Concurrent Sessions 10

10A: Issue-Based Storytelling: Staying True to Your Mission While Responding To Your Donor's Interests

Donors and prospects are more informed and curious than ever, and donor relations teams of all sizes and across sectors find themselves fielding questions about how our organizations address the biggest issues facing our world today, from climate change to democracy to technology. Responding to these specific interests can be challenging, but adapting your storytelling presents an opportunity to widen your prospect base and deepen your relationship with donors. This session will explore how to craft effective, issue-specific materials that resonate with audiences while staying true to your organizational mission. Through small group discussion and engagement, we will share strategies and stories about the potential impact that issue-based storytelling can have on our organizations.

All Audiences  ⬧  Early-career, Mid-career  ⬧  Small Shop, Medium Shop

Azra Husejnovic is the Donor Relations Senior Associate at the Obama Foundation. In her role at the Foundation, Azra manages proposal and grant writing for the development team. Previously, Azra was the Grants Manager at RefuSHE, a nonprofit based in Chicago and Nairobi, Kenya, helping young refugee girls and women in East Africa. Azra has also worked as a Senior Management Analyst at the City of Cincinnati metropolitan government, working on various department budgets. Azra is originally from Sarajevo, Bosnia. She has a bachelor of science degree in economics from Northern Kentucky University and a master of science degree in political science from Miami University in Ohio.

Erin Prestage (she/her) is the Donor Relations Analyst at the Obama Foundation, where she supports the mission of inspiring, empowering, and connecting the next generation of changemakers. She previously served as the Event Producer at Search for Common Ground, the world's largest dedicated peacebuilding organization. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame, and currently resides in Washington, D.C., with her husband, Eamon, and their black lab, Bentley.

10B: You've got the questions; We've got the research

Guided by questions from the ADRP membership, the ADRP Research Committee will present 2-4 research studies to answer their questions about our current and future work in the Donor Relations profession.

All Audiences  ⬧  All Levels  ⬧  Any Size Shop

The ADRP Research Committee is dedicated to advancing the mission of the Association of Donor Relations Professionals by providing evidence-based insights and peer-reviewed research to our members, enabling them to enhance their donor relations strategies effectively.

10C: Stew-ivation | Where Stewardship and Cultivation Collide

As donor relations professionals, we frequently receive stewardship requests that blur the lines between stewardship and cultivation. According to the donor life cycle, cultivation and stewardship occur at two distinct points, so how does one clarify the roles these two terms play? Understanding the difference between cultivation and stewardship is an important part of being a donor relations professional and knowing when to leverage stewardship as a cultivation tool can assist shops of all sizing in closing gifts. This session will define cultivation and stewardship, identify when they stand alone in the donor life cycle and clarify when the two collide and become stew-ivation.

All Audiences  ⬧  Newcomer, Early-Career  ⬧  Any Size Shop

Gracie Herbert serves Miami University as Associate Director of Donor Engagement, specializing in creating individualized stewardship plans for donors. Prior to her experience in higher education, Gracie worked in the nonprofit sector with a focus in arts and culture organizations. In 2020, she received her master's degree in nonprofit administration which provided her in-depth knowledge about the donor life cycle and best practices in nonprofit fundraising. As a donor relations professional, Gracie is most passionate about relationship building and storytelling to engage donors through a personalized approach.

Jordan Marshall has been in the donor relations and stewardship realm for more than eight 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.

10D: Boxes & Bows & Bearcats, Oh My!

Stop. Collaborate and Listen. That's not just the iconic opening line to Ice Ice Baby, but the guiding principle for the UC Foundation Donor Relations Liaison Program. The program combines the donor expertise of frontline fundraisers with the relationship-building expertise of donor relations. Developed in 2020, the UC Foundation Donor Relations program has reshaped the way our organization thinks about donor engagement and recognition, prioritizing a donor-centric approach through personalization. The DR Liaison team organizes recognition, gifts, and experiences around organic connection points, providing turnkey opportunities for fundraisers to engage donors. This approach has created a scalable program that allows us to connect with donors in the right way at the right time, advancing their relationship with the University of Cincinnati and UC Health. By taking the mental load of donor relations off the plates of frontline fundraisers, our organization has seen fundraising growth and increased donor satisfaction.

All Audiences  ⬧  All Levels  ⬧  Any Size Shop

With over 25 years of leading and planning events and experiences, Valerie Milinovich has leveraged her expertise to develop and implement a robust donor relations program that encompasses recognition, events, and experiences. She has led collaborations with university and health system partners to elevate and advance donor strategies through customized touchpoints, pre- and post-event donor engagement, and surprise and delight moments. Valerie was part of core teams who planned celebrations during UC's Bicentennial Year and launched the public phase of the $2B campaign. Prior to her role at the UC Foundation, she worked in corporate events and was a Development Officer at a local non-profit.

Jessica Fischbach began working in development in 2013, taking a role with a private high school as part of a small team managing fundraising, alumni and donor relations, event planning, and marketing. In 2015 she moved to the University of Cincinnati Foundation in a role focusing exclusively on donor relations within the College of Arts and Sciences. Over her time at the UC Foundation, she has worked on unit-specific donor relations, campaign operations and events, and central donor relations, with exposure to donors at all gift bands and all aspects of the cultivation and stewardship pipeline. In her current role on the Donor Relations & Signature Events team she serves as the donor relations liaison to seven units and as the team expert on scholarship reporting, fund compliance, data, and process refinement.

10E: Gift Agreements and Protected Class: Thinking Outside the Box While Mitigating Compliance Issues

Gift agreements are a means to an end: document the agreement between a donor and a university regarding the specific donor intent of a charitable contribution, which the university is legally obligated to honor. Sounds easy, right? But crafting gift agreements that align with the donor's intent and the university's needs requires a high level of expertise and skill. And what happens when the language of gift agreements makes awarding scholarships impossible, impractical, or illegal? Join us in this workshop to learn how to navigate the compliance issues associated with gift agreement language and endeavor to prepare appropriate language that ensures donor intent, university needs, and scholarship awarding stay intact.

All Audiences  ⬧  All Levels  ⬧  Any Size Shop

Cassi Strain is the Assistant Director of Gift Implementation at the University of Colorado Boulder. She currently oversees the monitoring, utilization, and the encouraging of appropriate spending of gift funds for the CU Boulder campus. Cassi is responsible for maintaining the integrity of the University's gift funds by providing oversight and review of gift fund expenditures and transfers, along with compliance of gift agreements, to ensure donor intent is honored and that gift funds are spent in a timely manner. Prior to working in the Office of Advancement, Cassi was the Coordinator of Scholarship Policy in the Office of Financial Aid at CU Boulder. Cassi received her Doctorate in Higher Education Administration in 2017 and has worked in Higher Education for almost 2 decades.

Christina Hoagland is the Associate Director of Scholarship Reporting at Boston University. She currently oversees student impact reporting and student stewardship outreach. Prior to joining BU, she held the role of Assistant Director of Scholarship Services. She holds a Masters in Higher Education Administration from Texas A&M University and has been working with university scholarships since 2011. During her career she has worked extensively in the areas of university and departmental scholarship administration, policy development and implementation, scholarship award management tools, stewardship and reporting, recruitment and retention programming, university and private scholarship program management, course design and instruction, as well as employee mentoring and management.

10F: Storytelling with Data: Metrics Are More Than a Number

In today’s ever-evolving philanthropic landscape, effectively utilizing donor metrics is crucial for maximizing engagement and demonstrating impact. In this session, we will share frameworks and tools that organizations across diverse sectors and regions have implemented to enhance their donor relations. We will bring these concepts to life through real-world case studies, showcasing how KPIs and ROI can be transformed into powerful storylines and narratives that resonate with donors. By the end of this session, you will have a comprehensive understanding of how to leverage donor metrics to tell compelling stories that amplify your organization’s mission and drive meaningful results. Don't miss this opportunity to elevate your donor relations and metrics framework to new heights!

Stephanie Kohls brings over a decade of experience in fundraising specializing in volunteer and interim management, custom learning, strategic planning, campaign planning and management, and implementing new capacity-building strategies. In her role at CCS, Stephanie primarily lends direction and leadership to campaign planning and management projects, working across education and health sectors. Steph lives in Chicago, Illinois with her partner Alex and their puppy Dewey. In her free time, she enjoys trying new recipes, solving the NYT crossword (Sunday-Thursday), and cheering on the Indiana Hoosiers.

As a fundraising professional and former educator, Mary-Chapin Snow is passionate about helping teams achieve their highest aspirations. Her passion for non-profit work is grounded in the belief that non-profits play a critical role in ensuring every community becomes more vibrant and equitable. Mary-Chapin excels at managing multiple tracks of activity simultaneously during client engagements, placing a special emphasis on client communication and collaboration, data analysis, process enhancement, and facilitating strategic internal and external conversations. Mary-Chapin lives in Indianapolis with her husband, Damien. In her spare time, Mary-Chapin loves cooking new recipes and perfecting old ones from family cookbooks.

10G: Journey Mapping: Unlocking Deeper Donor Relationships and Building a Supporter-Centric Organization

Discover the art of blending tradition with innovation in our dynamic Journey Mapping workshop! Designed for forward-thinkers in donor engagement, this session dives deep into the transformative power of journey mapping, cross-functional partnerships, and leadership dynamics. Unleash the potential of leadership and team dynamics to navigate transitions, build cohesive teams, and engage volunteers effectively. Master the balance of acquiring new donors while nurturing and deepening bonds with existing supporters through practical, innovative strategies. Embrace the principles of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) to ensure your donor engagement practices are as diverse as the communities you serve, using journey mapping as a key tool for inclusive strategy development. Plus, learn how integrating Customer Experience (CX) principles can foster organizational collaboration, improve cross-functional cooperation, and solidify your commitment to donor-centricity. Join us to revolutionize your approach to donor engagement, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and inclusivity that drives success.

All Audiences  ⬧  All Levels  ⬧  Any Size Shop

Mike Johnston is a distinguished figure in the fundraising sector, with over 34 years of experience working with hundreds of social impact and charitable organizations across the globe. As a pioneer in fundraising innovation and integration, Mike excels in leveraging both traditional and digital channels to enhance donor loyalty and engagement. In 1992, he founded Hewitt and Johnston Consultants, a global leader in fundraising consultancy. Mike is also a prolific author, having written four seminal books on fundraising and digital marketing strategies, and contributed extensively to industry publications. His leadership roles include founding board member and first Education Committee chair of the e-Philanthropy Foundation, inaugural chair of the global charity online lottery GlobeLot.com, and founder and chair of the Integrated Marketing Advisory Board. Currently, he serves on the board of The Resource Alliance, furthering his commitment to building global fundraising capacity and innovation. Mike's work has significantly shaped the fundraising landscape, blending expertise with a passion for social impact.