Who should attend?
This pre- and post-conference option benefits fraternal foundation staff and volunteers in functional areas of direct mail fundraising and developing major gifts.
Registration & Costs
- Pre-con workshop registration includes educational content from 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 30, as well as a coffee and snack bar.
- Post-con workshop registration includes educational content starting at 8:30 a.m. and breakfast on Wednesday, September 2.
- All workshops will be held in person at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown.
- All workshops include access to digital resources following the conclusion of the program.
- When registering for Seminar or Dual Meeting, the FFE Pre/Post-Con Workshops options are available through the event registration form as an additional $75 add-on.
- If you have already completed your registration and would like to participate, contact Gretchen Foran for addition and payment.
Pre-Con Workshop: Sunday, August 30 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The FFE pre-con workshop option is available as an additional $75 add-on through the standard event registration form. This workshop explores how fraternal foundations can transform Days of Giving from one-time events into strategic drivers of year-round fundraising. Through case studies and hands-on planning, participants will learn how to boost donor acquisition, retention and long-term engagement while aligning campaigns with organizational capacity. Attendees will leave with a clear action plan to better connect pre-campaign outreach, campaign execution and post-campaign stewardship to measurable results.
From Moments to Momentum: Using Days of Giving to Build Sustainable Fraternal Fundraising
Days of Giving have become one of the most common—and visible—fundraising tools used by fraternal foundations. Yet many organizations experience the same challenge year after year: strong participation over a short window, followed by limited donor retention, minimal upgrades, and little sustained momentum.
This pre-conference is designed to help foundation leaders intentionally design, execute, and leverage Days of Giving as more than standalone events. Through strategic framing, peer case studies, and hands-on planning, participants will explore how foundations of differing size, gender composition, staffing capacity, and fundraising maturity have used Days of Giving to acquire new donors, re-engage lapsed supporters, strengthen parent and affinity giving, and create pathways into leadership and recurring giving.
Program Structure
- Part I – Reframing the Day of Giving: Why “One Day” Isn’t the Strategy
- Part II – Days of Giving in Practice: Three Foundations, Three Approaches
- Part III – From Event to Engine: Building Your Day of Giving Roadmap
Learning Outcomes
At the conclusion of this pre-conference workshop, attendees will:
- Evaluate their current Day of Giving model to determine whether it functions as a standalone event or a strategic on-ramp to year-round giving.
- Identify specific, capacity-aligned strategies for using Days of Giving to drive donor acquisition, retention, and upgrades based on peer foundation examples.
- Design a Day of Giving action plan that intentionally connect pre-campaign outreach, campaign execution, and post-campaign stewardship to measurable fundraising goals.
About the facilitator
Christian Wiggins, MBA, CAE – Strategic Advisor & Facilitator, Lumen Leadership Strategies
Christian is the Founder and Principal of Lumen Leadership Strategies, where he partners with associations, foundations, and higher education institutions to move from strategy to sustained impact. With more than 16 years of nonprofit and association C-suite experience, he brings executive-level insight to governance alignment, organizational design, fundraising strategy, and leadership transitions.
Christian has led enterprise-wide strategy and organizational transformation as CEO of FarmHouse Fraternity and COO of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, guiding boards and leadership teams through growth, change, and long-term repositioning. Known for his calm, clear, and relationship-centered approach, he helps leaders navigate complexity, strengthen alignment, and make confident decisions that position their organizations for the future.
He is a Certified Association Executive (CAE), an ASAE Diversity Executive Leadership Program (DELP) Scholar, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Elon University and an MBA from the University of South Carolina.
Post-Con Workshops: Wednesday, September 2 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The FFE post-con workshop option is available as an additional $75 add-on through the standard event registration form. By registering, you will dive deeper into key areas of fundraising that will elevate your impact on your foundation. This is a unique opportunity to gain practical, hands-on experience directly applicable to your work — whether you’re strengthening your direct mail strategies or developing your skill in major gifts.
Direct Mail: Alive and Well! | Wednesday, Sept. 2, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Direct mail is not dead; in fact, it remains a cornerstone of nonprofit fundraising, boasting an average response rate of 5.3% compared to 0.1% for email. As of 2026, it is thriving because it offers a tangible, trustworthy, and less cluttered alternative to digital noise. But with postal rates climbing and the need to be “everywhere” it’s more important than ever to ensure that your direct mail program is built with data driven strategies and a focus on ROI and sustainable growth for decades to come.
Direct mail in 2026 is no longer about mass, unsegmented, generic communication. It is a highly targeted, data-driven, and personal method to build long-term relationships.
This post-conference workshop is built on direct mail fundraising fundamentals, while supporting professionals at all levels who want to strengthen or rebuild their direct mail program with confidence. Participants will gain insights into what’s timely and relevant for 2026 and beyond through real-world examples, clear frameworks, and interactive engagement.
About the facilitators
Alicia M Lifrak, CEO, Founder, Dragonfly Collective Agency
With more than three decades of leadership experience in the nonprofit sector, Alicia has dedicated herself to philanthropy both working directly in membership-based nonprofits and higher education institutions as well as serving in a more consultative role from the agency perspective. Alicia is the CEO and Founder of Dragonfly Collective, a full-service fundraising and marketing agency that works exclusively with nonprofit organizations. As a front-line fundraiser, she helped to raise billions of dollars for the organization’s she worked for and now brings that experience to bear for clients in all sectors, but especially her Greek and Fraternal partners.
Traci Basden, Senior Director of Client Strategy, Dragonfly Collective Agency
Traci has more than 30 years in the direct response world, with 25 years focused on fundraising. She has guided campaigns across nonprofits of all shapes and sizes—including many fraternal organizations. She utilizes her experience to help organizations activate, grow, and retain donors and revenues with strategies that employ industry best practices and are optimized for the individual organization.
Developing Major Gifts | Wednesday, Sept. 2, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m .
Major gifts fundraising is about more than asking for larger donations—it’s about building authentic, long‑term relationships with donors who are ready to make a meaningful impact. This practical, workshop is designed for fundraising professionals who are looking to strengthen their core skills and confidence in major gifts.
More details about this workshop will be available shortly.
Facilitator announcement coming soon!
View NIC/FFE Dual Meeting Information | View NIC/FFE Alliance Partner Information
View NIC Meeting of Members Information | View FFE Seminar Information
View Chief Staff Officer-Board Chair Symposium Information | View FFE Pre- & Post-Conference Workshops Information
