Breakout Sessions I

Day Three | Friday, November 15, 2024

1J: How to Market Yourself as an Advancement Services Pro

Decades of changes in the nonprofit services arena have drastically impacted how we define ourselves as operational professionals. Be that as it may, there are still many simple strategies we can consider for how to advance along our respective career path. Come and join an active discussion on what you can do - as well as support your staff in doing - when it comes to marketing oneself as a professional in our increasingly competitive field

Early in her working life, Amy Phillips became fascinated by information management and how bits and pieces of data are brought together to complete ever larger and more complex puzzles. Now an active fundraising operations professional for more than 26 years, Amy is an active member of the Association of Advancement Services Professionals for which organization she served as a member of the inaugural Board in addition to being both a Founding and Charter member. She served as the initial Membership Chair then went on to continue service with that committee for another 7 years and is currently active with the Program committee for the annual AASP Summit conference and Summer Deep Dive Series. Amy has presented on industry standards and best practices for many professional development organizations in addition to AASP including CASE and ADRP as well as various database solution user communities.

2J: AI-Powered Donor Intent Protection

This session will delve into the intricacies of AI-powered donor intent protection, exploring how organizations can harness the capabilities of AI to uphold the trust and confidence of their donors. Attendees will gain insights into the various ways AI can be utilized to monitor and protect donor intent throughout the fund management process. From analyzing historical expenditure data to identifying deviations and ensuring compliance with donor restrictions, AI offers a proactive approach to safeguarding donor intent while optimizing fund management practices. Side-note: We are still confirming adding real practitioners in the higher-ed space as co-presenters. We are open to merging with other similar scoped presentations as well.

Alejandro Stevenson-Duran is a product-driven leader with experience building and shipping enterprise software from zero to millions of users across the globe. He has a Bachelor's Honors Degree on Computer Engineering at UT Austin with specialization in Machine Learning and Data Science. Alejandro has served as Senior Product Manager for Microsoft's Substrate Intelligence division where he helped ship intelligent experiences across Microsoft's most widely used business productivity apps. These experiences included Smart Reply, M365 Copilot, and Viva Topics. He was also part of the team that built the vNext of Skype for business, which is now known as Microsoft Teams. Now, he is the co-founder and Chief Product and Technology Officer at FundMiner. He is on a mission to empower large fundraising organizations like universities and research institutions with a disruptive B2B solution to help them maximize their social impact while honoring donor intent.

Joshua LaBorde is currently the Senior Vice President of Product Innovation at BWF. In this role he leads efforts to leverage emerging trends, address unmet needs, and identify opportunities for innovation in the nonprofit sector. He has 25 years of experience in operations, information, and technology, with over a dozen years serving mission-driven organizations as an advancement services practitioner and consultant. Joshua is an active volunteer in the Association of Advancement Services Professionals as well as other professional organizations. He is an avid learner who’s university education includes undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education degrees and certificates from LSU, UT Dallas, Rice, Illinois Tech, and Northwestern. When not helping nonprofits elevate their fundraising and engagement programs, Joshua enjoys traveling with family, listening to live music, and watching live sports.

 3J: The Importance of Being Diligent: Intelligence-Based Solutions for Fundraising Ethically in an Ambiguous World

ChatGPT. Social media. Clickbait. Bots. Information is flowing thick and faster than ever, and there are times where it seems nigh-impossible to sort out fact from rumor, truth from allegations. In a time when we need to ensure our organizations remain trusted partners, it's more important than ever to ensure that we are approaching potential funders and volunteers prepared to the best of our abilities. Fortunately, most organizations have in-house experts to call on: prospect research. This session will outline approaches, processes, pitfalls, and mitigation for due diligence, risk management, and reputation management, informed by DEI and community-based fundraising outlooks and supported by Apra International's due diligence BoK.

Sarah Marcotte is an information professional with over 15 years of experience in prospect research, prospect management, and data management in healthcare, social services, and education. She is currently Senior Specialist, Data Steward at SickKids Foundation, and has previously held senior roles in prospect research at Weizmann Canada, Canadian Red Cross, and SickKids Foundation. Sarah holds a BA from McGill and an MLIS from Western University, and has been a member of Apra Canada, Apra International, and the Special Libraries Association. She has served on the Board of Apra Canada since 2018, and has presented at Apra Canada conferences in 2012, 2018, and 2022. In her spare time, Sarah volunteers with Girl Guides of Canada and grassroots initiatives focusing on community-building and education.

Katherine Scott is a prospect research and development professional with over a decade of experience working in philanthropy for a range of organizations including MSF Canada (Doctors without Borders), Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, Canadian Red Cross and Toronto Metropolitan University. She recently completed a successful six year term as President of Apra Canada, the professional association for research, data, and prospect development professionals, and continues to be a mentor, speaker, and leader in the sector. Katherine holds a Master of Arts in Political Science and International Development from the University of Guelph and a Master of Information from the University of Toronto. Katherine’s spare time is devoted to honing her Spanish language skills, plotting her next travel adventures, and getting creative in the arts, especially piano performance.

4J: Change Couldn't Wait and Neither Could Reporting: A Case Study in Building a Successful Campaign Reporting Suite

In 2018, I presented at the aasp Summit around building a reporting environment while American University's $500M campaign was already underway. Six years later, at the successful completion of the campaign which was aptly named "Change Can't Wait", this presentation looks back at the reporting journey since. While we started with a few basic CRM reports and excel; we ended with a robust reporting suite in a BI platform that supported the advancement division to meet our goal. This presentation covers how we:-  Supported the reporting needs within advancement and at the leadership levels of the institution- Collaborated across campus partners to build and launch BI platform- Rolled out, trained, and promoted user adoption of a new BI platform - Built a showcase of reports that are seen as a benchmark across the university-  Identify areas of opportunity to inform our work and prepare for the changes ahead*This is not an overview of predictive analytics nor a technical deep dive.

Samantha Howell has served as the Director of Reporting and Analytics in American University's Advancement Office since 2017. In this role, she leads a team of four in support of all operational, fundraising, and executive reporting. Throughout the past six year, coinciding with the university's campaign, she has overseen the planning and implementation of a business intelligence platform and designed a complete reporting suite used across the division and university. Samantha last presented at aasp's 2018 Summit, detailing the beginning of this work and she is excited to share the progress since then as a fitting bookend to this chapter. Samantha resides in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and Winston the English bulldog.

MS Business Analytics, American University MA Public History, American University

5J: What Your Gift Officers Want, Need and Request - Specific Strategies for Supporting Your Fundraising Team

This session will review in detail what your gift officers are really thinking and needing to be successful. We will explore how your Advancement Services team can be a complete partner for your fundraisers on the road, in the office, and while onsite visiting prospects. We will identify specific strategies for supporting the gift officers at your organization and confirm or debunk common myths and stereotypes. This discussion will include providing details on technology, strategic, and data solutions, and other needs that fundraisers have.

Sabre Leek is the creator of the Salesforce accelerator product QSS for Education Cloud and the founder of Sleek Consulting. Sabre has more than 25 years of direct consulting experience working with higher education institutions, non-profits, and healthcare across the country. Sabre has invested her time and energy in industry best practices and technology. Her background includes 30+ years of experience in fundraising and engagement operations including Director and Executive Director level positions. Sabre is passionate about serving nonprofits, creating technical solutions that push the common industry limits, and openly sharing on the challenges of mental health.

Necie Liggeons, MS, is the Chief Development and Alumni Engagement Officer at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), where she is responsible for fundraising operations and alumni engagement. She has more than 25 years of advancement experience in higher education settings, and provides leadership and strategic support for all fundraising and alumni engagement efforts at PCOM. She serves as the lead prospect portfolio manager and assists with overall prospect strategies and initiatives. Necie started her career at the University of Pennsylvania, creating procedures that enhanced department activities and cut operational time by 40 percent. She moved to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where she led a database conversion and developed a web-based tool for alumni from around the world to connect. These were critical to the success of Wharton’s $425 Million Campaign for Sustained Leadership, the then-largest campaign conducted by a business school. She later worked at Thomas Jefferson University and Hospital and Coriell Institute of Medical Research before being recruited to lead a database conversion at University of the Sciences. The project was completed on time and under budget and garnered the University a CASE Circle of Excellence award.

6J: Reducing System Complexity to Focus on Mission-Driven Outcomes

In today's fast-paced advancement environment, the complexity of managing multiple systems can be a significant barrier to achieving mission-driven outcomes. This panel brings together experts from across the higher education sector who have successfully transitioned to a comprehensive data approach. By reducing the number of disparate systems, these institutions have streamlined operations, improved data integrity, and made faster, more informed decisions that directly impact their mission.

The panel will explore how reducing system complexity leads to clearer insights, better ROI, and a more focused approach to data-driven decision-making. Attendees will gain valuable perspectives on how to overcome common challenges in migrating to fewer systems and hear firsthand accounts of the transformative impact on fundraising efforts and overall institutional success.

Chris Browning, executive vice president of Slate services at HCRC, is a national expert on the use of Technolutions Slate. A frequent presenter at the annual Slate Innovation Summit, Chris has served as a Slate captain for three different universities, co-founded a Slate services consultancy, and managed dozens of Slate implementations and remediated scores more across advancement, admissions, and student success.Chris has managed Slate instances since 2012, presented at six Slate Summits on wide-ranging topics from implementing innovative uses of datasets for program management to developing custom portals for both internal and external audiences. In 2018 Chris was featured in the popular Chronicle of Higher Education’s profile of Technolutions Slate and its founder, Alexander Clark. Chris holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and history from Washington and Lee University.

Lori Stirling brings over 30 years of dedicated experience in higher education and consulting, partnering with universities, healthcare organizations, and non-profits worldwide to leverage data and technology for transformative outcomes. Her background includes roles as Director, AVP, Senior Consultant, and Advancement Strategist, leading project recoveries and strategic implementations with a focus on systems, data governance, and user experience. Known for her consultative approach, Lori excels in navigating complex projects, aligning innovative solutions with client needs, and fostering collaboration among stakeholders. Her expertise in advancement and tech implementations makes her a trusted partner for sustainable, future-ready solutions.

Emily Myers brings over a decade of experience in higher education advancement, including oversight of alumni relations and annual fund fundraising teams. Leading the Slate implementation at her prior institution, Emily replaced seven different advancement systems with one Slate instance, offering a streamlined alumni and donor experience along with improved administrative processes. As a member of the Post-Captain team, she helps schools implement and innovate their Slate instances, creating tailored approaches to meet their institutional needs.

Shawn Kelly is the General Manager of Advancement at Technolutions, the company behind Slate for Advancement. Since joining the company in 2017, Shawn has been responsible for overseeing all aspects of the advancement product, contributing to its significant growth and adoption among higher education institutions. With a focus on innovation and client success, Shawn plays a pivotal role in enhancing advancement operations through technology. Shawn holds an undergraduate degree in Arts Administration from The George Washington University, a graduate degree in Arts Administration from the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) at the University of Cincinnati, and an MBA from UC.