The 2019 NEAGC

Monday, March 18 – Tuesday, March 19, 2019

The Renaissance Providence in Providence, Rhode Island

The 2019 NEAGC Fee: $225 (Early Bird rate of $175 available until November 30, 2018) Registration will close on February 28, 2019 at 11:59 p.m.

What’s included?

Two keynote sessions
Two full days of breakout sessions, networking with sponsors, presenters, and attendees, as well as several meals and refreshments throughout the conference.
Lunch will be available on both days, breakfast will be served day 2.
When booking your travel, plan to stay until the end of the conference for a chance to win one of two Apple iWatches.
Up to 9 credits towards CFRE certification available.

For more information or to be added to our email distribution list, please sign up now.

Conference Schedule

Monday – March 18, 2019

8:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. Registration and Coffee – Ballroom

8:45 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. Welcome and Opening Remarks | Diane Thompson Award Presentation – Ballroom

Andrew Bernstein | President of the Northeast Annual Giving Association & Director of Annual Giving, Quinnipiac University
Colin Hennessy | Associate Dean, Alumni Relations & Development, Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago
Patricia Jackson | Vice President for Development, Brown University
Stephanie Rasamny |President, MainSpring Media Communications, Inc. Platinum Sponsor

9:15 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. Keynote Address – Ballroom

Kestrel Linder |CEO and Co-Founder of GiveCampus

10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Break and Visit Sponsors – All Three Floors

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Breakout Session 1

Fixing the Leaky Bucket: Addressing Issues in Donor Retention – Mozart Room

Charlene Culler | Director of Annual Giving, Hunter College
Jonathan Van Oss | Director of Consulting & Analytics, Pledgemine

Area(s) of Focus: Direct Mail, Analytics

Downsizing Your Phonathon: Panel – Beethoven Room

Anthony Cernera | Senior Director of Annual Giving and Engagement, Geisinger
Abby Beauparlant |Director of Annual Giving, Merrimack College
Ryan Chartier | Associate Director of Annual Giving, University of Vermont
Kevin Morgenstein Fuerst | Senior Director of Annual Giving, University of Vermont

Area(s) of Focus: Frontline Fundraising, Stewardship, Marketing, Young Alumni, Analytics

Twenty Lightbulbs in Sixty Minutes: Favorite New Annual Giving Ideas of the Year – Ballroom

Bob Burdenski | Robert Burdenski Annual Giving & FundList

Area(s) of Focus: Marketing, Marketing, Frontline Fundraising, Social Media, Direct Mail, Young Alumni, Student Philanthropy

Parent Giving 101 – Handel Room

Taylor McDonnell | Assistant Director of the Fordham Fund, Parent Giving, Fordham University

Area(s) of Focus: Frontline Fundraising, Stewardship, Marketing, Direct Mail, Email Marketing

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Lunch sponsored by MCR & Five Maples Development Communications – Ballroom

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Breakout Session 2: Professional Development Sessions

New to the Annual Giving Field Track – Ballroom

Jen Castellani | Director of the Vassar Fund, Vassar College

Seasoned Annual Giving Professionals Track – Haydn Room

Colin Hennessy | Associate Dean for Alumni Relations & Development, University of Chicago & 2019 Diane Thompson Award Recipient

Area(s) of Focus: Professional Development

2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. Breakout Session 3

Don’t Say it, Show it: How to incorporate more video into your annual appeals – Beethoven Room

Lindsay Roth | Assistant Vice Chancellor for Annual Giving, UMass Dartmouth
JD Beebe | CEO, ThankView, LLC

Area(s) of Focus: Stewardship, Social Media, Marketing, Email Marketing, Analytic

Strategic Planning, Strategic Communicating: Building a framework for Fundraising Success – Mozart Room

Stacey Grady | Director of Development, Springbrook
Lauren Agnello | Development Assistant, Springbrook

Area(s) of Focus: Frontline Fundraising, Stewardship, Social Media, Marketing, Direct Mail, Email Marketing

Utilizing Annual Giving Volunteers to Raise More Money – Ballroom

Marybeth Oskowski | Director of Annual Giving, Boston Latin School Association

Area(s) of Focus: Frontline Fundraising, Stewardship, Social Media, Marketing, Young Alumni, Student Philanthropy

6 Pillars of a Successful Annual Giving Program – Hayden Room

Dan Allenby |Principal and Founder, Annual Giving Network

Area(s) of Focus: Professional Development

3:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. Break and Visit Sponsors – All Three Floors

3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. Breakout Session 4

Engaging Young Alumni in Recurring Giving – Mozart Room

Nick Wormley | Executive Director of Athletic Development, Fairfield University
Connor Donnelly | Assistant Director of Athletic Development, Fairfield University

Area(s) of Focus: Frontline Fundraising, Young Alumni, Student Philanthropy

Collaborating Across Campus for a Successful Giving Day – Beethoven Room

Angelica Howard | Major Gift Officer, Temple University
Blake Piper | Assistant Director of Programs and Initiatives, Temple University

Area(s) of Focus: Frontline Fundraising, Social Media, Marketing, Young Alumni, Student Philanthropy, Direct Mail, Email Marketing, Analytics

Into the Crystal Ball: Where We’re Heading in Annual Giving – Panel – Haydn Room

Bob Burdenski | Robert Burdenski Annual Giving & FundList – Moderator
Jessica Carswell | Director of Development, Annual Giving and Donor Relations, St. Mary Medical Center
Shelby Palmer | Director of Annual Giving, Kutztown University
Lisa Raiola | Vice President of Advancement, Roger Williams University
Katie Grisbacher | Director of Annual Giving, Lebanon Valley College

Area(s) of Focus: Frontline Fundraising, Marketing, Social Media, Email Marketing, Young Alumni, Student Philanthropy

Great Direct Mail…The GAME Show! – Handel Room

Paul Barry | Cape Cod Mail Group, Annual Giving Direct Mail Strategist
Tracey Palmer | Palmer Communications

Area(s) of Focus: Direct Mail, Marketing

4:45 p.m. NEAGC Day 1 Concludes

Tuesday – March 19, 2019

7:45 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Breakfast – Ballroom

7:45 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. Problem Solving/ Idea Group Session (Optional) – Ballroom

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Breakout Session 5

Digital Fundraising in Difficult Circumstances (Without Looking Opportunistic) – Beethoven Room

Stephen Neill | Chief Operating Officer, Gonzaga High School

Area(s) of Focus: Social Media, Frontline Fundraising, Makreting

A Continuum: from Alumni Engagement to Annual Giving – Ballroom

Chantal Champagne | Executive Director of Alumni Relations & Annual Giving, Pace University

Area(s) of Focus: Frontline Fundraising, Stewardship, Social Media, Young Alumni

Back to a Manual Phonathon – Handel Room

Amanda Walck | Assistant Director of the Fund for Albright, Albright College

Area(s) of Focus: Frontline Fundraising, Stewardship, Marketing

Let’s Email Smarter – Hadyn Room

Stephanie Rasamny | President, MainSpring Media Communications, Inc.

Area(s) of Focus: Email Marketing, Marketing, Analytics

10:00 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. Break and Vendor Visit – All Three Levels

10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – Breakout Session 6

Giving Days in a Small Shop – Mozart Room

Crete Clifford | Annual Giving Officer for Operations, Salve Regina University
Andrew Baik | Annual Giving Officer for Digital Fundraising, Salve Regina University

Area(s) of Focus: Frontline Fundraising, Social Media, Marketing, Young Alumni, Direct Mail, Email Marketing

Invest in Qualifying: Donor Growth and Talent Management – Beethoven Room

Lori Kiewe | Executive Director, Qualifying and Training, Syracuse University
Kate LoSecco | Development Associate, Syracuse University

Area(s) of Focus: Frontline Fundraising, Professional Development

Collaboration between Annual Giving and Major Gifts Teams – Ballroom

Colin Hennessy | Associate Dean for Alumni Relations & Development, University of Chicago & 2019 Diane Thompson Award Recipient

Area(s) of Focus: Frontline Fundraising, Professional Development, Marketing

Creating a Senior Class Volunteer Group: Lessons and Results – Handel Room

Paul Muite | Executive Director of the Annual Fund, Stony Brook University
Angelica Scanu | Annual Giving Coordinator, Stony Brook University

Area(s) of Focus: Social Media, Marketing, Student Philanthropy, Email Marketing, Analytics

11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. – Breakout Session 7

Breakdown Campus Silos for Digital Marketing – Haydn Room

Stuart Seidel | Manager of Digital Marketing, Annual Giving, University at Albany

Area(s) of Focus: Social Media, Marketing, Student Philanthropy

Using Fundraising for Athletics to Increase Donors and Dollars – Mozart

Tim Martin | Director of the Assumption Fund, Assumption College

Area(s) of Focus: Frontline Fundraising, Marketing, Young Alumni, Direct Mail

When Affinity and Capacity Meet: Cohort-based Leadership Annual Giving – When it works (and when it doesn’t) – Beethoven Room

Flavio Bollag | Development Officer, Leadership Giving, Stony Brook University

Area(s) of Focus: Frontline Fundraising, Analytics

The Party is Getting Crowded – Handel Room

Angie Myers | Director of Annual Giving, Pennsylvania College of Technology
Clarke Gafke | CEO of LEAD

Area(s) of Focus: Frontline Fundraising, Stewardship, Direct Mail

12:45 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Lunch sponsored by MCR and Five Maples Development Communications – Ballroom

1:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Keynote Address – Advancement is a Team Sport – Ballroom

Joan Garry | Principal, Joan Garry Consulting

“Can you all just go run the annual fund while we do the real work of this institution?” Perhaps unspoken but the sentiment is there.It’s time to turn the tables. Garry will remind you that your work is central and the fuel for a five star student experience. She will offer actionable strategies to help you build a culture of philanthropy across your campus and will do so with practical advice, joy, humor and as a fierce champion for your success.

3:00 p.m. -3:15 p.m. Closing Remarks & Prize/Giveaway Announcement – Ballroom

3:15 p.m. 2019 NEAGC Concludes

If you would like to download the presentations from the 2019 conference to view for yourself and have the required password, click here.

The 2019 Diane Thompson Award Recipient

The Diane Thompson Award: Annual scholarship awarded to a senior annual giving professional who, in the opinion of the Northeast Annual Giving Association Executive Board, has exhibited excellence in annual giving practice and commitment to the profession. First presented in 2015, the award is named after Diane Thompson, the foundress of the Northeast Annual Giving Conference.

The Northeast Annual Giving Association is pleased to announce that the recipient of the Diane Thompson Award is Colin Hennessy, Associate Dean of Alumni Relations and Development for the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago.

As Associate Dean and Chief Development Officer, he leads all initiatives to engage Harris alumni and deepen philanthropic relationships with Harris alumni, parents and friends.

Before joining Harris Public Policy and the University of Chicago, Colin served as the Executive Director of The Penn Fund at the University of Pennsylvania where he oversaw the global undergraduate annual giving program and the largest of the University’s annual funds. Under his leadership, The Penn Fund steadily increased alumni donor participation and both unrestricted and endowed scholarship revenue to the University and gained national praise for collaboration with faculty on experimental fundraising design and testing. Prior to his role at Penn, Colin served as Associate Director of Annual Giving programs at the University of Iowa Center for Advancement, managing annual giving programs for Iowa’s 11 Colleges.

In 2007, Colin was the inaugural recipient of the James A. Socknat Memorial Fellowship in Tertiary Education at The World Bank where he researched the use of information and communications technologies in the developing world. At Penn, Colin’s doctoral research explored undergraduate distance learning at institutions with traditional residential college model and outreach strategies for development and alumni relations with the goal of increasing lifetime philanthropic support.

Colin earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Iowa and graduate degrees in education and public policy before earning his doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania.