Keynote: Funding the Future of Prospect Development

Blau Hall, Room 3570

Breakout 1: Working with consultants and vendors

Facilitator: Betsy Schmidt-Gullett, University of Cincinnati
This session will cover the complex relationship we have with consultants and vendors. How do you balance the sales pitch promises with the reality of deliverables? How do you know you are getting what you asked for? What role do we play in negotiations and contracts? How to tap into our peer network/colleagues at other institutions to find out which vendors they use and their experiences with the products?

Blau Hall, Room 3580

Breakout 1: Fundraising goals and metrics for campus partners

Facilitators:  Stephanie Fultz, University of Cincinnati & Jessica Szadziewicz, Loyola University Chicago
This session will focus on what role (if any) prospect development plays in establishing funding priorities. Based upon funding priorities, what goals (if any) do you set for campus partners or how are they set for you? What meetings (if any) do you have to define priorities/set goals? Who attends these meetings (deans/faculty/physicians)? How do you measure progress?

Blau Hall, Room 2560

Breakout 2: Evaluating prioritization methods

Facilitators: Emily Shipman & Paul Wiklanski, University of Michigan

​In this session we will share policies and practices used for prospect prioritization and follow-up.  What prioritization methods does your organization currently have in place? Has your team developed predictive models or scores in order to help with prioritization efforts?  What methods are you using to track your team’s impact? What has worked and what hasn’t?

Blau Hall, Room 3560

Breakout 2: Measuring program success

This session will discuss how participants currently track the success of existing and newly launched programs as well as what information is needed to do so. How do you define success for your programs? Are you able to measure the success of those programs with existing data, or do they require additional data to be collected? Are you required to report program success to senior leadership, or is it primarily for internal assessment?

Blau Hall, 3570

Breakout 2: Gift Capacity & the donor cycle

Facilitator: Amelia Bowen, Michigan State University
This session will explore the assets considered and methods employed to determine a prospect’s gift capacity. Do you look for different assets to determine wealth during prospect identification than you would look at when re-evaluating a known prospect? How do you as a prospect development professional work with gift officers to ensure capacity ratings are accurate?

Blau Hall, 3580

Breakout 2: Internal ROI & Productivity measures

Facilitator: Michael London, Cleveland Clinic
This session will discuss how participants are currently tracking and report out on Return on Investment (ROI) for their team.  Is your team currently required to report out ROI? If so, what factors are measured and reported? How is your organization or team currently measuring and reporting this activity?  Are non-monetary factors considered and if so, what are those factors?

Blau Hall, Room 2560

Breakout 3: Campaigns - gearing up and winding down

Facilitator: Craig Leonard, University of Michigan

​As Prospect Development teams are being recognized more for our unique skillsets and benefit to our organizations, we are also being asked to do more and more to support the planning and execution of comprehensive fundraising campaigns.  In this session, we will discuss the unique role that PD teams can play in planning and closing a campaign as well as how this role might evolve in the future. What are some new ways that your team has been asked to support a campaign (specifically in planning and closing a campaign)? What best practices are evolving on your teams? How do you see the role PD plays in campaigns evolving in the future? What have you learned about fundraising and donor strategy through supporting a campaign?

Blau Hall, Room 3560

Breakout 3: DoD turnover and best practices for onboarding

Facilitator: Kari Stokosa, Wisconsin Foundation & Alumni Association
Turnover is inevitable in fundraising staff. This session will share experiences and best practices in onboarding and off-boarding. What are your effective onboarding methods for educating new employees about prospect development? How do you ensure thoughtful transitions of prospects when a fundraiser leaves?

Blau Hall, Room 3570

Breakout 3: Private company valuations

Facilitator: Chris Louderback, Wisconsin Foundation & Alumni Association
Your prospect owns a private business. Your development officer wants to know how much it is worth. How do you determine its value? What resources do you use? What information do you provide when there is no reliable valuation?

Blau Hall, Room 3580