Concurrent Sessions 9

9A: Trends in Fundraising

Research about donor motivations can help fundraisers decode donors’ multi-faceted inclinations and behaviors and plan targeted cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship approaches. This session will include information on the eight mechanisms of donor motivations.  Faculty will lead an examination of the drivers of charitable giving and present a strategy for positioning donors within the organization’s overall constituency.

Fundraisers bring a wealth of expertise and experience to their work, but many rarely have time to explore what new developments in fundraising mean for their organization. Receive updates on the latest information and research about charitable giving, including newly released Giving USA data, as well as data on donor-advised funds, planned giving, digital fundraising, and crowdfunding. Learn practical ways to incorporate this new knowledge into your fundraising strategies.

All Audiences  ⬧  All Levels  ⬧  Any Size Shop

Bill Stanczykiewicz is the Senior Assistant Dean for External Relations, Clinical Associate Professor, Director, of The Fund Raising School. Serving as senior assistant dean for external relations, Bill Stanczykiewicz oversees communications and fundraising for the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy while directing The Fund Raising School. Bill also serves as a core faculty member, teaching graduate and bachelor’s level courses on philanthropy, fundraising, and leadership. Bill’s professional career spans the philanthropic, public, and private sectors. He served for 17 years as President & CEO of the Indiana Youth Institute, a statewide nonprofit devoted to healthy youth development and academic achievement. This opportunity followed his leadership position in the mayor’s office in Indianapolis, where he served as policy director for community renewal, designing and implementing The Front Porch Alliance.

9B: New President: It's Giving...Opportunities to Meet Donors and Collaborate with New Teams

New leadership sparks change across your organization. Learn how to use these transitions to you and your team's advantage by turning the transition into positive donor engagement. New leaders create opportunities to connect with new donors, reengage past supporters, and create new norms of collaboration across your team and organization.

Academic Institutions, Arts Organizations, Foundations  ⬧  Early-career  ⬧  Medium Shop, Large Shop

Jake Makowski is a 10-year nonprofit professional. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Michigan State University in History and Geography, specializing in Public History and Museum Studies. He worked in a variety of roles at the MSU Archives and Historical Collections, Historical Society of Michigan, and the Detroit Institute of Arts. Jake also volunteers as a Grant Review Panelist for the Michigan Council of Arts and Culture and other history focused nonprofits across the state. Currently, Jake is a Donor Experience Officer at Wayne State University.

9C: Postcards to My Less Experienced Self

Experience leads to wisdom, but often that wisdom is hard-earned. Join two long-term Donor Relations professionals and former ADRP Board members as they share some of the things they wish they had known when starting out and progressing in the profession. What mistakes did they make? What mistakes did they watch others make? Why does our work sometimes seem so difficult to navigate? What do they wish they had known at the start (or at least before it was too late)? Learn from their decades of experience and gain valuable knowledge without having to learn it the hard way.

 All Audiences  ⬧  Early-career, Mid-career  ⬧  Any Size Shop

Kathleen Diemer has worked in fundraising for almost three decades. During her tenure at two universities, she has led every behind the scenes fundraising unit - from Donor Relations to Strategic Advancement Services. From 2013 to 2018 she served on the board of ADRP, including time as both Secretary-Treasurer and President. A proud University of Maryland Terrapin, Kathleen holds a B.A. in Journalism and a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from the university. While pursuing her graduate certificate through the Maryland's Do Good Institute, she was honored to receive multiple fellowship awards and be named a Do Good Nonprofit Leadership Fellow.

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.

9D: Planning and Budgeting for Fundraising Success

Fundraising goals are often fill-the-gap numbers. The finance team created a budget and worked backwards to determine the fundraising goal. As a profession, we know how well this works! Let's change that process. This session gives development professionals the knowledge and tools they need to build meaningful goals and budgets.

All Audiences  ⬧  All Levels  ⬧  Any Size Shop

Kerri Mollard is a sought-after consultant and speaker, and a respected authority on fundraising, board governance, and planning. She has served more than 170 clients, and thousands more through conferences and trainings, since founding Mollard Consulting in 2003. Prior to consulting, she worked in positions as varied as PR coordinator, development director, and executive director. Kerri taught public relations and nonprofit management courses for seven years at Ohio Dominican University and currently holds local elected office. She has an MA from Indiana University, BA from Ohio State University, and a Certificate of Nonprofit Board Consulting from BoardSource. Kerri was honored with the "Outstanding Professional Fundraiser" Award from AFP Central Ohio in November 2023.

9E: Igniting Donor Passion: Crafting Impactful Narratives in the Digital Era

In this interactive session, we cover ways to level up your donor engagement through concise storytelling, visuals, and digital media. Dive into the art of crafting narratives that resonate, exploring techniques to distill messages without losing emotional impact. With real-world case studies, learn how visuals amplify narratives, and discover strategic approaches to captivate your audience. Learn how a digital approach can not only be more personalized but also provide actionable analytics. This isn't just a discussion; it's a workshop. Bring your narratives, receive live feedback from the presenters and fellow session attendees, and leave with a refined, impactful story ready to inspire donors. Join us to revolutionize your donor engagement strategy, because the power to inspire and raise more money for your mission is in your story.

All Audiences  ⬧  All Levels  ⬧  Any Size Shop

Sarah McAlpine provides comprehensive engagement and support to clients to help achieve their Ovrture goals in a spirit of productive fun. She thrives on empowering others to maximize their potential through organized processes, open communication, and storytelling. With a decade of experience in higher education and donor relations (including several years as a former Ovrture client), and two higher ed degrees in English and Writing, she knows first-hand the challenge and ultimate payoff of delivering real stories to the donors who fuel an organization's mission.

9F: From Donor Survey to Strategic Plan: How Answers Led to Action

"What do our donors really think of us? What do they want to hear from us? How can we retain them, uplevel them, and engage them using thoughtful strategies?" These were the questions we aimed to answer when beginning a comprehensive donor survey for a multi-hospital system in Ohio. We started with a robust database analysis to break donors into 5 personas, then completed an in-depth survey to evaluate their attitudes and behaviors. The result? An incredible deep dive into the mindset of our donors with qualitative and quantitative data that both supported and contradicted our assumptions! Learn how this analysis defined actionable opportunities for smart segmentation and moves management, and how it impacted our annual, mid-level, major, and planned giving strategies for the next two years.

All Audiences  ⬧  All Levels  ⬧  Medium Shop, Large Shop

Beth Hatcher is the Principal and CEO of Beth Interactive, a digital philanthropy and communications agency in Chicago. With 18 years of experience in online fundraising, healthcare marketing and digital technologies, she specializes in crafting customized communications strategies for healthcare foundations and non-profits, both within and outside of the digital sphere. A passionate storyteller, data nerd and accomplished presenter, Beth prides herself on bringing best practices to her non-profit clients nationwide with the goals of engaging donors and increasing giving through intelligent strategies, thoughtful execution and full-service support. Beth is proud to have presented at international conferences in recent years on "Digital Giving Trends: How Do You Stack Up?"; "Answers and Action: Donor Survey Insights (and What Came Next)"; "All About the Data: How to Drive Your Giving Pipeline"; "Email Marketing Best Practices and Other Nerdy Secrets"; "Better than a Gala: Reimagining the Giving Day"; and "What's Next in Digital Fundraising?"

Rita Andolsen oversees communications and donor engagement and stewardship for The MetroHealth Foundation. She has been with The MetroHealth System since 2014. In her previous role in Marketing and Communications, she developed and executed communication and community engagement strategies to identify, build and drive partnerships for maximum community impact. She worked to leverage MetroHealth's role in grassroots campaigns addressing community issues including the opioid crisis and infant mortality, garnering national recognition for the health system. Prior to her time at MetroHealth, she spent more than two decades in broadcast journalism as a reporter, producer and eventually leading the news operation at WKYC Channel 3, Cleveland's NBC affiliate. Active in her community, she serves on the board of several nonprofit organizations including College Now and The Cleveland Rape Crisis Center. She was recognized in 2018 as one of Crain Notable Women in Health Care.

9G: 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.