State University Alumni Association
Tom has worked in the Advancement field since 1995, serving in leadership capacity for Northwestern University, Loyola University Chicago and DePaul University. His professional life has been augmented by community service involvement in management and leadership roles. He has been very active in CASE, serving in numerous volunteer capacities, including the 2012 Chair of the District VIII Seattle Conference.
and anthony McAdoo, Senior Assoc. Exec. Dir., University of Oregon Alumni Association
As a 14 year professional in higher education, Anthony has spent the last 11 years in alumni relations in progressive leadership roles. He served 10 years at the University of Arkansas Alumni Association where he eventually oversaw all programming and engagement opportunities of the Association, including overseeing student and on-campus programs. He joined the University of Oregon over a year ago and is focused on alumni relations strategy and strategic development for the Association.
Are your student advancement programs a superpower or more like kryptonite? Do you feel like students are from the planet Krypton? Everyone wants to be like Superman, but copying the suit does not give you superpowers! In this master session, you will learn more about student advancement programs and how they can give you superpowers and not be like your kryptonite. We will talk philosophies, best practices, stories of success (and failure), and how we can energize programs in District VIII.
Sustainability – The ultimate challenge for today’s executives
Presentation Materials
with RJ Valentino, president of The Napa Group
RJ Valentino, president of The Napa Group, will share best practice strategies and market-driven techniques that he’s used to assist his clients drive custom solutions, innovation and sustainable performance – including at Citibank, E*Trade, Sea World, The Lance Armstrong Foundation, Oregon State University Foundation, Georgetown University, Stanford University, the University of Tennessee and the University of British Columbia.
Sustainability – The ultimate challenge for today’s executives is sustaining performance in rapidly changing environments, of which many elements are not controllable. Learn techniques to assess the multitude of leadership and management options and “guru” models of success to develop a plan that works for you and that drives sustainable performance as an individual contributor, manager or leader in your organization. In this hands-on session develop your model to navigate the options and to select what will allow you to differentiate and sustain your performance in today’s competitive landscape.
Finding Higher Ground: Campaign Success Amidst an Economic Tsunami
Presentation Materials
WITH kevin heaney, vice PRESIDENT OF development and deputy campaign director, oregon state university foundation
Kevin serves on the Foundation’s management team and oversees the development programs for eleven colleges, as well as for OSU-Cascades, Scholarships and University Initiatives, Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon 4-H program, Corporate Relations, Foundation Services, and the Regional Major Gift Programs. In addition, he is part of the leadership team for OSU’s first comprehensive campaign. Prior to joining the OSU Foundation, Heaney served in a variety of major gift and planned giving capacities at Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins University, and Harvard University.
By all accounts, The Campaign for OSU has been an enormous success and continues to thrive despite the worst economic downturn in modern history. Originally launched as a $625 million dollar campaign in 2007, Oregon State University’s first comprehensive campaign is now tracking to surpass its current $1 billion goal ahead of schedule. Come learn about the strategies and processes that have been utilized at OSU to maintain the momentum behind what is now the largest fundraising campaign in the State of Oregon’s history and explore ways in which these lessons and strategies can impact your own fundraising and campaign initiatives.
Wednesday, February 13, 1:30 – 3:30 pm
Data-Driven Campaign Planning
with josh birkholz, principal, bentz whaley flessner
As a principal at Bentz Whaley Flessner, Josh oversees consulting and services in development operations, prospect development, social media, constituent engagement, and analytics. Josh is founder of the BWF analytics division, DonorCast. He has streamlined fundraising infrastructure and ushered organizational change for leading non-profits in higher education, healthcare, the arts, advocacy, and social service sectors throughout the United States and beyond. He is widely regarded as a leading innovator in 21st-century development strategies. And, he is the author of the sought-after book, Fundraising Analytics: Using Data to Guide Strategy.
Successful campaigns require solid execution of focused strategies to tap the philanthropic potential of the constituency. Careful planning must include prospecting, engagement analysis, production assessment, and forecasting by priorities. In this dynamic session, Josh will introduce you to fundraising analytics and outline several methods of incorporating data into your campaign planning process.
Dynamics of International Fundraising
with Mohamed Abdel-Kader, Dir. of Dev., Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service and Middle East Region, Georgetown University
As the Director of Development, Mohamed focuses on major gifts and strategic engagement. He has held development positions at George Mason University and developed an international strategy for partnerships in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa. He has advised a variety of clients on operational strategy issues and intercultural competency.
As institutions respond to the opportunities and challenges of globalization and a more interconnected world, we must be more strategic in our engagement of international philanthropists. This session will discuss the ever-evolving world of international philanthropy and help your team navigate these waters. From the 30,000 foot view to the ground-level tactical moves, the session will focus on factors on the engagement of your international prospects in a challenging global economic climate.
Rethinking a Culture of Philanthropy
with dr. peter smits, vp for university advancement, california state university, fresno
As a member of the President’s cabinet, peter is responsible for Fresno State’s programs in development and fundraising, university communications, endowment management and alumni relations. Fresno State is currently in the public phase of its first comprehensive campaign, scheduled to end in June 2012.
Peter is a member of the CASE District VII board of directors, and serves on the Executive Committee. He chaired the membership committee for two years. He is a member of the CASE Commission on Philanthropy. He is the most senior vice president in the 23-campus California State University system, and was the inaugural chair of the CSU Council of Vice Presidents. He is past president of the Central California chapter of AFP, and a recipient of that chapter’s Fundraising Executive of the Year award.
Prior to his appointment at Fresno State, he served as Vice President for Advancement at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in western Pennsylvania. He has also served as Executive Assistant to the Chancellor at Louisiana State University in Shreveport, Vice President for College Relations and Development at the State University of New York at Brockport and Dean of Students at The College of White Plains in New York.
In these difficult economic times, there is more and more talk about creating and sustaining a culture of philanthropy on our campuses. But just what is a culture of philanthropy? How do you know you have one? How do you build one? What key concepts or tools can you use to assess the health of your culture of philanthropy? Explore these and other questions regarding the climate and culture of philanthropy on our campuses today. Learn the results of a national survey of campus leaders, conducted in the spring of 2012, regarding their perceptions of the causes and concepts of a culture of philanthropy.
Where Wall Street meets Main street — Alumni Career Services
Presentation Materials
with Bill Reynolds, Assoc. VP. of Alumni Relations & Annual Giving,
Georgetown University
The rising cost of education, the prolonged economic recession and the declining wealth of the middle class have focused attention of parents, students and alumni on the ROI of their college, degree and career choices. This session will look at how Georgetown has grown its portfolio of alumni career services as well as it’s student and alumni touch points by a multiple of fifty since the program’s inception. Growth drivers have included strategic leadership, partnering across the campus as well with regional clubs and Professional Alliances. Course will also look at partnership with and benefits to the Annual Fund, Alumni Relations and Development.