Breakout Sessions E

Day Two | Thursday, November 14, 2024

1E: How Are You Doing on a Scale from Good to Great? The Science of Surveys in Advancement

Surveys are efficient tools for gathering information about donors, prospects, members, subscribers, event attendees, alumni, and other populations of interest, and advancement professionals frequently conduct surveys to learn about these constituencies. In this session, we will provide an overview of the "science of surveys", a suite of survey best practices that make for reliable results, high response rates, and positive experiences for participants. This will include front-end best practices the aspects of surveys that participants see related to question wording, response options, and invite language. This will also include back-end best practices related to data analysis, featuring an assessment of the uses and limits of AI tools in interpreting open-ended responses.

Jon Kingzette is a Senior Consultant on the Strategic Information Services team at Campbell & Company, a team that uses data, technology systems, and operations best practices to support strategic decision making within advancement and across nonprofit organizations. Jon brings extensive quantitative research experience to his role, especially in the realm of survey research. He has written, fielded, and conducted analyses on surveys for dozens of nonprofit organizations while at Campbell & Company. Prior to delivering insights to Campbell & Company clients, he got his PhD in Political Science from Ohio State University, where his survey experiences included teaching a survey research class, publishing survey research in top academic journals, and fielding surveys to lawmakers' constituents as part of the Connecting to Congress project.

2E: Revolutionizing Advancement Services: Streamlining Gift Processing in the Virtual Age

In today's rapidly evolving world, the advancement services landscape faces unique challenges and opportunities. This session delves into the innovative solutions and strategies that have emerged to streamline gift processing in the context of a 100% remote work environment at the University of Virginia. Gift processing is a critical function for any educational institution or nonprofit organization, and with the shift to remote work, the demand for efficient, secure, and scalable solutions has never been greater. This session will explore the cutting-edge technology and best practices that empower advancement services professionals to adapt and thrive in this new era.

Becky Balber is a seasoned professional in the realm of higher education advancement services, bringing over 15 years of dedicated experience to her role as Director of University Advancement Services at the prestigious University of Virginia. Known for her meticulous attention to detail and strategic leadership, Becky has played a pivotal role in enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of advancement operations throughout her career. In her current capacity, Becky leads a remote gift processing team with unparalleled precision, achieving an impressive error rate of just 0.1%. Her commitment to excellence ensures that philanthropic contributions vital to the university's mission are processed accurately and expediently, fostering strong relationships with donors and stakeholders alike. Outside of her professional endeavors, Becky enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, and exploring the vibrant cultural scene of Charlottesville.

Kate Van Dyck-Oxford joined University of Virginia Advancement in 2007 and moved into Advancement Services in 2020 - which was a pivotal year that compelled UVA to rethink gift processing for a remote / hybrid environment. As the Sr. Associate Director, she lives with feet in three worlds: overseeing gift processing, records management of the advancement archives, and biographic data entry. Kate holds degrees from the University of Virginia, as well as the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Florida State University. She lives in Virginia with her husband, son and three coffee dogs.

3E: Navigating Your Career Ladder in Advancement – Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Navigating Your Career Ladder in Advancement – Laissez les bon temps rouler! What is your next career goal? What is your career aspirational goal? As they say in New Orleans “laissez les bon temps rouler” - let the good times roll! Join a Royal Court of seasoned and honored members of the Advancement Services krewe. With wide experience across many non-profits and especially deep in our profession, the masquerades will be off for candid talk, bona fide experiences, and passionate career wisdom aimed to best position you for your next career step and ultimate aspirational goal. It will be an advancement services ball not to be missed complete with an abundance of beads of tips as a takeaway!

Vicky Medlock is the Assistant Vice President, Business Operations, Advancement & Alumni Engagement at Emory University. She is an advancement services veteran with over four decades in non-profit management serving public and private higher education institutions, as well as association programs. Vicky is a founding member of aasp, served two terms as President and is the current Chair of the aasp Summit Scholarship Committee. In 2017 she was honored as aasp’s Volunteer of the Decade. She is also a dedicated member of CASE having served two terms on the District III Cabinet (and a co-chair of the 2023 District III Conference), a CASE Laureate and is a 2003 recipient of the CASE Crystal Apple Award for excellence in teaching. Vicky is high energy, always with a ready smile and an enthusiast advocate in our profession.

An accomplished higher education fundraising and information and technology professional with more than 30 years of experience, Thomas Chaves is currently Vice President for Advancement at his alma mater, Albright College in Reading, PA. Prior to joining Albright, he was Associate VP for Advancement Operations at Saint Joseph's University and Lehigh University. He spent 17 years working with more than 100 higher education clients to implement and effectively use SunGard/SCT advancement software. He launched his professional career as a programmer at AT&T upon graduation before joining his alma mater as Director of Annual Giving. He also served on Albright Alumni Board and Board of Trustees. He has chaired and presented at conferences and summer institutes for the global, non-profit Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and aasp (Association of Advancement Services Professionals). He was a member of the Anthology (iModules) Strategic Advisory Board and the CASE Commission on Philanthropy, and a long time member of aasp where he served on the board and ending his tenure as President. He continually works closely with other advancement services leaders in understanding the advancement software landscape and how to best utilize software to support an organization's fundraising priorities. He earned a master's degree in management and business administration from Penn State University. He is married, has one daughter and son-in-law, and three wonderful grandchildren who he can't get enough of. He has run a marathon in each state and a half marathon in half the states.

Dr. Wayne Combs is leader in campaign and advancement management with 30 years of experience supporting higher education and healthcare. He serves as Associate Vice President of Operations and Administrative Services for CHOC Children's Foundation. At USC Rossier School of Education, Dr. Combs teaches courses in Creativity and Innovation, Strategic Communications and Change Management, and Economics and Finance in the Organizational Change and Leadership doctoral program. In support of philanthropy, Dr. Combs delivers presentations on emerging trends while serving as Past-President for the Association of Advancement Services Professionals, Faculty for AHP Madison Institute and Chair/Faculty for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

Shomari White, Chief Operating Officer, Emory University Advancement and Alumni Engagement. Shomari has a strong track record of leading non-profit organizations through successful strategic planning and change management. Using his experience as a frontline fundraising and his corporate background in sales and marketing executive at Verizon, he has been leading teams to develop a donor centric environment while positioning frontline fundraisers for optimal success. As a senior operations executive at both the Foundations within Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia and Children’s National in Washington DC., Shomari helped double fundraising totals while leading operations management, KPI development, pipeline optimization strategies, technology conversions and stewardship and donor communications. He has also been one of the leaders in recruiting, retaining, and developing top talent in the non-profit industry. Shomari is the immediate past President of the Association of Advancement Services Professionals (aasp), the preeminent network of current and aspiring leaders in advancement services who inform strategy and direct operations that fuel nonprofit organizations and was honored to be the Associate Vice President of the Year by theInternational Association of Top Professionals in 2017.As a graduate of Howard University and with an MBA from the University of Maryland Global Campus, Shomari served his local community as treasurer of the DC Chapter of National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE) and as a member of the Board of the local MD chapter of the 100 Black Men of America.

4E: Growing Your Prospect Operations and Development Team: Highlighting Key Ways to Advocate For Your Team and Increase Your Value For Your Organization

A strong prospect development program needs to find and qualify prospects faster and faster these days without decreasing quality. And most teams need to do this with fewer resources year over year. What happens to the qualified prospects after research hands them over is even more critical to show the ROI of the team. Join Debbie Mayeroff of the Muscular Dystrophy Association as she delves into the steps she took in the last two years to grow her development operations team and processes from the ground up. Hear how advocating for a broad-based wealth screening tool on top of her database has allowed her to grow not only her team but also the major gift team!

Debbie Mayeroff has over a decade of fundraising experience, with the majority of her career specializing in prospect research and development services. With a passion for good data and future-focused problem solving, Development Services became the obvious career path for her early on. In her current role as the Director of Philanthropy Research and Operations at the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Debbie has used her knowledge and expertise to build the organization's first prospect research team, and update the philanthropy team’s operations to reflect a donor-centric strategy. Over the years, building prospect research programs from the ground-up unexpectedly became Debbie’s specialty. Through this work, she has built a portfolio of prospect research and operations best practices, and subsequently found the most effective ways to tailor these practices to fundraising programs of all shapes and sizes. She is excited to share her experiences with the aasp community!

Seth Newman is a fundraising tech lifer with over 10 years of experience working at and with complex higher education institutions, including Fordham University, Columbia University, and Saint Mary's College of California. Currently, he is on the Nonprofit Customer Success team at Windfall, where he works with nonprofit fundraising teams to help them become more data-driven and engage their affluent constituents.

5E: Navigating your Horizon: 5 Strategies for Balancing Short-Term Wins with Long-Term Vision

This session will provide an in-depth look into Baylor College of Medicine's 4-year journey toward technology and operational transformation. Speakers will share 5 key strategies that lead to Baylor College successfully advancing toward a long-term vision, including leveraging short-term wins to add new business value along the way. Within those strategies, speakers will also cover the critical waypoints along this journey such as creating a roadmap for enhancement, driving continuous process change and improvement, with the end goal in mind, tackling critical data integrity and cleansing issues, and surviving a multi-faceted ecosystem transformation. The project team will provide insights on how to lead change from the ground up and navigate a long-term vision for improvement.

Holly Parrish is a Senior Consultant for JCA, an independent consulting firm dedicated to the technical and operational needs of nonprofits. A Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) since 2004, she has worked for more than 25 years in fundraising, public relations, and marketing. At JCA, Holly has worked on needs assessments, selection projects, implementations, and Raiser’s Edge optimization projects for the National Civil Rights Museum, Baylor College of Medicine, Scripps College, St. Olaf College, and the University of Toledo Foundation, to name a few. Holly is also on the training faculty for the Edyth Bush Institute for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership, a division of the Crummer Graduate School of Business for Rollins College. Holly holds a B.A. in Communications and Religion from Florida Southern College and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration & Non-Profit Management from the University of South Florida. Holly is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (Past President for the Greater Polk Chapter) and is a past member of the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy and the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning. Holly lives in Lakeland, Florida and is a regular volunteer for many things musical and theatrical.

Molly McColgan is a fundraising professional currently serving as Director of Gift Operations at Baylor College of Medicine. With over 25 years of experience, she has managed many tactical aspects of fundraising operations, including gift/fund management, stewardship reporting, data analytics, and process development/documentation, as well as strategic planning for new technology solutions, and implementation of those solutions. Prior to her 5 years at Baylor College of Medicine she held positions in database administration, web development, digital marketing and nonprofit management in the education, nonprofit and marketing sectors. Additionally, she has entrepreneurial experience, having developed a fundraising database product for the nonprofit community. Molly holds a B.A. in Art History from Smith College, as well as a Masters in Archaeology from University of New Mexico. She is a member of AFP, AASP, AAMC and CASE. Currently living in Houston, TX, Molly loves cooking, travel, and volunteering in libraries, schools and youth development/welfare organizations. She has studied in Egypt and Greece, and most recently enjoyed a family adventure to Costa Rica.

Liz Murray brings a wealth of fundraising technology and operations expertise to her client projects at JCA. As a member of JCA’s Leadership team, Liz drives many of the firm’s most complex enterprise Professional Services engagements. She has worked with numerous nonprofits on system implementation, system selection, and business process improvement projects. Liz received a Master of Information from the University of Toronto in 2016, specializing in Information Systems & Design and Knowledge & Information Management, and earned her Project Management Professional (PMP) certification in 2022.

6E: Cybersecurity and Advancement: How to Protect Your Constituents While Building Meaningful Relationships

For institutions of Higher Education, advancement operations are fundamentally involved in establishing, developing, and maintaining relationships – with alumni, donors, government, and the community. Relationships are, at their core, based on trust – reliability, honestly, competence, and consistency. Advancement operations today have access to and leverage vast amounts of data that is entrusted to them by their constituents, including personal, health, and financial information. As the rate, scope, and scale of cybersecurity incidents and data breaches increases and sensitive personal information is compromised, lost, and stolen by threat actors, these carefully developed and nurtured trust relationships are threatened in ways that can result in lasting damage to organizations.

This session will explore the nature of the threats that organizations are facing, and strategies that can be used to reduce the risk of these events and respond effectively if and when they occur. We will begin by discussing the many ways that Higher Education Advancement operations use data from students, alumni, donors, and grateful patients in their operations. We will then consider the nature of the data used, and the security, privacy, and regulatory implications of these uses and the types of threats that organizations need to consider. From there, we will focus on managing and reducing cybersecurity risks specifically, and explore strategies and approaches to protect against these threats.

Topics that will be discussed include:

• Establishing robust cybersecurity capabilities, and the importance of collaboration between Advancement, Technology, Security, and Privacy leadership and staff

• Building an organizational security culture by leveraging training, awareness, and communications programs

• Effectively assessing risk in dynamic and changing environments, and establishing risk-based approaches to decision making

• Using technical and operational controls to reduce risk, including the role of vulnerability management programs, third party risk management, and incident management processes

We will recap the key takeaways and action items, highlighting the importance of continuous improvement and adaptation in the ever-evolving landscape of data security and privacy. A Q&A session will follow, allowing participants to address any specific concerns or inquiries they may have.

Andrew Hutchinson is a Director with Huron Consulting Group, and specializes in advising Higher Education and Research organizations on matters related to Cybersecurity, Privacy, Risk Management, and Information Technology operations and delivery. He has helped numerous organizations to assess the effectiveness of their cybersecurity programs, establish sustainable cyber risk assessment and management strategies, develop approaches for the protection of data and privacy, and to prepare to respond and recover from incidents. Andrew has 30 years of experience in information security and information technology. Prior to joining Huron, Andrew served as the Chief Information Security Officer for a large Academic Medical Center and Health System. Additionally, he has worked in operational security and technology leadership roles in higher education, healthcare, and managed security services organizations.

Gareth Griffin is the Assistant Vice President of Business Intelligence at Duke University. BI at Duke includes Advancement Analytics & Analysis, Prospect Development, BI Systems & Projects, and Alumni & Development Systems. Previously, Gareth was the Senior Director of Prospect Development at MIT, Senior Director of Prospect Management & Analytics at Santa Clara University, Assistant Director of Prospect Management at UC Berkeley, and a Prospect Research Analyst at Clemson University. Gareth frequently presents at industry conferences on campaign/prospect management, data privacy and security, philanthropic due diligence, and fundraising ethics.