Concurrent Session 1 | October 5 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Workshops

Theresa Haenn

Fundraising can be incredibly stressful. Even though there is a lot out of our control (economy, weather disrupting events), there are things we can do to mitigate the chaos around us. Engagement at work is a big topic now. Gallup studies show that 32% of US employees are engaged; 50% are not engaged and 18% are actively disengaged, making our work that much more stressful. We will discuss ways engagement impacts us all. How we as a leader, or team members, support engagement. You’ll receive tools and tips and learn simple steps you can take to help yourself minimize your own stress and maintain equilibrium in the midst of a nonstop environment. The interactive workshop shares information based on studies; individual stories of fundraisers who boosted engagement; small group discussion to lead your team to higher levels of engagement when you get back to your office.

Participants will:

Have several team-building activities/exercises that they can utilize in their organizations to help build communication and an understanding of each person on the team

• Come away with suggested strategies to help them minimize stress in the moment so that they can prevent burning out
• Leave with warning signs of burnout as well as resources to access

Theresa Haenn, MBA; Donor Advisor, Corus International

Theresa F. Haenn held roles as Major Gifts Officer, Vice President of Development and Executive Director. A strategic leader, Theresa leverages a deep understanding of philanthropy and management supporting leaders for stretch goals and creating impact in the community. Earlier, Theresa and her husband co-owned a call center in suburban Philadelphia providing services to businesses, schools, and medical practices that grew 300% under their leadership. Theresa earned her MBA from Drexel University and her BS from Rosemont College. Theresa is certified as a CliftonStrengths® professional coach from Gallup; Nonprofit Consultant for BoardSource. Theresa achieved the CFRE in 2004, recertifying through 2023.

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Session 1B: Stewardship Is Strategy: A Framework for Crafting a Strategic Plan for Your Donor Relations Shop

Amanda Halbert and Ilma Leka

Over the past two decades, stewardship and donor relations has emerged from the shadows to take its rightful place as a strategic pillar within the nonprofit organization. During that time, we've seen our roles expand from thoughtfully composed letters and beautifully executed events to encompass the full breadth of the donor experience. With that growth comes the need to identify goals, set key priorities, and determine metrics that measure the results of our efforts. That is where crafting a strategic plan comes into play.

Elevate your nonprofit's growth with a strategic plan! Join our session to learn a six-step roadmap that equips you to develop a multi-year stewardship and donor relations strategy. Gain tangible tools that will leave you ready to create a tailored plan, regardless of your organization's size or sector.

You will gain a:

• Tangible framework to take back to your home shop to design your strategic plan
• Guide to completing an audit of your stewardship program's operations
• Tool to prioritize goals as "now, next, or future"

Amanda Halbert, Director of Stewardship, University of Michigan

Amanda Halbert brings 12 years of expertise in donor relations and stewardship to her role as the Director of Stewardship for the University of Michigan’s largest college and donor base program. Leading a team of three highly skilled stewardship officers, she collectively drives the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) to elevate the donor experience through personalized engagement, gratitude, and exceptional stewardship practices.  Amanda's leadership is recognized for transforming stewardship concepts into strategic programs, nurturing positive workplace dynamics, and championing inclusive collaboration. Beyond work, she balances her love for cooking shows with training for half-marathons.

Ilma Leka, Stewardship Officer, University of Michigan

Ilma Leka has worked in Advancement and Donor Relations for 12 years at the University of Michigan. She oversees the acknowledgment process and manages impact reporting of donor-funded scholarships as well as highly customized reports for the Advancement team at the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA). Ilma enjoys building relationships with LSA donors and has the everyday pleasure of supporting their journey of building legacies, impacting lives, and improving the world. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and French studies from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. As a travel enthusiast and a lover of languages and art, Ilma is enjoying her life as a newlywed.  

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Session 1C: Fundamentals for New Professionals (aka What Have I Gotten Myself Into?)

Jen McGrath and Eliza McNulty

This workshop will give professionals with fewer than two years in the field a robust introduction to donor relations and stewardship, including characteristics of successful stewardship professionals; donor relations, engagement, and stewardship fundamentals; where to find resources and best practices; tips for collaborating across your organization; and profession trends. Participants will learn about navigating endowments; determining metrics; developing storytelling prowess; learning from your mistakes; building your professional network and career; proposing new ideas to senior leadership and asking for more resources; and explaining what you do to your family and friends. This interactive session is the onboarding we wish we’d had early in our careers!

You will learn

• Characteristics of successful stewardship professionals
• Donor relations, engagement, and stewardship program fundamentals
• Where to find resources and best practices
• Tips for collaborating across your organization
• Trends in the profession

Jen McGrath, Senior Director, Donor Relations and Stewardship, MIT

Jen McGrath oversees a team of 13 who foster the relationship between the Institute and its donors through activities that acknowledge, recognize, and report on gifts to MIT, meaningfully engaging donors in the life and success of the Institute. Before joining MIT in February 2017 and beginning in 2010, she served as Boston University's Director of Stewardship and Donor Relations. As a conference presenter for CASE and ADRP, Jen has addressed recognition society launches, online donor recognition, ideas for productivity, comprehensive reporting programs, and other topics for new and seasoned professionals. She was a member of the ADRP board of directors from 2015-2020, serving as president 2018-2019.

Eliza McNulty, Director of Donor Relations, Stanford University

Eliza McNulty leads Stanford’s 18-person central donor relations team and works with senior development staff and colleagues across campus to shape the vision for comprehensive donor relations. She has 25 years of fundraising experience in healthcare, university, and national membership offices, having held donor relations, communications, and development positions at the YMCA of the USA, Loyola University Health System, and the Elks National Foundation. While serving as past president of ADRP, she advocated for and promoted the donor relations profession, representing the association’s nearly 1,800 international members. Eliza shares her passion for gratitude by speaking, writing, and presenting effective practices in donor relations and stewardship.

Mark Lanum, Senior Director, Donor Relations, Brown University

Mark Lanum is the Senior Director of Donor Relations at Brown University. He has worked in Advancement and Donor Relations for over 20 years, including 19 years at the University of Washington. As a self-professed people person by nature and computer nerd by choice, he particularly enjoys developing and enhancing stewardship systems aimed at supporting and improving donor relationships. Strong teams and healthy organizational cultures are a particular interest for Mark as well and he always enjoys a good laugh along the way.

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Session 1D: Acknowledgments Made Easy

Debbie Meyers and Paige Eubanks-Barrow 

Does thanking your donors seem like a thankless task? Is it painful to draft acknowledgments from your leadership? Are your letters boring and rote? In this workshop, we'll talk about making your letters donor focused, who should sign, what formats you can use, and other acknowledgment basics. We'll also talk about a formula to use to overcome writer's block when you put virtual pen to paper. Send in some samples ahead of time and we'll see what works and what doesn't. Finally, as a group, we will take all we've learned and write an acknowledgment together. Let's take the "ack" out of acknowledgments.

You will gain

• A basic formula for drafting acknowledgments
• Tips and tricks to overcome writer's block
• Ways to make your acknowledgments more donor-focused

Debbie Meyers, Writer/Editor, Rutgers University Foundation

Having worked in advancement for more than 30 years, Debbie Meyers honed her editorial skills by writing countless acknowledgments, talking points, proposals, gift agreements, and impact reports. During that time, she created or enhanced operations, communications, donor relations, and stewardship programs at Chautauqua Institution, the University of Maryland, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Florida. She also built communications and development programs for a Catholic high school, an art museum, and a health center development office. An ADRP founding board member, she chaired the international conference in 2011 and has presented at every other one. Debbie is a part-time writer/editor for Rutgers University Foundation and chief inspiration officer for her consulting business. Living in Mayville, NY, with her high school drum major, Paul, she has four grown children and three grandchildren, along with three rescue mutts: a pit-lab mix named Bo, Boo the Aussie, and Marco Polo, a chihuahua.

Paige Eubanks-Barrow, Co-Founder and Partner, Donor Relations Partners

For more than 20 years, Paige has served in donor relations, communications, stewardship, major gifts, and annual giving positions. Together with her talented colleagues, she developed nationally recognized programs and is best known for building engagement programs for leadership, mid-level, and annual giving audiences.

A founding ADRP board member, she served twice as international conference chair, was named Volunteer of the Year, and received the Sheryl Blair Scholarship. An experienced public speaker, program coach, and donor relations career partner, she also worked with CASE, ACHA, and Academic Impressions.

Paige lives in Baton Rouge with her husband, son, dachshund, and two mediocre cats, where she channels her creativity into creating beautiful commissioned works of art.

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Session 1E: Taking the Lead: a Skills, Strategies, and Best Practices Workshop for Team Leaders

Rachel Loughran, Chelsea Poch, Justin Alle-Corliss, Rachel Humphrey, and Jamie Dobbs

Lead with care! If you manage one person or 50, leading a team is a complex balance of articulating strategy, energizing the group around the organization’s mission and goals, and supporting your team to achieve those goals. This immersive workshop experience features the following presenters and topics: Rachel Donahue Loughran on Empathetic Leadership, Chelsea Poch on Leading Projects That Involve Multiple Teams, Justin Alle-Corliss on Giving and Receiving Feedback with Care, and Jamie Dobbs on Preparing Your Team for a Leave of Absence. Each of these mini-presentations will be followed by guided conversations and connections with fellow attendees.

You will learn how to

• Foster a culture of care on your team.
• Navigate performance issues on your team from a place of care and kindness
• Set healthy boundaries with your direct reports

Rachel Loughran, Senior Director, Donor Relations, Massachusetts General Hospital

Rachel Loughran leads a team at Massachusetts General Hospital focused on gift agreements, fund management, and donor recognition. Collaborating with peers across organizations to develop creative engagement strategies is what she finds most exciting about donor relations. Rachel has been in the field of philanthropy for 25+ years holding professional and volunteer roles in prospect management, events, donor relations, and volunteer engagement. She has managed teams in both small and large shops including Buckingham Browne & Nichols School, the Alzheimer’s Association, Boston University, and Harvard University. When not working, Rachel loves exploring the outdoors, especially hiking in the mountains. 

Chelsea Poch, National Manager, Donor Stewardship & Communication, JDRF

Chelsea Poch has been in the donor relations and fundraising sector for eight years. She is the CO-chair of ADRP’s volunteer and member experience committee and has been a member since 2020. She achieved her master's in nonprofit leadership in 2018 from Arizona State University and resides in the Colorado Springs area.

Justin Alle-Corliss, Associate Director, Fund Stewardship, UC Berkeley

Justin Alle-Corliss manages the centralized scholarship and fellowship reporting program at UC Berkeley, which produces annual reports for 1,500 donor households. In 2019, he launched a program for students to share updates with donors using ThankView, and in 2020, he created a digital report delivery process.

Prior to working in donor relations, Justin worked with K-12 and college students in a variety of settings, which influenced Justin to advocate for improving the student experience in stewardship efforts. He believes that centering both students and donors leads to healthy engagement with donors and positive experiences for students that encourage future giving. 

Rachel Humphrey, Director, Fund Stewardship and Compliance, University of California, Berkeley

Rachel Humphrey has worked at UC Berkeley for nine years. She leads a team that is responsible for the annual financial report, as well as scholarship, fellowship, and chair reporting for the entire campus. Drawing on her marketing and teaching experience gained before entering the world of philanthropy, she is always seeking to improve the process for reporting to donors on the impact of their endowed funds.

Jamie Dobbs, Donor Engagement Manager, Earthjustice

 In her 10-plus years at Earthjustice, Jamie Dobbs has worked in donor relations, helped re-start the donor events program, and built the donor travel program from scratch. Each year, her team develops a suite of 25+ event and travel opportunities to deepen donor engagement, helping donors understand what it means for the earth to have a good lawyer. In 2021, her team received two ADRP International Stewardship Awards (events and innovation categories) for creatively engaging donors through at-home travel experiences. She’s particularly drawn to Earthjustice’s pursuit of a healthy environment for all and finds satisfaction in helping donors become stronger ambassadors for Earthjustice and the larger movement. 

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