Concurrent Session 4 | October 6 | 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Maggie Flynn

Learn how UCLA Health Sciences Development produced an award-winning publication to celebrate and recognize donors at the successful conclusion of the Centennial Campaign for UCLA. The session will share tips on collaborating with donors and internal and external partners, leveraging existing brand resources, and executing a comprehensive special project while maintaining regular commitments. This case study will demonstrate how the project ultimately moved beyond campaign numbers to emotionally connect with readers on the medical achievements made possible by philanthropy. Leave with takeaways that will be applicable to not only publications, but a number of comprehensive recognition projects.

Key takeaways

• Use existing resources when possible
• Temporary setbacks can ultimately produce a stronger product
• Ideal recognition projects can accommodate a variety of donor preferences

Maggie Flynn, Executive Director of Stewardship and Communications, UCLA Health Sciences Development, UCLA Health Sciences

A Michigan native, Maggie Flynn moved to Los Angeles to complete her master's degree in professional writing at the University of Southern California, and then couldn't bear to leave the mild winters behind. After teaching university writing courses for several years, she began her donor relations career as an associate director of stewardship, overseeing donor reporting. She has now been with UCLA Health Sciences development for nine years, and one of her favorite aspects of the work is sharing meaningful stories about UCLA Health's donors and the advancements they make possible.

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Session 4B: You'll Get There: Staying Grounded through Change, Building, and Rebuilding

Carol Wilkie

We’ve all been there – in today’s high-intensity fundraising environment, we are charged with building a lock-tight program that efficiently recognizes and engages donors at all gift bands while providing custom, high-touch stewardship to principal donors. Add in staffing constraints, tight budgets, leadership changes, internal/external assessment, and the pressures of a campaign, and the job often feels daunting and nerve-racking. This session will focus on the struggles and fears that can go along with building, scaling, and sustaining an effective donor relations program – and it will provide tips for keeping yourself and your team sane!

Key takeaways:

• The road to an external audit: what led us to know we needed one, how the process was formatted, what the outcomes were, and how we felt before, during and after
• You’re not going crazy and you’re not alone: powerful tools for self-care, boosting employee morale, leveraging your communications and event partners, managing internal stakeholders, and creating work/life balance
• Develop a “voice of gratitude”: we’ll show how this exercise can provide a strong consistent baseline for stewardship across all gift bands and give your communications partners 90% of what’s needed for effective impact storytelling

Carol Wilkie, Director of Donor Relations, University of St. Thomas

Carol Wilkie has been at the University of St. Thomas for 20 years and has operationalized and elevated the donor relations department during her tenure. Carol firmly believes that her donor relations team must be nimble to successfully support fundraising initiatives. She’ll show specific examples of how her team has repositioned itself to support changing initiatives and increased fundraising expectations.

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Session 4C: Stewardship TechXChange: Six Ways to Sunday

Sara Moïse

The sixth annual Stewardship TechXchange will feature a host of new tech and tech we continue to love. Whether software, digital equipment, e-communications, social media, or the newest gadget, we can incorporate technology into donor relations in creative ways, and you do not need to be a tech geek to know how! Join us for this rapid-fire technology-sharing session to hear how peers use technology to steward donors and make your day-to-day work more efficient and effective. Bring your favorite tech solutions to share, so each attendee will leave with an updated list of tested technology solutions to help guide our way.

You will

• Learn practical applications of technology that can help steward donors in new and creative ways, and help donor relations professionals be more efficient with our everyday tasks
• Receive a comprehensive Stewardship TechXchange Resource List compiled based on peer recommendations
• Be encouraged to use the panel presentation content and resource list to explore and implement new technology resources in your workplace

Sara Moïse, Senior Director, Donor Relations, Tulane University

After graduating from the University of Southern California believing (incorrectly) that she was destined to become an attorney, Sara Moïse began her career in philanthropy as a jack-of-all-trades at the Bogart Pediatric Cancer Research Program in Los Angeles. She then specialized in stewardship at Keck Medicine of USC, running an acknowledgment and recognition program during a $6B campaign. After stretching her wings at cultural and advocacy organizations, she found that higher education is home and leads a best-in-class stewardship and donor relations program for Tulane University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English and a certificate in fundraising and institutional development from UCLA.

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Session 4D: Joining a Seasoned Team But Starting from Scratch

Jordan Marshall

What does it mean to be a leader? Part of becoming a successful leader in donor relations and stewardship means finding your spot at the table for you and your team—especially when joining a new institution. Being a leader is about taking charge while being dependable and reliable for your team but also listening and working with them to create streamlined, creative processes. This session will give you the opportunity to actively listen to what is happening at your institution, to share ideas (no matter how big and bold), and be strategic and thoughtful with your entire advancement team.

You will learn how to

• Bond with your team when you're new
• Work with built-out plans while expanding a new stewardship plan in a seasoned office
• Bring structure and planning to your team
• Find your spot at the table as a new leader in the office

Jordan Marshall, MSA, Director of Stewardship and Donor Relations, Central Michigan University

Jordan Marshall has been in the donor relations and stewardship realm for more than six years. She received her undergraduate degree in psychology in 2012 and her master's degree in philanthropy in 2021. Jordan is passionate about sharing the impact of a gift and creating specialized stewardship pieces with donors to thank them for their generosity, and she is always focused on retaining each donor and finding where their passions are.

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Session 4E: Overcoming Barriers to Psychological Safety on Diverse Teams

Kawai Lai

As the landscape of development diversifies, so are the teams leading and engaging with funders and donors in our ecosystem. Join us and discover how to cultivate joy and care in the human experience at work. Explore how to create a culture of psychological safety that fosters equity and inclusion in diverse teams. Learn how to understand how invisible power dynamics impact individual experiences, and how to meet needs of different people. Through interactive discussions and real-world examples, you'll gain practical strategies for building trust and respect within your team, and promote a culture of care in the workplace.

Learning Objectives

• Understand the critical relationship between diversity and psychological safety
• Use the Equity Lens for Psychological Safety to diagnose and address barriers
• Learn practical tools that will help any team build equitable psychological safety

Kawai Lai, Senior Transformation Consultant, August Public Inc

Kawai Lai believes in the power of visuals and finds purpose at the intersection of leadership, equity, and strategy. She is a designer and facilitator partnering with leaders across multiple industries to plan for the future and brings an equity lens and a visual practice to everything she does. She is the co-author of "The NEW Team Habits 2020," which provides practices for leaders to build better team habits, and creator of the "Strategic Planning Playbook," a step-by-step guide to demystifying strategy for leaders who want to run an inclusive and joyful process.

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Session 4F: Navigating Corporate and Foundation Nonstandard Gift Agreement Compliance

Emily McHugh

As corporations and foundations are increasingly evolving their philanthropic giving for tax deduction purposes or to enhance their research endeavors, many have developed their own gift agreements that require organizations to accept terms and conditions at the time of application and/or award. These nonstandard gift materials have become burdensome on institutions because they must be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to ensure they comply with the organization’s gift acceptance policies. Industry professionals must navigate the gift review process with their fundraisers, faculty and review partners, while keeping the focus on creating a positive donor experience.

Learning Objectives

• Tools for evaluating nonstandard gift terms and conditions
• Strategies for streamlining the nonstandard gift agreement review process
• Considerations for review partnerships

Emily McHugh, Donor Services Specialist, North Carolina State University

Emily McHugh has served as a Donor Services Specialist at North Carolina State University since 2020. She handles nonstandard gift agreements and oversees the Distinguished Professorship state matching program for University Advancement. Prior to this, she served as a Development Assistant for Major & Leadership Gifts at Duke University.

Private College/University
Public College/University

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Session 4G: Cultivating Smiles and Sharing Impact: Tips, Ideas, and Top Cses for Video Stewardship

10:00 – 11:00 AM 

Frank Mumford and Chelsea Poch

Join JDRF and Gratavid for this lively presentation, where we will share best practices for cultivating smiles and sharing impact across story types and platforms. We'll also walk you through some of our favorite video stewardship use cases from JDRF, the United Way, and other organizations across the sector.

You Will

• Become inspired to implement or utilize video in your engagement strategy
• See other samples from organizations and hear ideas
• Learn new approaches and tips for a video storytelling approach

Frank Mumford, CFRE, Account Executive, Gravyty

 Frank Mumford is a fundraiser at heart who found his way into supporting nonprofits through creative software solutions. Frank got his start as a student telethon fundraiser and joined Gratavid after serving as senior donor advisor at the Greater Twin Cities United Way. He serves on the AFP MN board of directors and NMU Alumni Association Board. After eight years in the nonprofit sector as a fundraiser, he obtained his CFRE in 2019.

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.

Private College/University
Public College/University

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