2022 Education Conference: Fundraising Tools for Transforming our Community

Join us on Friday, September 16th while we explore the challenges encountered as we collectively work to transform our community. From the economy to board governance, making the ask, and career development, we'll discuss topics and solutions to common issues, refresh our skills, explore new tools, and prepare to approach the ever-changing fundraising landscape with confidence and courage.

Sessions include:

So Now What?

Leslie Palmer, Managing Consultant & Founding Principal at M. Leslie Palmer Consulting Group

We’ve been through political upheaval, calls for social justice, a pandemic, and ongoing financial challenges. Our missions still need funding, our work never ends, and we need to figure out what works in this new world order. Join this discussion to explore donor relations, stewardship, and fundraising in general. We’ll talk about what works and why, we’ll explore what might be some approaches you might want to reconsider, and maybe the new tactics you might want to consider. Now is the time to lean into your donors, not back away. The key is how. We’ll have plenty of time to answer questions and talk about your challenges.

How To Collaborate Successfully for Increased Funding and Impact

Arlene Siller, Founder and CEO of Ascend Nonprofit & Business Solutions, LLC

As a society, we are faced with increasingly intricate, complex social problems. Because the complexity of life is increasing, we each have a more limited viewpoint and less ability to solve problems alone. In recent years, the call for greater collaboration has been a persistent drumbeat in the philanthropic sector. The message is clear: The scale and complexity of the problems that the sectors seek to address require collaborative approaches. A go-it-alone mentality will not result in maximum funding or meaningful impact. Competitive grants coordinate resources and actions with other agencies working on the same issue. High-impact nonprofits work with and through organizations and individuals outside themselves to create more impact than they could have achieved alone. Collaborating with another agency may be what your organization needs to push it to the next level. But how do you team up effectively? In this session, we will walk through how your organization can ensure that it has the right elements in place to be a good partner and collaborator through a real-world case study.

The Ask -- Lessons Learned from PhilanthroPitch

Anne Krause, President & Executive Director of the Hemisfair Conservancy
By the time you’re sitting in front of a donor to request a major gift, you have built a relationship and have been in conversation with them. 
You have paid attention to things they have said so that you have reason to believe the time is right, you are requesting the right amount 
for the right project, and you have the right person sitting beside you. All of this comes with meticulous preparation and planning so that 
you’re not relying on hope as a strategy. We’ll talk about the steps needed to ready you and your asking partner for the big moment. 
Your advance preparation will put you at ease, which will make your donor feel even more comfortable to have that wonderful 
conversation that should leave you both feeling joy.

Crafting a Path to YOUR Future!

Cora Lonning, MBA, Leadership Coach and Capacity Builder

The pandemic brought us a lot of things! A slowly brewing labor shortage became a storm of resignations and shifting, causing disruptions and opportunities. It has created a natural tension between what was, what is, and what will be. It left us with challenges for how to navigate the future. We learned fundamentals can move us forward, while traditional thinking may hold us back! We knew trust is one of the most delicate - and critical - principles. Now, we must build relationships and trust not through time and hard work, but in an ever-changing and fast-moving environment! How do you manage the tension between relational intentionality with shifting networks, and pivoting purpose? Conflicting priorities and resources? We strive to perform in a world that will never be the same, as we now see the world differently. Old assumptions, across the board, are being questioned. Let’s get to work in this two-part session to answer these very questions!

Leading from Learning

Jennifer Lehman, President and CEO of Mission Advancement

What did we as fundraisers learn through the pandemic experience?  There are dozens of answers to that question, but at a minimum, we learned that donors continue to support missions they believe are critical….even without the activities and events that traditionally have driven contributions.  In times of crisis, philanthropy historically has sustained and even thrived.  As we “go back” to pre-Covid fundraising activities & strategies, are we rethinking how we communicate and engage with supporters based on what we learned?  And as we move into what may be another economic recession, are we doubling down on strategies we know are tried and true, learning from the past?

How a Gift Planning Strategic Plan Can Transform Your Work

Jennifer Milburn, Senior Director Gift Planning, Oregon State University Foundation
We all know the power of a well-crafted organizational strategic plan, but have you considered how focused, strategic planning 
specific to your gift planning office may elevate your game? Whether you are a smaller shop, hoping to transition from reactive to proactive, 
or a larger team, ready to gear up for your organization's next billion dollar campaign, there is a strategic plan that can enhance and expedite 
your success, strengthening internal partnerships and leadership perception along the way. Join us for a lively discussion focused 
on the benefits of such planning, and a real life example of how it shaped the success of one organization.

Results Based Accountability: Measuring Impact and Success

Covita Moroney

Has it felt like the last two years have called you to face one unanticipated challenge after another? In this session, we’ll consider a new lens through which to view the outcomes of your past and future efforts. We'll use this framework to examine the following: What is the desired outcome? How are we doing so far? What factors impact us? Who are our partners?  What proven strategy will we use?  How will we measure success? Join us and learn how to use this framework to monitor and adjust your efforts as time and conditions unfold.

Leadership Reframed

Marion Lee, CFRE, CEO at Lee+ Associates

Mike Bennett, MPA, CAP®

In this session, we will explore the ongoing conundrum of Board leadership and performance. Based on Barbara Taylor, Richard Chait, and William Ryan's book, Governance as Leadership: Reframing the Work of Nonprofit Board, we will discuss functional Board governance as a series of how-tos (modes and mindsets) versus the more common concept of to-dos (tasks and technical). We all want “good” people on our Boards.  Please join us in defining “Good”, discovering how the functionality of a Board can go awry and what we can do to keep our Boards vibrant.

Dr. Patrick Rooney, Executive Associate Dean for Academic Programs; Professor of Economics and Philanthropic Studies, 
Lilly Family School of Philanthropy

While people choose to make charitable donations based on their philanthropic values and motivations, how much they donate and when can be influenced by the economy. As inflation rages and a recession looms, learn how current economic factors can influence fundraising. Dr. Patrick Rooney, an internationally-regarded expert on the “wealth effects” of charitable giving, will translate economic research into practical fundraising strategies and take your questions on how best to fundraise during these turbulent economic times.

Date:  Friday, September 16th
Location:  American Red Cross, 3642 E Houston St, San Antonio, TX 78219

Check in begins at 8 am.
Lunch will be provided.
Social Hour and networking at 5 pm.

Click Here To Register