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The Devil is in the Details: Standardizing Your Annual Giving Program

thursday, Feb 14  •  session 1, 9:00 am  •  broadway III and IV / plaza level
Melinda Petersen, Dir. of Annual Giving, Portland State University
Daniel Napolitano, Reporting Analyst, University Advancement, Portland State University

PRESENTATION MATERIALS

Does your annual giving program speak the same language year after year? Do you find yourself reinventing the wheel with each new fiscal year or worse, each new appeal? Are you able to define “annual giving” at your institution? We’ll present the importance of standardizing the details of your program and how Portland State was able to boost efficiency, consistency, and confidence in doing so. With the details in order, you’ll be able to accomplish big things with a higher degree of certainty and lower level of stress.

Integrating Social Media Networks Throughout Your Annual Fund Campaign

thursday, Feb 14  •  session 2, 10:30 am  •  broadway III and IV / plaza level
Rebecca Hastings, Exec. Dir., Cascadia Community College
Amy Whittenburg, Asst. Dir. of Development, Cascadia Community College

Colleges across the country are increasingly using social media such as YouTube, Facebook, and blogging as key components of their annual fundraising campaign. Annual giving professionals at Cascadia Community College in the Greater Seattle area have been experimenting with these tools and will share multimedia examples used to enhance their online annual giving program.

Implementing a Successful Multi-channel Strategy

thursday, Feb 14  •  session 3, 1:15 PM  •  broadway III and IV / plaza level
Michelle Poesy, Dir. of Annual Giving, Washington State University

Annual giving is multi-faceted – direct mail, email, phone and personal solicitation – and managing all of the components consistently and cohesively is a challenge many institutions face. A comprehensive and consistent annual giving strategy will strengthen the donor base of an institution through retention and acquisition and build a pipeline for major gifts. This presentation will cover three of the four facets – ideas and suggestions for coordination of e-solicitation, direct mail and phonathon programs to maximize results and increase the return on investment. Learn how a strategy built on consistency and delivery through multiple channels can pay long term dividends.

Direct Mail Success: Not as Difficult as you Might Think

thursday, Feb 14  •  session 4, 2:45 PM  •  broadway III and IV / plaza level
paul barry, president, perrone group

The challenge to implement successful direct mail programs faces many of us. Dwindling budgets and staff limitations require us to think differently but we often make choices based on what our institutions have traditionally done. Even worse, we create pieces based on what we think a recipient may respond to. If this sounds familiar, we hope you’ll join us for an informative look at what we mail and why.

We’ll review the requirements for direct marketing success; discuss messaging and packaging, look at inexpensive ways to test while challenging a few perceptions of what constitutes good (or bad) direct mail. We’ll share examples of some of the more creative
appeals we’ve encountered over the years and, if time allows, invite you to share your own story of a successful (or unsuccessful) appeal. Our goal is to provide you with at least one nugget of information you can easily implement to improve your results.

Creating a Leadership Annual Giving Program

friday, Feb 15  •  session 5, 9:00 AM  •  broadway III and IV / plaza level
jenny smrekar, dir. of the president’s circle, oregon state university foundation

PRESENTATION MATERIALS

Learn the importance of implementing a robust leadership annual giving program. Oregon State University recently created a full-time position to manage their OSU President’s Circle and has given the donor group new life. Hear strategic examples of communications and events used to create community among these donors and keep them engaged with the university as they continue to move along the donor pipeline.

Charity Begins at Home: Faculty/Staff Giving

friday, Feb 15  •  session 6, 10:15 AM  •  broadway III and IV / plaza level
kate morris, assistant dir. of annual giving, willamette university

PRESENTATION MATERIALS

As the first university in the West, Willamette has a long and successful history of faculty and staff giving. Learn techniques that will help your institution maximize employee support through the implementation of a faculty and staff campaign. Cultivating unity and understanding of development is a critical step towards institutional engagement and loyalty. Professors and support staff are the foundation of an institution, seeing first hand how private support can make a direct difference in the day-to-day.