- About
- Membership
- Resources
- Partner
- Events
- Awards & Scholarships
5th Annual New York Regional ConferenceSessions9:30 - 9:45 | Keynote Keynote: Campaign Stewardship: Be Prepared Whether you are planning a campaign, in a campaign or wrapping one up – stewardship is an important element. Have you led the discussion about how you will steward your donors during and after the campaign? Do you have the systems, structures, program, policies in place? During this session we will cover these topics and share ideas about how to cultivate and engage donors during a campaign, and how to celebrate campaign milestones. Angela Joens is the executive director of development outreach for the University of California, Davis, where she oversees the donor relations, annual giving, prospect research and development communications departments. Prior to her work with UC Davis, Angie was the vice president of development operations for the Mercy Foundation where she oversaw donor relations, annual giving, advancement services and the grateful patient program. Angie began her work in the donor relations field in 1999 when she was hired by the Iowa State University (ISU) Foundation as the director of donor relations to build a program. In ten years she helped the foundation build a nationally recognized donor relations program from the ground up. Before ISU she was a member of the start-up company RuffaloCODY, which assists nonprofit organizations across the country with their fundraising efforts. Serving the company for eight years, she helped hundreds of clients reach their financial goals and helped build a strong company. She is also a donor relations consultant for Campbell & Company and provides assistance to organizations wanting to develop and grow their stewardship operations. In addition, she continues to be a frequent speaker and has presented at many conferences, including those for CASE, the Association of Donor Relations Professionals (ADRP), the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and others. Angie has gained extensive management, development and stewardship experience during her professional career. Her areas of expertise include fundraising, strategic planning, market and prospect research, event planning, giving societies, donor communication and staff recruitment, development and management. She earned her bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communications from the University of Iowa and her master's degree in public administration from Iowa State University. She is an active volunteer and assists several nonprofit organizations and served on the National Association of Donor Relations Professionals Board from 2008-2011.
Session 1A: Capitalizing on the "Overlooked Middle": How Donor Relations Can Drive Renewals and Upgrades from Mid-Level Donors Mid-level donors' expectations for high-touch stewardship often exceed what donor relations professionals can offer them. Gift societies and their endless parade of certificates, tchotchkes, and events continue to occupy center stage in many donor relations shops, despite their growing irrelevance in the eyes of donors. This session will take a look at how to move past these challenges. It will detail groundbreaking strategies for enhancing mid-level donor access to senior leaders and for communicating gift impact in scalable ways through digital channels. Jeff Martin is a Consultant with EAB, a best practice research firm based in Washington, D.C. He has led research studies on donor retention, donor relations, student philanthropy, social media fundraising, crowdfunding, mobile giving, and alumni relations. He is currently compiling a publication and resource center on maximizing lifetime donor value. Mr. Martin received a bachelor's degree in history from Brown University. Session 1B: Maximizing Momentum: Creating a Campaign Roadshow that Works You’ve successfully launched your campus Campaign Kickoff, your constituents are engaged, your team is ready and energy is high - now what? This session will explore how to translate positive momentum from a Campaign Kickoff into a strategic Roadshow. Presented by Bucknell University and Feats Inc., these dynamic partners will answer the questions of:
Highlighting their process of creating a Regional Roadshow from beginning to end, topics will include planning strategically and cost-effectively, successful marketing/generating attendance, tapping into regional constituents, building an engaging and meaningful program and navigating the inevitable event pitfalls. Brianne Croteau and Kristin Maffeo have been working together on the Bucknell University Campaign since 2011. Over the past four years, Brianne and Kristin have combined their professional experience, creativity and respective Bucknell and Feats resources to develop a positive partnership crucial to the success of the overall events. They travel the country together managing Bucknell Roadshows from site visit to final production and have more than a few “tales of the trade” to share! Brianne Croteau has built a career developing and producing special events that support the strategic goals of higher education institutions. She began at Georgetown University and St. Albans School in Washington, D.C. before joining Bucknell University as Associate Director of Development and Alumni Events in 2008. Brianne helped Bucknell create a centralized event service team and in 2010 transitioned to Assistant Director of Event Management. In 2013, she returned to her development roots, becoming Bucknell's new Assistant Director of Donor and Volunteer Relations. Brianne has traveled throughout the United States producing everything from intimate donor experiences to high-level, large-scale Presidential events, including the campus launch and roadshow of a half-billion dollar comprehensive campaign. She speaks at industry conferences and her events have won several awards, most recently from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Session 1C: The Intersection of Leadership Gifts, Prospect Management, and Donor Relations. Are your endowed fund reports candidates for a Pulitzer Prize? Do your acknowledgement letters bring donors to tears? Did your last event end with a standing ovation? How does your department evolve from here? In this session we’ll discuss how to position your donor relations office to work in partnership with prospect management and leadership gifts to provide a holistic approach to donor stewardship. Ensure that donor relations is part of every cycle of donor engagement: identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. Erin Moyer is Assistant Vice President of Stewardship & Gift and Donor Services at the University of Rochester. In this role she integrates the functions of these two areas, focusing on developing standards, tools, and programs that support the university-wide advancement effort. She is responsible for overall stewardship with a focus on leadership donors and prospect engagement as well as oversight of core areas of advancement services, including gift processing, biographical and financial records maintenance, reconciliations and data quality. Previously, Erin worked at Lehigh University, serving as Director of Stewardship and Gift Processing and later as Director of Advancement Services. Prior to Lehigh, she worked in development and member services at the Rodale Institute in Kutztown, Penn. Erin currently serves as ADRP’s President. Prior to this role Erin began her service to ADRP in 2009 as a member and co-chair of the professional development committee and was elected to the ADRP Board in January 2012. She has previously served as Chair of the Professional Development Committee and has been a member of ADRP since 2006. She has been a presenter at conferences sponsored by ADRP, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). Erin earned a B.A. at Kutztown University and her M.Ed. at Lehigh University. Mary Solomons has been in the advancement field for 25 years, initially in the alumnae office of her alma mater, Wellesley College. For the past 19 years she has been at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, first as director of alumni affairs, and since 200, overseeing the Office of Donor Relations. Mary served on the ADRP Board of Directors for 2008 - 13, has presented at numerous ADRP International Conference, co-chaired the NYC Regional Conferences, and is also active with the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), serving on the faculty of the 2007, 2009, 2014, and 2015 Donor Relations Conferences and as a speaker at the summer Institute for Advancement Services in July 2011 and the District 1 Annual conference in February 2008.
Session 2A: A Coaching Session Do you have a tough question or situation you need answered at work? Do you wish you had a sounding board with which to bounce ideas? This is your forum to seek advice or gain perspective from a seasoned coach. We will also provide tools to help you navigate these tricky situations on your own. Read Angie’s bio under keynote session. Session 2B: Not your usual scholarship dinner. A look into how one school put a twist the "typical" scholarship dinner and made a lasting impact for the school and its donors. A case study on how Eastern Virginia Medical School took a "typical" scholarship dinner and turned it into an a-typical scholarship event, with major success. The session will take a deep dive into why the change in event format, location, outcomes and pit-falls to avoid. Presenters will go over all the collateral and manpower that went into such an undertaking as well. Also, presenters will share what the future of the event will be going forward and why. Attendees will come away with a different way of how to do a scholarship dinner (or similar type of event) and how they can give their donors an experience they will soon never forget. Ashley Gentry has served as the Director of Donor Relations at Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) over the past four years. She, along with her team, has built a robust donor relations program from the ground up. Prior to joining EVMS, Ashley was a front line fundraiser in both the health and business development sectors. At work, Ashley's passion is to find creative and innovative ways to engage the donor. A true believer in giving back, Ashley is highly involved the community. She was named Top 40 Under 40 by Inside Business in 2009, and received the President’s Award for Outstanding Board Member from the Junior League in 2012. Ashley resides in the Norfolk, VA area with her husband, Jay, their two children, Madsion and Grayson, and their dog, Bailey. Session 2C: The Art of Storytelling: IMAGINE the possibilities. In a world where messages bombard us from dawn till dusk, it’s difficult to break through the blasé. This presentation challenges the status quo-discussing how to craft meaningful communication that makes people want to care. It starts with storytelling, and the best stories focus on people. What makes them tick? Why do they make the choices they do? What are their passions? Put simply, people are attracted to people. We’ll examine how to find, create, and enterprise meaningful stories that keep audiences coming back for more. I’ll dive into the process, beginning with the interview. This includes how to encourage a stranger to share their story, what to ask during the interview, and ways to make learned information worthwhile. From there, we’ll explore how to craft messages that come alive, not only through the printed word, but through video, audio, still photography and social media. I’ll share examples for using a variety of communication channels and ways to maximize effect. The art of storytelling is powerful. Used correctly, it can increase loyalty, excitement, and philanthropy towards an organization or cause. Attendees should walk away feeling empowered, excited, and better prepared to write and share stories. Kim Kaufman loves storytelling. As the Donor Relations Communication Coordinator for the Children’s Hospital of Illinois, Kim captures stories of children and families who've faced the unthinkable, and persevered. These genuine examples of love, loss, personal growth, and hope are shared publicly - promoting a culture of philanthropy within the hospital and surrounding area. Prior to joining the Children’s Hospital of Illinois, Kim was a television news anchor and reporter for the CBS affiliate, WMBD-31 and WYZZ-Fox-43. Kim has received top recognition for her storytelling at the Illinois Broadcaster’s Association Silver Dome Awards, and Nexstar Broadcasting Group in Dallas, Texas. Her report on Midwest flooding gained national exposure in April 2013, when it was chosen to air on CNN. Kim’s career began at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida where she made magic as an entertainer, tour-guide, and a guest relations host. While at Disney, she also stepped into the shoes of “Goofy,” the paws of “Tigger” and played the villains, “Maleficent” from Sleeping Beauty and the White Witch from the Chronicles of Narnia. Kim graduated Summa Cum Laude from Illinois State University with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and Mass Communication.
Session 3A: Managing Unspent Endowment Payouts While endowments are often the lifeblood of an institution, they can also be the source of many headaches. Identifying and managing unspent endowment payouts can be a laborious, but worthwhile process. Properly managing, spending and reporting on the use of donors' funds can position you to clearly demonstrate the impact of their contributions, as well as create the opportunity to ask for an additional gift. Participants will learn how to: (a) identify and organize unspent payouts; (b) articulate the importance of appropriate spending to your organization's key constituents; and (c) troubleshoot problems. Carrie Collins is the Vice President of Institutional Advancement at University of the Sciences, founded as the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy in 1821. Carrie oversees fundraising, alumni relations, marketing and communications, and university events to advance the university’s mission. In her first full fiscal year with USciences, Carrie and her fundraising team raised $4,306,000 in gifts and pledges - 53% more than the previous year. They reached 145% of the major gifts goal, and the percentage of faculty and staff who made gifts to the university increased by 32%. The number of alumni volunteers increased by 21% over the previous year, demonstrating a tremendous outpouring of support. Carrie sits on the Leadership Committee of the Women’s Initiative of United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey and is a board member of Montgomery Early Learning Center. Carrie graduated with a B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa; secured a J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law; and a M.A. in Leadership and Liberal Studies from Duquesne University. Session 3B: Creating and Implementing an Online Donor Portal: One Donor Relations Team's Experience In November 2012 the Office of Donor Relations at the University of Maryland unveiled a secured online donor endowment report portal. How much time, energy and staff was involved in creating the portal? What was the cost? How was it rolled out to donors and how did they respond? What practices were put in place to determine success? Join the two staff members who were responsible for the design, roll out and maintenance of the portal and find out what has happened in the two years since donors were given their online access. This presentation will include a live demonstration of the university's donor portal. Fulvio Cativo was named Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship at his alma mater, the University of Maryland, in early 2014. Prior to joining the Maryland donor relations team in 2012, he worked in development and communications roles for independent schools in Connecticut and Maryland. Earlier in his career he was a journalist at The Hartford Courant. Fulvio is an avid Terrapin sports fan and enjoys spending free time with his wife and their two rescue dogs. Kathleen Diemer has more than 15 years of donor relations and communications experience. She currently serves as Executive Director of Donor Relations and Advancement Communications at George Mason University. Prior to joining Mason she served as the Director of Donor Relations at the University of Maryland. In the past she has presented at annual conferences for Academic Impressions, the Association of Donor Relations Professionals (ADRP), the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), National Capital Area Planned Giving Council and SunGard Higher Education. In September 2007 she was honored with the University of Maryland University Relations Achievement Award, which recognizes extraordinary service to the division. She is also the recipient of a CASE Faculty Star Award (2005), a CASE Silver Circle of Excellence Award (2005) and two CASE Stellar Speaker Awards (2011 and 2012). Kathleen is a Certified Fund Raising Executive who holds a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Maryland and a certificate in Leadership Development. An active member of ADRP since 2007, she was elected to the ADRP Executive Board in January 2013. Session 3C: Planned Giving Donor Relations for those that Leave a Lifetime Legacy True donor stewardship begins before you know that a gift has been made and continues even after the Lynne Wester is a frequent conference speaker and a well-known resource for donor relations and fundraising expertise. She has been featured in The Washington Post, CURRENTS magazine, The Chronicle of Philanthropy and other industry publications. Lynne also created the website and blog www.donorrelationsguru.comwhere she shares her expertise, opinions, and collections of samples on a variety of topics to the greater development world and hosts a monthly webinar series. Using her expertise and hands-on approach, Lynne works with many organizations to help them keep their focus donor driven, technology savvy, strategic, and always with a splash of good humor. She received her undergraduate degrees from the University of South Carolina and is a loyal gamecock alumna, donor, and fan, and holds a master's in strategic fundraising and philanthropy with an emphasis in higher education. |
Our Premier Partner
