Advancement Services
Many of our speakers have submitted their presentations for downloading. For the full list of downloadable presentations, click here.
Sponsored by SunGard Higher Education
Alumni Affinity: Implementation Strategies for Successful Fundraising
Amanda Terhes, Co-Director, Close to Customer Project at Oregon State University
Thursday, February 24th, 9:15 am – 10:30 am
Oregon State University has launched a new research project to assist other colleges and universities as they seek to build relationships with their alumni and donors. This research reveals underlying philanthropic motivations and provides an actionable measure of affinity that influences intent to give. This is not your typical survey or data mining; this is a cutting-edge look at what your alumni and donors think of you now! Learn how you can gain compelling insights into the connections your alumni and donors have and want to have with your institution.
Data Modeling: Defining Your Goals and Assessing ROI
Jennifer Zaslow, Director, Development Learning Collaborative, Eduventures, Inc.
Thursday, February 24th, 1:45pm – 3:00pm
This session provides a primer to start your data modeling project, from defining the project goals and selecting relevant variables to conducting appropriate analyses and assessing the effectiveness of the model. Learn how data modeling can help identify potential prospects for major or principal gift cultivation, streamline solicitation outreach for direct mail annual giving campaigns, and target messaging based on constituent interests and behaviors.
Beyond the Profile – A Practical Model and Tools for a genuine Strategic Partnership between Prospect Research and Major Gifts
Tania Brandstrom, Associate Director, Development and Advancement Services, SAIT Polytechnic
Sandra Gomez, Research Services Coordinator, SAIT Polytechnic
Thursday, February 24th, 3:30pm – 4:45pm
The role of prospect research in identifying, cultivating and soliciting major gifts is increasing in importance, as demands for greater efficiency and results increase, particularly in light of the current fiscal environment. At SAIT Polytechnic, our Prospect Research team has shifted activity to lead, as well as respond to, major gifts driven activity. Working increasingly in partnership has influenced the way we approach our work, the way we interact with our development officer colleagues, and the way we view our contribution to the success of our fundraising operations. As a result of this journey, a number of new products and services have been introduced. Outcomes include increased involvement in the development of a cultivation plan, final recommendations on strategy as ask is approached, ask value, key influencers to be included, and identifying potential issues to prep the development officer to manage potential objections.
This presentation will include the leadership vision and context within which this repositioning was undertaken, sharing key learnings for other shops looking to move towards a more strategic and leadership-centric role for their prospect research activities. As well, practical solutions now employed at SAIT will be presented, giving participants tools that can be applied in their own prospect research work.
The Science and Art of Data and Records Management
Brian Dowling, Senior Vice President for Finance and Information Systems, VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation
Friday, February 25th, 9:15am – 10:30am
Fundraising professionals and those who support fundraising are in a great position to understand data – by knowing what data elements are critical to build and maintain the personal relationships that lead to investment in your organization’s cause. Efficient and effective data management gives us competitive advantage.
Unfortunately you find out very quickly that there are many gaps in your data – both in quality and quantity. When thinking about trying to make improvements, we’re additionally subject to information overload and shortage of resources. Our desire to build comprehensive sets of information has to be simultaneously tailored to our resource constraints.
All of this presents a very complex management challenge in a world where the amount of information continues to increase exponentially – while in many cases we’ve often systemically under-invested in data acquisition and maintenance.
How do you decide and know what to collect? What are some creative data collection strategies that you can utilize at an effective price point? How do you manage your data through creative and comprehensive metrics? How do your report back to your organization on the problems, opportunities and data successes? How do you continuously improve data integrity? How do you provide incentives for all parts of the organization to buy into the ideas of a high quality and comprehensive data plan?
Our data is the foundation of our current and future success and we need to manage it effectively and efficiently. Join us as we tie all of this together. We’ll have numerous examples and strategies to help manage what is a complex exercise in what is becoming an ever more complex world.
Prospect Research in a Campaign
David Lamb, Senior Consultant, Target Analytics, a Blackbaud Company
Friday, February 25th, 10:45am – 11:45am
Death and taxes … and campaigns. You can’t avoid them. A capital campaign can bring unique demands and pressures on a prospect researcher. Effective prospect research is a vital component of any successful campaign. This session will cover how a campaign should affect the activities of prospect researchers, the systems required to manage prospect information in a campaign, and the resources available for helping identify the prospects needed for the campaign.
Advancement and Technology: Findings of the CASE/SunGard study on the use of technology in development and alumni relations
Bill Kavan, Vice President, Product Management & Strategy, SunGard Higher Education
Friday, February 25th, 1:45pm – 3:00pm
What technology tools are development and alumni relations offices using to support advancement efforts? Is technology being used strategically or tactically? What are the barriers to the effective use of technology, and how satisfied are advancement professionals with their technology tools? Explore the findings of a CASE/SunGard study on the use of technology in development and alumni relations, and discuss strategies to use technology effectively to enhance advancement operations.
If you are interested in reading more about the study, you can download a complimentary copy:
Executive Summary: www.sungardhe.com/caseexecsummary
Full Report: www.sungardhe.com/caseresearchfullreport
Due to future unforeseen conflicts some session timing may change.
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