Click on the drop-downs below to view each day’s schedule. Additionally, click the “Learn More” buttons to view the schedules for each pre- or post-conference experience.
Key:
NIC & FFE Educational Programming & Events
NIC-focused Educational Programming & Events
FFE-focused Educational Programming & Events
| Start Time | End Time | Session Description |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 a.m. | 4:00 p.m. | FGA Symposium FGA members only; view more information here. |
| 1:00 p.m. | 5:00 p.m. | FFE Women’s Research Initiative Campaign Committee Meeting Invitation only |
| 1:30 p.m. | 4:30 p.m. | NIC Governing Council Meeting Invitation only |
| 5:30 p.m. | 6:30 p.m. | Interfraternal Happy Hour Open to all sorority/fraternity and foundation executives, sorority/fraternity and foundation board chairs, leadership of fraternal conferences/associations, and FFE/NIC Alliance Partners (Diamond and above only). Hosted at the Indiana Roof Ballroom. Join the Foundation for Fraternal Excellence for an evening of connection and fraternal fellowship with exciting announcements related to what's next in our research work. To register: Login to FS Central and select the FFE Research Campaigns Events form. |
| 6:30 p.m. | 7:30 p.m. | Amplifying Sorority Campaign Reception Open to sorority and foundation executives and board chairs, NPC Board of Directors and Staff, NPC Foundation Trustees and FFE Board of Directors. Hosted at the Indiana Roof Ballroom. Sorority and foundation executives and board chairs are invited to join the Foundation for Fraternal Excellence to learn more about the Amplifying Sorority Campaign in support of women's research and to connect with fellow sorority leaders. To register: Login to FS Central and select the FFE Research Campaigns Events form. |
| 6:30 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | Fraternity Matters Campaign Dinner and Conversation with Richard Reeves Invitation only event to be hosted at the Indiana Roof Ballroom. By invitation only, Fraternities Matter Campaign donors are invited to join the North American Interfraternity Conference and Foundation for Fraternal Excellence for dinner and conversation with Richard Reeves, Of Boys and Men author. To register: Login to FS Central and select the FFE Research Campaigns Events form. |
| Start Time | End Time | Session Description |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00 a.m. | 8:00 a.m. | FFE Board of Directors and Seminar Planning Committee Breakfast Invitation only |
| 7:30 a.m. | 1:00 p.m. | Event Registration Open |
| 8:00 a.m. | 10:00 a.m. | FFE Board of Directors Meeting Invitation only |
| 8:00 a.m. | 6:00 p.m. | Alliance Partner Exhibit Hall Open |
| 9:00 a.m. | 10:15 a.m. | NIC Educational Symposium I Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It Richard V. Reeves, President of the American Institute for Boys and Men | Meet the presenter What is happening with so many of our boys and men? Economists lament inexplicable drops in male labor force participation. Public health officials point to disproportionately male "deaths of despair" from suicide or overdose. Parents see their sons struggling and worry what it means for their future. In a compelling presentation, Richard provides a groundbreaking, personal and engaging diagnosis of the contemporary male malaise that is pro-equality as well as pro-male. As he says: "We can hold two thoughts in our head at once. We can be passionate about women's rights and compassionate toward vulnerable boys and men." Drawing on years of deep research as well as his personal experience as a father of three sons, Reeves offers a compelling diagnosis of the problems of boys and men-and a bold set of solutions. |
| 10:00 a.m. | 12:00 p.m. | FFE Women’s Foundation Leadership Forum Formerly known as the NPC Foundations Summit, FFE is proud to bring an abbreviated version of the Women’s Foundation Leadership Forum to Seminar this year. This $0 add-on cohort experience, uniquely for sorority foundation executives and board leaders, creates a space for relationship building, open dialogue and peer-to-peer learning around women’s focused opportunities and challenges. Women Give. Jeannie Infante Sager, Director of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute, Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy The Women’s Philanthropy Institute has conducted dozens of studies examining how and why women and men give. Individually, as well as in the aggregate, the research affirms that gender matters in philanthropy. With the personal wealth of women rising, and women playing major roles in shaping the future direction of the economic, social, and political arenas, the power and potential of women philanthropists is exponential. Join Jeannie Sager, Director of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute as we seek to better understand where, how, and why women and men give differently and how you can use the research to enhance and inform generosity. View more information |
| 10:15 a.m. | 10:30 a.m. | Networking Break with Alliance Partners |
| 10:30 a.m. | 11:30 a.m. | NIC Educational Symposium II: Research Update and Discussion Rob Caudill, NIC Research Committee Chair & Executive Director, Phi Gamma Delta; Meghan Grace, Ed.D., Senior Consultant, Plaid, LLC.; Jud Horras, President and CEO, NIC; Mike Martynowicz, Ph.D., Research Lead - Education Sector, Vector Solutions; RJ Taylor, CEO, Phired Up & TechniPhi; & Dawn Wiese, Ph.D., NIC Research Consultant In this session, we will present and discuss results from recent projects on healthy behaviors, peer accountability, the membership experiences of juniors and seniors, and fraternity membership trends. This can’t-miss discussion will focus both on implications for practice as well as an overview of how these findings relate to other recent research projects. |
| 11:30 a.m. | 12:30 p.m. | NIC Alliance Partner-Executive Speed Dating Speed dating offers intentional, focused time between Alliance Partners and key decision-makers from inter/national fraternities. The format for this event involves short, timed face-to-face sessions during which time both participants may discuss whatever they like. During the “dating” sessions, participants should collect contact information and take notes on how the partner and member might work together in the future. |
| 12:00 p.m. | 12:30 p.m. | FFE Newcomer Networking |
| 12:00 p.m. | 6:00 p.m. | FFE Content Corner Open The Seminar Planning Committee is excited to offer attendees the opportunity to view recent foundation collateral featured in the Content Corner — a showcase-style space that will display the great work of our fraternal foundations. |
| 12:30 p.m. | 1:30 p.m. | NIC/FFE Welcome Luncheon with Alliance Partner Recognition Join NIC and FFE attendees for a luncheon where we will recognize the Alliance Partners who do so much for our organizations! Lunch is included in registration costs. |
| 1:30 p.m. | 2:30 p.m. | NIC Educational Symposium III/FFE Opening Keynote Building a Brand That Matters R. Ethan Braden, Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Purdue University and Purdue Global | Meet the presenter Great brands don’t just happen. Rather, they are intentionally and purposefully built over time on certain bedrocks, including a great story and position. And how well a brand is delivered externally depends on how well it is understood internally. As a member of Beta Theta Pi, former staffer, and dedicated volunteer, Ethan has developed a flourishing marketing expertise and career with a rare combination of leadership roles across critical and complex industries: the Federal Government, healthcare, consulting, public higher education and non-profit. He has demonstrated that the keys to building remarkable brands transcend sectors, demographics and unmet needs. Join us as he shares stories, lessons and best practices from remarkable brands that have enchanted audiences and changed lives, leaving you inspired and better equipped to ensure your brand truly matters. |
| 2:30 p.m. | 2:45 p.m. | Networking Break with Alliance Partners |
| 2:45 p.m. | 3:45 p.m. | FFE Breakout Sessions I Traditional breakout sessions with expert presenters and panelists. |
| Maximize Your Video Platform to Engage with Donors Raenee Patterson, Assistant Director of Development, Delta Zeta Foundation Most of our organizations now utilize some sort of video platform to communicate with our donors. But how can we fully utilize the platform we are paying for outside of general thank you videos? During this session, you will hear how the Delta Zeta Foundation has incorporated personalized and non-personalized video into their overall foundation communication strategy. Learn how to use video during your Day of Giving, in your everyday stewardship efforts, and to keep donors up to date on Foundation activities. Participants will leave with new, exciting ideas on how to use video to engage and interact with their donor base. |
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| How the Ultra Wealthy Give Away their Money Matthew Green, Senior Vice President, Private Wealth Advisor, UBS Private Wealth Management No one loves rejection. Unfortunately, in today’s hyper crowded non-profit marketplace, it’s harder than ever to get major donors to engage with your mission. It doesn’t have to be this way. For more than 25 years, Matt Green has been advising the ultra-wealthy and large charitable organizations. He’s figured out why these two groups struggle to communicate with one another. In this engaging talk, Matt will help your team understand the most prevalent myths about charitable giving and the super rich. |
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| Fundraising Strategies for Preservation Initiatives Beth Burkes, Chief Development Officer, Tri Delta; Ryan Collett, Chief Development Officer, Pi Kappa Alpha Foundation; Kristen Gwinn-Becker, Ph.D, Founder & CEO at HistoryIT Pi Kappa Alpha and Tri Delta are committed to preserving their histories to ensure they’re available now and in the future. Through a partnership with HistoryIT, the organizations have collectively digitally preserved over 2.5 million assets and made them available through their respective digital museums. Panelists will share their unique approaches to fundraising for preservation, including: - PIKE’s 2023 campaign that engages all members and provides the opportunity to donate directly to the preservation of each chapter’s history. - Tri Delta’s focus on strategically identifying donors to fund specific collections and using archival materials to cultivate donor relationships. Session attendees will also hear from Kristen Gwinn-Becker, Ph.D., who will share strategies for curating fundraising opportunities specific to your organization’s archival materials. She will also discuss HistoryIT’s process for supporting PIKE and Tri Delta’s fundraising efforts from a digital preservation partner perspective. |
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| Prospect Like a Pro: Using Data-Driven Insights for Successful Major Gift Fundraising Dan Hartmann, President & CEO, Lambda Chi Alpha Educational Foundation & Alicia Lifrak, Executive Vice President, Pursuant | Giving DNA As campus Greek organizations strive to secure major gifts from alumni, parents and donors, the importance of data-driven fundraising strategies cannot be overemphasized. By leveraging data, organizations can identify high-potential prospects, personalize fundraising messages, and measure the impact of their outreach efforts. This session will explore how campus Greek organizations can harness the power of data to drive efficiencies in prospecting, soliciting, and obtaining major gifts. We will discuss the various sources of data that organizations can tap into, including alumni databases, social media and donor management systems. We will also share best practices for data analysis and interpretation, such as segmentation, modeling and predictive analytics. The session will feature examples of successful fundraising campaigns that have utilized data-driven strategies to achieve their goals. Attendees will learn about the tools and technologies available to support data-driven fundraising, as well as the key performance indicators that can be used to measure success. |
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| 2:45 p.m. | 3:45 p.m. | FFE Women’s Foundation Leadership Forum (continued) Conversations will continue from the Q&A portion with Jeannie Infante Sager in a Coffee Chat format. The objective of this session is to help forum attendees build relationships with peers as well as crowd-source solutions to their challenges. View more information |
| 2:45 p.m. | 3:45 p.m. | FFE Coffee Chat Managing Programs and Reporting their Impact |
| 2:45 p.m. | 4:15 p.m. | NIC Meeting of Members Voting delegates will conduct annual business for NIC. Contact Jud Horras for questions about NIC governance and the Meeting of Members. |
| 3:45 p.m. | 4:15 p.m. | Networking Break with Alliance Partners |
| 4:15 p.m. | 5:00 p.m. | FFE Business Meeting Voting delegates will conduct annual business for FFE. Contact Ashley VanDewark for questions about FFE governance and business meeting. |
| 5:00 p.m. | 6:00 p.m. | NIC/FFE Networking Reception with Alliance Partners |
| 6:00 p.m. | FFE Women's Foundation Leadership Forum Dinner Advance RSVP required Hosted by AMG National Trust Bank, FFE Diamond Alliance Partner |
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| 6:00 p.m. | Dinner on Your Own |
| Start Time | End Time | Session Description |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00 a.m. | 5:30 p.m. | Alliance Partner Exhibit Hall Open |
| 7:00 a.m. | 5:30 p.m. | FFE Content Corner Open |
| 7:30 a.m. | 8:30 a.m. | NIC/FFE Breakfast & Networking |
| 8:30 a.m. | 9:30 a.m. | FFE Keynote Resiliency Rewind: How to Restart your Foundation Work with More Bounce Back Erin Fischer, Owner & CEO, The Leadership and Training Studio | Meet the presenter Our goal is simple. We want to have a live dialogue about the things that really make an impact on foundation staff increasing their resiliency skills. Spoiler alert, two of the biggest tips are minding your own MOVIE and your brain recorder. We will open a conversation about why we need resiliency now more than ever. Then, we will dig into the most practical advice about how to get more of that gold! This presentation is full of intriguing and true stories about the journey to a place of authentic resiliency – for all of us. |
| 10:00 a.m. | 10:15 a.m. | Networking Break with Alliance Partners |
| 9:45 a.m. | 10:45 a.m. | NIC Research Breakout Session From Research to Practice — Using Data on Member Perceptions and Beliefs to Shape Your Prevention Efforts Holly Rider, Vice President, Education Strategy, Vector Solutions In this presentation, Holly Rider will share strategic approaches to using data from the recently released collaborative research, The Role of Fraternal Organizations in Facilitating Safer Environments on College Campuses, to engage members and volunteers in targeted, evidence-based education and training efforts, support strategic planning initiatives, and communicate to internal and stakeholders about the role of fraternal organizations in the college and university community as it relates to health, safety and well-being. |
| 9:45 a.m. | 10:45 a.m. | FFE Breakout Sessions II Traditional breakout sessions with expert presenters and panelists. |
| Grants: Collaboration between Fraternity & Foundation John E. Christopher, Partner, Fraternal Law Partners; Marsha Grady, CFRE, Chief Development Officer, Alpha Chi Omega Foundation; Dan Hartmann, President & CEO, Lambda Chi Alpha Educational Foundation; Benjamin S. M. Nicol, CFRE, Chief Executive Officer, Phi Kappa Psi Foundation; & Jacklyn Olinger, Attorney, Fraternal Law Partners (Moderator) Generally speaking, fraternal foundations exist to support the educational and charitable objectives of the fraternity. A good working relationship between the two entities is vital to the success of both. All too often, these relationships break down and both organizations and their constituents suffer. One way to ensure that this does not happen is to put in place AND IMPLEMENT solid grant-making policies and procedures. This helps manage expectations around foundation funding of fraternity programming and avoid potential conflict between the two entities. This will be a panel session where we will (i) discuss the importance of good grant policies and procedures from the legal perspective and (ii) hear from groups that are maintaining good relationships using good grant-making policies. |
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| Great Brands Tell Great Stories R. Ethan Braden, Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Purdue University and Purdue Global In 1994, Steve Jobs said, “The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller. The storyteller sets the vision, values, and agenda of an entire generation that is to come.” Building on Ethan’s Keynote, one thing that great brands do is they tell great stories. And the best stories are thoughtfully crafted, guided by certain objectives and fundamentals that stand the test of time. Prioritize this breakout session if you want to come away inspired and armed with a few practical tools to ensure your storytelling is powerful and never left to chance. |
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| Blended Gifts: The Three-Legged Stool of Fundraising Success Leslie Martin, Executive Director, Delta Gamma Foundation A well-rounded fundraising program must consist of annual, major and planned gifts. They are the three legs of a well-balanced stool; if we take one away, results become shaky. Blended gifts are not only the ultimate vehicle for achieving this balance but also offer donors meaningful impact today and in the future. Learn how to leverage blended gifts to achieve greater fundraising success. |
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| Optimize Your Giving Day: Leverage Challenges to Grow Your Major Gift Program and Raise Unrestricted Dollars Emily Karcher, Development and Engagement Manager & Jill Carrel, Director of Advancement, Pi Beta Phi Foundation Giving challenges during your annual day of giving can be an exciting opportunity to include major donors and volunteers and generate enthusiasm and participation among chapters, clubs, and your general membership. Without a well-defined major gift strategy, however, including everyone and every gift can become cumbersome to execute and confusing for your donors. This session will highlight how your organization can streamline its efforts to laser focus on unrestricted giving, strengthen your challenge gift strategy, and use your giving day to grow your major gift pipeline. |
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| Tailoring the Target: Redefining Fundraising Success through Data-Driven Goal Setting and KPI Development Meghan Grace, Ed.D., Senior Consultant, Plaid, LLC Are we hitting our target? What if we’re aiming for the wrong target entirely? This interactive workshop-style session will engage participants in discussion around creating data-driven goals and key performance indicators. Through this session, attendees will dive deep into redefining what success in fundraising looks like by developing goals and KPIs that are tailored to fit organizational interests and priorities and draw meaning from organizational data. |
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| 9:45 a.m. | 10:45 a.m. | FFE Ignite Sessions & Coffee Chat Operations - ChapterSpot: What we’re working on and how it will help you! Joe Budde, Solutions Architect & Tristan Conroy, Account Management & Product, ChapterSpot - How Might AI Change the Face of Your Investments? Emily Musser, Vice President, Client Relations & Dan Cravitz, VP & Institutional Investment Advisor, AMG National Trust Bank - Food Contracts Without a Termination Clause, Steven Troge, Fraternity Director of Sales, Greek House Chefs - SendGrant - Electronic Scholarship & Grant Payments, Robert Davis, President, SmarterSelect - Do More for Your Mission - Digital Tools to Enhance - Board Management, Zach Tsuleff, Senior Customer Success Manager & Sandy An, Senior Account Manager Boardable - Fraternity & Foundation Management Software - An all in one solution: GreekTrack.com, Tony Schmidt, CEO and Founder, GreekTrack |
| 10:45 a.m. | 11:15 a.m. | Networking Break with Alliance Partners |
| 11:15 a.m. | 12:15 p.m. | NIC Research Breakout Session Plaid Research — A Deep Dive on Recent Research on Collegiate Member Experiences Meghan Grace, Ed.D., Senior Consultant, Plaid, LLC. This session will provide a deep dive into the findings from the NIC’s recent research initiatives related to peer accountability and junior/senior member engagement. Participants will gain greater understanding of the undergraduate membership experience through data-driven insights and small group discussion to identify meaningful implications for their organization. |
| 11:15 a.m. | 12:15 p.m. | FFE Breakout Sessions III Traditional breakout sessions with expert presenters and panelists. |
| Coaching Your Team — Coaching Volunteers to Successful Fundraising Kyle Yarawsky, Vice President, Pennington & Company In a time where costs are increasing and budgets are tightening, how can we do more with less? This session will focus on scalable tactics for volunteer fundraising teams of all sizes through the philosophy of coaching. We will review coaching principles from some of the great coaches throughout history and apply these lessons to tangible practices with your volunteers. |
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| Collaboration for the Cause: Promoting Scholarship Applications Melissa Hammer, Associate Director of Communications, Kappa Delta Foundation & Heather Matthews, Director of Marketing and Communications, Kappa Delta Sorority Scholarships are one of the most important ways our foundations offer support to members. It would seem that “free money” would be easy enough to get members to apply for, yet every year our organizations struggle to get the applications we need to award the scholarships dollars we have. This session will be part case study and part working session. In small groups, we'll attempt to develop skeleton communications plan your foundation can use to collaborate with the sorority/fraternity to promote scholarship applications – this can even be scaled up for other types of applications: internships, leadership conferences and more! Come prepared to discuss roadblocks that have held you back in the past and to brainstorm ideas with your peers to garner future success. If we work quickly, you'll leave with a workable communications plan where all you need to do is create content specific to your organization. |
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| How Leading With Heart Leveled Up Practices to Sustain Alpha Phi Foundation's Success Kelly Wesley Taylor, Co-Founder, Trek Advancement; Rebecca Zanatta, Chair, Board of Directors, Alpha Phi Foundation Campaign success is about more than just the dollars raised, it's also about elevating the entirety of the organization for sustainable success long after the campaign celebration. As Alpha Phi Foundation celebrates the impact of their $43 million Leading With Heart comprehensive campaign, learn how they leveled up their development practices in the following areas: - Benchmarking and evaluating fundraising success - Team development and transitions - Collegiate giving and giving through chapters - Blended asks - Data driven decision making - Communicating the call to action in a noisy, fragmented environment Both Kelly and Rebecca are fundraising consultants working with a variety of clients across the United States. |
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| Key Discoveries from a Record-Breaking Campaign – Interfraternal Giving Tuesday Challenge Ryan Collett, Chief Development Officer, Pi Kappa Alpha Foundation; Wes Holtsclaw, Senior Director of Print & Digital Media, Sigma Chi Foundation; Steve Mitchell, President & CEO, Sigma Alpha Epsilon Foundation; Liam Moore, Vice President of Fraternal Partnerships, CrowdChange On November 29th, 2022, the Sigma Chi Foundation, Sigma Alpha Epsilon Foundation, and Pi Kappa Alpha Foundation came together to raise over $500,000 in a single day during the 2nd annual Interfraternal Giving Tuesday Challenge. In this session, we’ll be hearing from representatives of each organization who come armed with their on-the-ground experiences of this record-breaking campaign. The presenters will lay out their richest learnings and most effective tools and tactics used to rally their supporters, communicate a potent case for support, and engage donors (both new and loyal) at every giving level and generational category. Come prepared with your own questions & experiences to share in the discussion and expect to leave with an array of proven practices to add to your fundraising toolkit. |
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| Shared Loss, Shared Purpose: Transforming “In Memoriam” into Meaningful Engagement and Fundraising Ali Briggs Carvalho, CEO & Co-Founder, LifeWeb 360; Kelby Dolan, Director of Communications & Alumni Engagement, Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity; Dan Hartmann, President & CEO, Lambda Chi Alpha Educational Foundation Join Dan Hartmann, Lambda Chi Alpha Educational Foundation’s President & CEO, and Kelby Dolan, Sigma Alpha Mu’s Director of Communications & Alumni Engagement, as they discuss the importance of honoring members who have passed away and providing opportunities for meaningful engagement within the fraternity after a loss. Discover new ways to gather first-hand histories from your members, tap local chapter affinity to drive national fundraising efforts, share underutilized fraternal resources, and create opportunities to reinvest in the fraternity during moments of shared loss. Additionally, Ali Briggs Carvalho, Co-Founder & CEO of LifeWeb 360, will share insights on how to transform the traditional "In Memoriam" section of your magazine into dynamic, community-driven digital spaces that prompt reflection and appreciation for your fraternity, as well as inspire financial support. Don't miss this interactive opportunity to learn from the experts and strengthen your membership’s affinity and engagement! |
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| It's Not You, It’s Your Data Silos Elizabeth Wojcik, Director of Client Strategy & Development, CSI While data silos can be frustrating for your staff, they are likely negatively affecting your fundraising goals. A Single Source of Truth is crucial for Foundations to effectively use data, provide personalized resources to donors, establish data integrity and trust, and decrease turnaround time when responding to requests. Learn how to remove the data silo hurdle and achieve a single source of truth. |
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| 11:15 a.m. | 12:15 p.m. | FFE Coffee Chat Finance |
| 12:15 p.m. | 1:30 p.m. | FFE Lunch & Keynote Our State of the Industry — By the Numbers Patrick Alderdice and Aaron Parker, Pennington & Company | Meet the presenters Pennington and Company has researched, compiled and evaluated IRS Form 990 filings for Greek foundations for the last 20 years. They will deliver the findings of this year’s research and share identified trends from administrative and donor perspectives, while providing their analysis on the challenges and opportunities Greek foundations face in their operations and fundraising. This session provides baseline data on the state of the industry in regard to assets, dollars raised, dollars granted, and various expenses. It also provides comparisons to other philanthropic giving in higher education and public and private foundations for benchmarking purposes. |
| 1:30 p.m. | 1:45 p.m. | Networking Break with Alliance Partners |
| 1:45 p.m. | 2:30 p.m. | FFE Alliance Partner-Executive Speed Dating Speed dating offers intentional, focused time between Alliance Partners and key decision-makers from fraternal foundation. The format for this event involves short, timed face-to-face sessions during which time both participants may discuss whatever they like. During the “dating” sessions, participants should collect contact information and take notes on how the partner and member might work together in the future. |
| 1:45 p.m. | 2:30 p.m. | FFE Content Corner Open |
| 2:30 p.m. | 2:45 p.m. | Networking Break with Alliance Partners |
| 2:45 p.m. | 3:45 p.m. | FFE Breakout Sessions IV Traditional breakout sessions with expert presenters and panelists. |
| Harnessing the Power of Board Recruitment: A Cultural Cornerstone of Moves Management Joe Budde, Solutions Architect, ChapterSpot & Phil Fernandez, Chief Foundation Officer, Beta Theta Pi Foundation Looking for ways to level up your foundation’s moves management? (Always, we know.) Have you considered looking at your board recruitment process? Recruiting board members allows you to cultivate meaningful connections and build long-term commitments with your largest donors. In this session, you’ll discover strategies that’ll help your staff thrive in board recruitment and learn how you can effectively use spreadsheets and databases to track staff progress, engagement, and interactions.You’ll also learn how you can extend board recruitment beyond your staff and explore techniques to maintain ongoing engagement with potential board members. Come join us (we invite you to bring your ideas and organization challenges) and unlock this new avenue to your foundation’s growth! |
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| Strengths-Based Teams Drive Engagement, Productivity and Wellbeing Ashley VanDewark, Executive Director, Foundation for Fraternal Excellence Overwhelmed with turnover, underperformance or challenging team dynamics? Spending more time putting out fires than driving next level growth? You're not alone - and this session may be for you. Did you know... organizations are failing to create workplaces of high engagement and high wellbeing with only 36% of U.S. workers reporting being engaged at work? Furthermore, managers - through their strengths, their own engagement and how they work with their team every day - account for 70% of the variance in team engagement. Join us for a discussion about the four things that highly productive teams have in common and get an insider look at Gallup research which finds that people who know and use their talents and strengths are more engaged at work, more productive in their role, and happier and healthier. We'll also spend time peer-to-peer learning as we crowdsource ideas/strategies to increase your team's engagement and improve your staff retention. |
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| Asking Styles – What’s Yours and How Do You Leverage It? Lucy Love, Major Gifts Officer, Alpha Delta Pi Foundation; Cindee Riordan, Major Gifts Officer, Alpha Delta Pi Foundation & Alpha Omicron Pi Foundation Whether you’re new to fundraising and curious about asking strategies, mid-way through your career and want to be more effective or are a seasoned professional looking for a way to switch up your donor interactions, your Asking Style can help. Join us for an interactive session where we help you uncover your personal Asking Style as coined by Brian Saber, President of Asking Matters. Together we’ll explore what your asking style means for your donor interactions, discuss the way different styles interact, and share how to best use your style for success in communicating your case for support. |
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| Stewardship at Every Turn Mariah Bockbrader, Programs Manager; Susanne Kondracke, Donor Relations Specialist; Laura Stillman, Assistant Executive Director & Director of Donor Relationships, Delta Gamma Foundation Having a comprehensive stewardship plan is instrumental to fostering strong relationships with members, organizations, potential donors, and existing donors. Every staff or volunteer interaction is a stewardship opportunity! Likewise, everyone, whether a brand-new staffer or a seasoned board member, is invited to be part of this session. A team from the Delta Gamma Foundation, recipient of the 2022 FFE Best Stewardship Effort, will share their recent successes and provide a forum for dialogue among those in attendance. We invite attendees to bring examples of their work and we'll bring ours! |
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| Lessons from Million-Dollar Giving Days Dan Hartmann, President & CEO and Katie Kowalski, Engagement Officer, Lambda Chi Alpha Educational Foundation; Heather Matthews, Former Chief Communications Officer, Sigma Phi Epsilon; Director of Marketing and Communications, Kappa Delta Sorority Dedicated, themed Giving Day campaigns have become standard in fraternal and higher education annual fundraising. Last year, Sigma Phi Epsilon Foundation and Lambda Chi Alpha Educational Foundation topped the $1-million and $2-million dollar marks respectively during their Giving Day efforts. Learn more about their campaign planning, structure and organization, as well as the secrets to their success in this interactive panel session with the architects behind these million-dollar Giving Day efforts. |
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| Grant Management and the Donor Experience Alex Goodman, MNM, Grants and Scholarship Manager & Sharyn Taylor, Major Gifts Officer, Alpha Phi Foundation Donors are integral to our fraternal foundations, but how do they play a role in grant management? Alpha Phi Foundation will provide detailed insight into their grant management process, including their scholarships, emergency financial assistance grants, and external institution grants. They will share best practices in their grant processes from opening an application to distribution of funds. Additionally, they will also discuss how to keep donors engaged and invested with grants and funding priorities throughout the donor cycle, including initial prospecting, volunteer opportunities, and stewardship. |
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| 2:45 p.m. | 3:45 p.m. | FFE Ignite Sessions & Coffee Chat Fundraising - Unleashing the Power of GivingDNA for Data-Driven Fundraising, Lisa Stenholm, Director Technology Solutions | Software Platform Sales/Marketing, Pursuant + GivingDNA - Ignite your Campaign with a Donor Think Tank, Mandi Young, Development Officer, Phi Mu Foundation - Delta Gamma Foundation’s Cream Rose Tribute Giving, Samantha Mogab, Annual Giving Manager, Delta Gamma Foundation - PIKE Legacy Funds (our version of a donor advised fund), Ryan Collett, Chief Development Officer, Pi Kappa Alpha Foundation - Leveraging Wealth Intelligence, Kyle Curry, Senior Director of Nonprofit Sales, Windfall |
| 3:45 p.m. | 4:00 p.m. | Networking Break with Alliance Partners |
| 4:00 p.m. | 5:00 p.m. | FFE Breakout Sessions V Traditional breakout sessions with expert presenters and panelists. |
| Engaging Your Donors in Fundraising Ashley Byrd, Executive Director; Carly Loth, Director of Development; & Kath Conver, Board President, Alpha Omicron Pi Foundation Have you ever felt like you had more donors to approach than time in the day? Grow your donor base by engaging donors in the work of making asks for your Foundation. AOII Foundation will share the work of their Fundraising & Development Committee which has developed a series of trainings for donors to become part of the ask process. |
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| Thriving Brand, Shared Vision: How to Leverage a Shared Brand for Greater Support Jen Magro Algarotti, Ph.D., Director of Strategic Communications & Natalie Knapp, Assistant Director of Communications and Creative Strategies, Delta Gamma Foundation; Melissa Hammer, Associate Director of Communications, Kappa Delta Foundation Our organizations face many challenges when communicating our case for support; getting members to understand the importance of their support; fitting in many different programs and ideas; communicating to varied and diverse audiences; distinguishing between Foundation and Fraternity initiatives; and much more. When separate entities have one brand and need to share common brand elements, the challenge can be even greater. But a shared brand can also lead to greater support and increased synergy when done strategically. As part of this session, we will examine how Delta Gamma Foundation and Kappa Delta Foundation share a brand with their Fraternity counterparts, all while remaining distinct philanthropic organizations with successful fundraising outcomes within shared communication outlets. A variety of topics will be covered, including the development of a brand strategy, crafting unique content using shared brand messaging, the use of logos and graphic elements, a visual hierarchy system, social media accounts, and website presence. We will leave time for Q&A and best-practice sharing. |
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| Pace Yourself: Multiply Outreach & Revenue Impact with Multi-Channel Portfolios & AI Marsha Grady, CFRE, Chief Development Officer, Alpha Chi Omega Foundation & Ali Hay, Customer Success Manager, Raise from Gravyty Individualized donor engagement has moved beyond major gifts. Personal connection with donors of all levels is swiftly becoming a best practice — and donor expectation. In this session, gain valuable insights about developing portfolios across entire teams, gauge outreach and pacing recommendations to meet full portfolio saturation, and glean how AI and tech support fundraisers in efficiently multiplying meaningful outreach. AXO’s Marsha Grady will speak firsthand to the impact adopting new technology and practices has made on her team — including significant improvement in portfolio penetration, donor retention + re-engagement and upgraded giving! |
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| Engaging Gen Z and Gen Y as Young Alumni Vincent Russo, Senior Director of Advancement and Chelsea Sheridan, Director of Advancement, Delta Tau Delta Foundation How many times have you seen a member get to the end of their undergraduate experience only to view it as the end of their experience as a member of their fraternal organization? What if there was a way to provide meaningful avenues for our upperclassmen to feel engaged with our organizations before they even graduate? How do you capture the attention of young alumni who haven't remained engaged with the organization since graduating? This program will dive into some of those ideas and more, looking at what is important to Gen Y and Gen Z and how to capture it through our efforts to engage our younger generations of passionate young professionals (and those who are soon to be!) who are looking to impact societal change on a large scale. |
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| FFE Data as a Tool in Your Leadership Toolbox: How Good Questions Enhance Conversations Around Data Emily Musser, Vice President, Client Relations, AMG National Trust Bank; Kelly Wesley Taylor, Co-Founder, Trek Advancement; & Karen White, Chief Executive Officer, Tri Delta One of the best things about FFE member foundations is that they come in all shapes and sizes. However, if you’ve ever reviewed the FFE Industry Survey or other comparative data and tried to compare across organizations, you may notice it’s a little bit like comparing apples to oranges; yet, once you’re able to identify what data is relevant to your organization, you can prepare for the future by having a spate of good questions to ask that enhance conversations around available data. In this session we’ll dive into organizational data, foundation financial data and campaign data, and arm participants with relevant questions to reflect on as they consider how data can drive KPIs and decision making, and lead to collecting and understanding the right data to continue the process. Ultimately, data is only helpful if we’re using it in the right way to drive ourselves to good decision-making. |
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| Creating & Building a Planned Giving Program David Carico, Principal and Scott Sikes, MBA, CFRE, FAHP, CFP, Principal, Columns Fundraising Discover how easy it can be to introduce your donors to planned giving. In this session you’ll learn how to start and build a basic planned giving program, including marketing, policies, and – most importantly - simple ways to integrate a planned gift conversation into almost any donor discussion or solicitation. Leave confident and ready to build a new planned giving program - or enhance an existing one - and to include a planned gift ask during your next donor visit. |
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| 4:00 p.m. | 5:00 p.m. | FFE Ignite Sessions & Coffee Chat Communications - Student-Focused Segmentation: Beyond Variable Data, Ben Ford, Marketing & Communications Director, Sigma Phi Epsilon - Compelling Ways to Personalize Communications, Heather Matthews, Director of Marketing and Communications, Kappa Delta Sorority - Is your alumni communications program “Kenough”? Bob McKenney, President, Pennington & Company - Recognizing and Engaging Famous Alums, Ben Ford, Marketing & Communications Director, Sigma Phi Epsilon - Donor Cultivation through Affinity-Building Communications, Heather Matthews, Director of Marketing and Communications, Kappa Delta Sorority |
| 5:00 p.m. | 5:30 p.m. | Networking Break with Alliance Partners |
| 5:30 p.m. | 6:30 p.m. | FFE Awards of Distinction Reception Held at the Indiana Roof Ballroom |
| 6:30 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | FFE Awards of Distinction Dinner & Seminar Closing Session Held at the Indiana Roof Ballroom |
| Start Time | End Time | Session Description |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 a.m. | 12:00 p.m. | Fraternal Foundation Fundraising Bootcamp Post-con registration required. View full schedule and more information here. If you've already completed your Dual Meeting/Seminar registration, contact Experience Support Manage Gretchen Foran to add this workshop. |
View NIC/FFE Dual Meeting Information | View NIC/FFE Alliance Partner Information
View NIC Meeting of Members Information | View FFE Seminar Information
Pre/Post-Conference Add-On Experiences:
FGA Symposium | Sunday, August 27, 2023
The FGA Symposium is a $50 add-on opportunity for all FGA organizations to meet and collaborate on common topics for members of the Fraternal Growth Accelerator. All FGA members are welcome to attend the Symposium which is held in conjunction with the NIC Annual Meeting of Members and FFE Seminar.
The 2023 Symposium will be held in person at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown and includes lunch and programming from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Women’s Foundation Leadership Forum | Monday, August 28, 2023
Formerly known as the NPC Foundations Summit, FFE is proud to bring an abbreviated version of the Women’s Foundation Leadership Forum to Seminar this year. This $0 add-on cohort experience, uniquely for sorority foundation executives and board leaders, creates a space for relationship building, open dialogue and peer-to-peer learning around women’s focused opportunities and challenges.
The 2023 Women’s Foundation Leadership Forum will be held in person at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown and will take place over the course of the day in dedicated time blocks.
Fraternal Foundation Fundraising Bootcamp | Wednesday, August 30, 2023
The Fraternal Foundation Fundraising Bootcamp, post-con workshop option is available through the standard event registration form as an additional $50 add-on. The bootcamp includes a morning of programming with a strong emphasis on collaboration, action planning and dedicated time spent with content experts in the areas of annual giving, communications and major gifts. With detailed information about how to incorporate recent and relevant fraternal industry research into your work, as well as hands-on activities, participants will walk away with tactical (and practical!) skills to better support their foundation’s fundraising operations.
The 2023 bootcamp will be held in person at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown and includes breakfast and programming from 8 a.m. – noon.
Schedule subject to change.
View NIC/FFE Dual Meeting Information | View NIC/FFE Alliance Partner Information
View NIC Meeting of Members Information | View FFE Seminar Information
