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Heidi Jark, Managing Director of The Foundation Office, Fifth Third Bank

Have you ever wondered what makes the successful gift planner so successful? Not only will you learn the tips and traits of the most successful folks, but you’ll hear stories showing why these tips work and are so important to success. Come laugh and learn how to be the best gift planner that you can be.

• Top 10 Tips for Effective Gift Planning (DOC)
• Call Record (DOC)

Angela White, Senior Consultant and CEO, Johnson, Grossnickle and Associates

Millennial donors are different than donors from past generations – but not in the ways you might expect. Yes, technology and social media are integral parts of their lives, but these alumni and donors are driven by personal relationships and human connections. In this way, they are like more established donors and alumni. And they expect to be treated as such.

As a result, institutions need to realign their young alumni engagement strategies, with the expectation that this undertaking will not produce quick returns, but will deliver considerable long-term rewards.

In 2011, JGA partnered with Achieve to conduct a second phase of research to improve our understanding of how non profits can best work with Millennials.

• Know how they want to be engaged,
• Recognize what motivates them to give . . . and to stop giving,
• Understand how they want to be asked and what they want to know,
• Design your website to give them what they want,
• Realize it’s not just about social media and technology, but implementing a social strategy,
• AND, Learn how to pull it all together and apply it successfully.

This session will discuss the latest Millennial donor research as it applies to colleges and universities and cover these topics and much more.

Chris Williams, Director of Communications and Community Relations at Anderson University
Rick Bailey, Principal of Richard Harrison Bailey: The Agency

"How do you capture the soul of a university and clearly communicate this message in a way that resonates with faculty, staff and students? Branding is critical within the life of a university. It is more than a logo or a set of colors--it is the story of your institution. And it is this story that impacts everything including recruitment, curriculum and fundraising. If the story does not connect with faculty, staff and students, the message will difficult to communicate to prospective students, alumni, donors and other key constituent groups.

This session will reflect on Anderson University’s experiences as the institution attempts to develop an institutional brand. After experiencing years of frustration from a lack of institutional identity, as well as multiple failed attempts at initializing this process, this institution has successfully launched an identity campaign to enable its constituents to share its story with others.

With the help of Richard Harrison Bailey: The Agency, Anderson University underwent a thorough investigation of itself. Findings from this investigation affirmed the core values and soul of the institution and, for the first time, helped the institution synthesize these concepts into simple words and phrases that articulate the essence of the institution.

The process of cultivating community around institutional brand forced the university to identify key players, gain critical buy-in, and develop excitement in the possibilities of the messaging. And it was through groups, committees, and one-on-one engagements with strong cross-sections of the campus community that helped the institution uncover a truly unique and authentic brand message.

Articulating the institution’s brand impacts virtually everything under the purview of these two administrators including admission counselor training, brochure creation, web and social media activities, and television commercial development.

The presenters hope this will be an interactive session where participants will share some of the successes and challenges that they face as they attempt to tell the story of their own institutions.

Laurie Woodhouse, Executive Director of Talent Management, Indiana University

This program will explore the concept of talent management while focusing specifically on career management. The program will provide an overview and discussion on the following:

• The recruitment process, (how do search consultants or "headhunters" identify candidates).
• How to build, expand and use your network to manage your career.
• What do the profiles of successful development candidates look like in terms of credentials,
skills, experience and competencies?
• Trends in hiring, retention and career management
• Open discussion and questions

Andrea Pactor, Associate Director, Women's Philanthropy Institute, Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University

Using research from the Women’s Philanthropy Institute at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University as the framework, this session will explore the questions “does gender really matter in giving and, if so, what are the barriers to increasing women’s giving?” We will examine some of the myths that punctuate the fundraising culture about women’s giving and learn strategies to overcome them. Examples of models of engagement in colleges, universities, and independent schools around the country will highlight best practices for more fully engaging all donors within the institution.

Brandi Farrer, Director of Student Programs, Purdue University
Emily Smith, Assistant Director of Engagement & Young Alumni, Purdue University

Learn how PASE (Purdue Alumni Student Experience) in just a few short years has become one of the largest student groups on Purdue’s West Lafayette campus, AND is a membership driven organization! Session will cover a broad overview that will include: best practices, lessons learned, start up helpful hints, marketing and promo examples, successful and unsuccessful events, student leadership structure, and the impact it has made on the alumni association.

• Download presentation (PPT)

Thom Atkinson, Social Media Strategist, Indiana University

It seems like everyone these days is talking about social media strategy. But what exactly is a social media strategy and do you really need one? Before some senior vice president appoints a committee to draft a social media strategy for your institution, get some pointers on what to recommend... and what to avoid. We don't have all the answers, but we can arm you with the right questions.

• View presentation notes

Kris W. Kindelsperger, Johnson, Grossnickle and Associates

Learn effective strategies to engage trustees in fundraising from a consultant with a unique perspective – that as a former college advancement officer, campaign co-chairman and current trustee of a private college. Traditional approaches focus on helping trustees acquire fundraising skills. This session will also address what the president and advancement staff can do to engage trustees and enlist their enthusiasm for the college’s mission and needs in the service of raising funds. The session will include a review of trustee expectations, education and orientation of trustees, fundraising roles for trustees, and assessing success and trustee performance.

• Download presentation (PPT)

Tara Singer, AVP for Communications and Marketing, Indiana State University

This presentation will include a case study of the development of the mobile application for currently enrolled students at Indiana State University as well as information about the creation of app versions for different audiences (prospective students and parents, alumni and donors, faculty and staff) on multiple platforms (Android, Blackberry, iPhone). Attendees will have a chance to learn about various considerations in selecting a mobile app provider or in deciding whether to build an app in-house.

• Download presentation (PPT)

Jennifer Marsh, Director of Development, Ball State University
Derek Berger, Assistant Director, Annual Giving, Ball State University

• Download presentation (PPT)

Derrick Feldmann, CEO, Achieve