Breakout Sessions F

Day Two | Thursday, November 14, 2024

1F: Ethical Dilemmas in Advancement

Join a panel of seasoned professionals – and former presidents of aasp – to discuss several top-of-mind ethical issues. Plan to participate and pose additional questions.

You may also share ethical questions or concerns ahead of the panel session, anonymously. Please send them to Jon Thorsen ([email protected]). Jon is coordinating the panel but not participating, so he will collect and share questions with the panelists in aggregate form, without attribution.

Moderator: Gail Farris is the recently retired assistant vice president for advancement administration at The George Washington University. In that capacity he oversaw gift agreement administration, biographical records, gift processing, and office administration, He also served in advancement services leadership roles at American University, World Wildlife Fund, US Holocaust Memorial Museum, Georgetown University, Catholic University of America, and Yale University. A founding member of the Association of Advancement Services Professionals, Ferris has served in a number of roles, including president and chair of the Education Committee. In 2023, he received aasp’s Jonathan Lindsey Lifetime Achievement Award. Ferris served 10 years on the faculty of the CASE Summer Institute for Advancement Services, chairing the institute twice, and has chaired the Gift Processing and Donor Records Workshops twice. He is the recipient of the CASE Crystal Apple Award for outstanding teaching and has authored chapters in several books published by CASE. He holds a BA from Yale University, a JD from the University of Cincinnati, and an MBA from the University of New Haven.

John Taylor has served the Advancement community for nearly forty years. He is a founder of aasp, former President and aasp Board member, and received the aasp Jonathan Lindsey Lifetime Achievement Award. John is an independent Advancement Consultant and has helped several hundred nonprofit organizations internationally. He has also worked at Duke University and NC State for a combined 22 years, and also was a Vice President for CASE.

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 the International 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.

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.

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.

2F: Help Us Help YOU! An Advancement Services Self-Care Quick Guide

Join us as we share how investing in self-care and implementing task management and ticketing systems transformed the Advancement Services team at Harvey Mudd College. Learn how strategic use of technology fosters collaboration, eliminates silos, and ensures timely project delivery. Discover the power of built-in automations and data-driven metrics in optimizing efficiency and advocating for continued support. These principles are transferable across sectors and task management platforms, empowering teams to enhance productivity and well-being. Join us for practical strategies to drive organizational success through self-care and strategic technology use.

Chelsey Morrison brings over 6 years of experience in higher education advancement. Holding a Master of Public Administration from the University of La Verne, Chelsey specializes in nonprofit, public, and organizational management. Currently serving as the Assistant Director of Advancement Services at Harvey Mudd College in Southern California, Chelsey ensures data integrity, compliance, and efficiency through expert project coordination. With a passion for supporting educational institutions, Chelsey thrives in leveraging her expertise in gift guidelines and departmental policies.

3F: Leadership in the Age of Technology: Coaching Your Team Through Perpetual Change

In our fast-paced world, technology constantly evolves, bringing both excitement and challenges. But as leaders, how do we navigate this perpetual change? Join us as we explore the essence of leadership when rapidly changing and disruptive technologies reshape the landscape daily. We'll uncover why embracing change is crucial and how your leadership style can be the compass in this ever-shifting terrain. We'll delve into the practical realm of change management, not as a corporate buzzword, but as an essential skill for guiding your team through uncertainty. By adopting a coaching mindset, you'll learn to empower your team to see change as an opportunity for growth and innovation. Through a blend of insightful discussions and actionable strategies, we'll equip you with the tools to foster resilience, agility, and a culture of continuous learning. So, let's embark on this journey together, embracing the challenges of technology and leading our teams to success amidst perpetual change.

Jennifer Shimp-Bowerman is the Campaign Director at Bucknell University, facilitating the strategy associated with Bucknell’s upcoming campaign including prospect pool management, events, volunteers, branding and fundraising priorities. Most recently the Director of Advancement Services at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, Jennifer started her fundraising career at Bucknell in prospect research. She has held senior roles in the USA leading varied initiatives and teams in advancement services including technology, analytics, prospect development, gift and data management, talent management, finance, and capital campaign planning at Southern Methodist University, Wake Forest University, and William & Mary. She is a frequent speaker for CASE, APRA and the Association of Advancement Services Professionals.

Aggie Osina has worked in the University of Cambridge Development and Alumni Relations team for over 10 years, in a number of senior roles. In 2019, she joined the Advancement Services leadership team and led the transformational change program across Gift and Data Services and Prospect Development. She now heads both areas and manages over 23 staff across Prospect Management, Business Intelligence, Development Research, Due Diligence, Settlement and Gift and Data Services functions. Aggie specializes in organizational design, programmatic change, and driving efficiency and productivity across programs. She strives to create happy and well-functioning teams by investing in her staff's personal and professional development. Aggie is a Cambridge-qualified Leadership Coach and promotes a coaching approach to management. She is currently completing a Masters degree in Coaching at the University of Cambridge.

4F: Unlocking the Power of Data: Concordia University's Transformation Journey

Join us for an illuminating session as we trace Concordia University's remarkable evolution, from its early days of Prospect Development to the cutting-edge landscape of Advanced Business Analytics. This captivating walkthrough will showcase:1.The Analytics Team's Evolution: Discover how our team has grown, adapted, and thrived over time, fueled by a passion for data-driven excellence.2.Technology Maturation: Explore the pivotal role of technology in our journey. Witness how it has evolved alongside our mission, empowering us to extract meaningful insights from complex data.3.Major Projects Unveiled: Dive into the exciting projects that have shaped our analytics solutions. From descriptive analyses to predictive modeling and prescriptive recommendations, we'll unveil our success stories.4.Practical Implementation Tips: Learn actionable strategies for successful implementation. Whether you're a seasoned professional or a curious novice, this session promises valuable takeaways.

Raji Zreik is an award-winning analytics leader with over 16 years of experience in higher education fundraising. As the Manager of Data Analytics & Pipeline optimization at Concordia University, Raji leads a team of data experts who provide a full stack of data services to support the strategic initiatives and program requirements of University Advancement (UA). Raji develops and implements advanced descriptive and predictive data models, leveraging big data and machine learning to drive value and enhance constituent engagement and fundraising outcomes. With a deep understanding of the fundraising industry, Raji’s mission is to enable data-driven fundraising strategies aligned with the University’s vision and goals.

Dominic Law has over 30 years of experience in the advancement sector. He spent the first 12 years of his career at McGill University working in all aspects of the Advancement Services unit, the last 5 as Director. He then spent 14 years with Ellucian as principal consultant, overseeing internal and external teams that implemented new fundraising software for clients, along with strategic counsel on industry best practices. For the last 5 years, he has served as Executive Director of Advancement Services at Concordia University responsible for donation and records management, information systems, data analytics, prospect development, donor relations, human resources and budget.

5F: Leveraging Business Process Analysis to Frame a Technology Roadmap

In preparation for its next campaign, FSU University Advancement realized their technology landscape was unable to support the flexibility and modern capabilities required for future engagement and fundraising goals. FSU UA decided on a broad analysis of their business processes to determine how best to chart the path forward and approach the conversion with an emphasis on teamwork and buy-in across units. FSU UA partnered with Huron to analyze current business processes to identify critical pain points and the solutions needed to achieve resolution. Huron developed a technology roadmap with options for aggressive and conservative timelines, provided governance and other policy recommendations to ensure a successful implementation, and provided a plan for change management to assist the FSU UA team. FSU not only gained a better understanding of the outcomes they wanted to see from the investment, but gathered the data needed to align the team for a smooth and productive conversion.

Alexia Chamberlynn is the Executive Director of Gift Services and Campaign Administration within the FSU Division of University Advancement. She has worked at FSU in advancement services for more than 16 years and is passionate about strategic planning, innovative process design, team building, project management, and training with an emphasis on collaboration. She served as the department project lead on FSU's previous CRM database conversion and is co-project manager of the current database conversion. She also serves on FSU's campaign planning committee.

Maggie Farrell is a Higher Education Consultant at Huron Consulting Group with a focus on advancement strategy. Maggie specializes in advancement operational assessments, strategic planning and its alignment with technology, and implementation project management. Prior to joining Huron, Maggie worked for the Office of University Advancement at Boston College in a number of alumni engagement and frontline fundraising roles. She also served on the design team for BC’s Blackbaud CRM implementation.

Sarah Barr is a Director at Huron Consulting Group. She is passionate about leveraging innovative technology to help higher education institutions meet aggressive fundraising goals. She equips universities to lead digital transformation at their institutions and guides them through new technology implementations. One of her biggest strengths is bringing people together around data and technology solutions to solve complex business problems.

6F: Planning with Purpose: The Roadmap to Smarter Decisions & Resource Allocation

Technology moves fast! It can be challenging for nonprofits to keep their technology plans in line with their strategies and business goals. Here's the good news: a well-built technology roadmap can be your secret weapon, helping to guide your decision-making, resource allocation, budgeting, and project planning. A powerful technology roadmap allows you to make technology work for you, not the other way around.

The key lies in right-sizing your roadmap— finding the optimal balance between ambition and practicality.

Join us for this session, where we'll unpack the secrets of "right-sizing"" your technology roadmap. We'll dive into best practices, real-world examples from fellow nonprofits, and actionable tips to create a roadmap that charts your organization’s technological journey while also ensuring agility, adaptability, and sustainable growth.

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.