Here are NEAGC’s sessions for Wednesday, April 27th. All times are Eastern.
Download the at-a-glance conference schedule.
If you’re a member of an institution that’s Zoom-registered for the NEAGC Conference, use this page to RSVP for the sessions you’d like to attend. Note that recordings for all sessions (except in-person-only sessions as noted) will be available for viewing after the conference. Registered in-person Buffalo attendees do not need to RSVP for individual sessions.
9:00-10:15 a.m.
Thirty Years of FundList: The Greatest Ideas Ever Shared
Bob Burdenski, Robert Burdenski Annual Giving
This session will be rescheduled.
Public use of email began in the 1990s. In 1992, the first online fundraising forum began as a listserv at Johns Hopkins University. For the first time, fundraisers could immediately exchange questions, answers and therapy with each other. Celebrating its 30th year, FundList has thousands of current members and hundreds-of-thousands of alumni. Bob has now been the Fundlist moderator (and janitor) for more than half of its history, and will share his collection of the most useful ideas, examples and words of wisdom from those thirty years. Join him for a multi-channel walk through fundraising history and see a big box of fundraising ideas that have stood the test of time.
Digital Wallets: What We’ve Learned So Far
Felicity Meu, GiveCampus
Digital wallets like Venmo, PayPal, and Apple Pay have eclipsed Visa to become the most popular payment method among donors to educational institutions. Join Felicity Meu, Senior Director of Partner Success, as she highlights the incredible findings from GiveCampus’ study on who’s using them, which ones are most popular, and how it’s transforming the donor experience across education institutions everywhere.
Collaborating with Major Gifts without it being a Major Pain
Casey Peterson, St. Lawrence University
In this session we’ll talk about why it’s important to get your major gift colleagues on your annual giving “team”, strategies for how to make it happen and what you can expect when done successfully. Come willing to share your experiences – successes (big and small) and challenges.
Creating a Giving Day Strategy That Works for a Small Shop
Laura Metallo, Springfield College
Solicitations, emails, social media, donor testimonials, challenges, websites, signage, on-campus events, cross-campus collaboration, student philanthropy… “AND HOW CAN WE INTEGRATE OUR PHONATHON PROGRAM, TOO?” We all know that hosting a Giving Day event takes time, energy, and resources – but what if you’re a team of only one or two? Join Laura for “Creating a Giving Day Strategy That Works for a Small Shop” for strategies on how to host your best Giving Day yet, regardless of the size of your annual giving team!
10:30-11:45 a.m.
Creating A Comprehensive Digital Strategy
Geoffrey Bartlett, PhD and Kathleen Heckman, University at Buffalo
When the pandemic occurred, the team at the University at Buffalo took advantage of the situation and used the time to truly imagine what their work-world would look like if they applied a digital-first mentality. This began an 18-month journey to transform their organization from one that used data and technology to one that now leads with data and technology. This process incorporated a system-wide review that not only looked at how they could better deploy digital tools or more effectively use digital channels, but really allowed them to rethink their work by employing a digital-first mindset. In this case study, hear from the principal architects of UB’s new digital strategy as they walk through the many steps the team undertook to develop a vision for the future, a strategy and roadmap to get them there, and how the strategy is allowing the team to re-imagine advancement work. The session will focus on three key areas for digital transformation, namely people (are teams prepared for a new digital future; what needs to be done to ensure success; have silos been broken down?), process (are policies aligned with the future; is data consolidated, concisely defined, and consistently used?), and infrastructure (what legacy systems need to be converted; how are digital solutions evaluated and chosen; are there financial and policy constraints that need to be addressed?).
Parent Giving in a Small Shop (Or how I learned to stop worrying and convince others that parents are worth it.)
Chanel Marino, Marist College
Parents can be a secret weapon in bringing in support for your institution. By engaging and communicating with them, while giving them opportunities to connect with your school, you can truly benefit from all they are willing to give. With a small shop all you need is a little bit of help.
Social Media Strategies that Fill the Pipeline
Stephanie Rasamny, MainSpring Media Communications
Feel like social ads and posts/tweets are a time suck? Having trouble determining an ROI? Social media is a key driver of engagement that will help you fill the pipeline – when it’s done right. In this session we’ll talk about social media strategies that will produce short-term and long-term results for your Annual Giving shop.
Tips & Trends from Record-Breaking Giving Days
Kristi Pease, University of Nebraska Foundation
Colleen Cook, Vinyl Marketing
Giving Days are a tried and true way to engage and acquire donors, especially when it comes to young alumni. But what distinguishes the schools that are achieving record-breaking levels of donors and dollars from those that tread water year after year? In this session Kristi Pease, Senior Director, Marketing and Annual Campaign Operations and Director of Annual Campaigns at University of Nebraska Lincoln and Colleen Cook, Director of Operations at Vinyl Marketing break down the strategies and tactics to make your Day of Giving a smashing success.
Noon-1:00 p.m.
Annual Giving at the Understaffed, Underfunded Small Shop
Louis Noce, Finger Lakes Community College
Join former NEAGC President Louis Noce for a session that’s part strategy and part therapy for institutions that need to do more with less in their annual giving fundraising. He’ll talk about low-cost, high touch ideas that help promote the idea of annual giving while keeping inside a budget and staffing sandbox.
Taking Your Donor Stewardship to the Next Level
Jeff Bagel CFRE, eAdvancement
Jeff’s session is packed with ideas on how you can steward your donors effectively, easily and within budget. You will learn who is responsible for stewardship (here’s a hint: it’s you), the goals of a stewardship program and tactics for building lifelong relationships with donors. If you haven’t been effective in building a stewardship program, or if you are looking for that one great idea that can take stewardship over the top, then join Jeff for this engaging session.
How’s Annual Giving at Other Not-For-Profits?
Deanna Messinger, Mercy Hospital Foundation
Mario Hicks, YMCA Buffalo Niagara
Ken Liszewski, FeedMoreNY
Adam Bratton, The Nonprofit Partnership
NEAGC attendees tend to be from education fundraising, but how are things in annual giving at other not-for-profits? Join a panel of not-for profit fundraisers from around the region for a discussion about how they’ve pivoted, what new fundraising methods have remained part of their program, and their other observations and insights about annual giving at their institutions today.
1:00-2:00 p.m.
Lunch – In-Person Closing Luncheon in Buffalo