SUMMIT REGISTRATION & INFORMATION
2026 Schedule
Sunday, January 25
| Time | Program | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. | Invitation Only: FFE Board of Directors Reception | The Cape: Rooftop (Bar/Cabanas) |
Monday, January 26
| Time | Program | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | Invitation Only: FFE Board of Directors Meeting | The Cape: A-Frame I |
| 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. | Foundation Representative Meetings with Jeff Dubberley | Green Room |
| 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. | First-Time Attendee Registration and Orientation | The Cape: A-Frame II |
| 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. | Welcome Reception – Sponsored by Ice Miller Returning attendee registration (name tag pick up) | The Cape: Glimpse (Rooftop Location) |
| 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. | Welcome Dinner | The Cape: Glimpse (Rooftop Location) |
Tuesday, January 27
| Time | Program | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00 – 8:00 a.m. | Breakfast | The Cape: Manta |
| 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. | Day 1 Opening Session with FFE | The Cape: A-Frame |
| 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m | Building Alumni Engagement & Support: Turning the 2025 Research into Action with Jeff Dubberley, Cygnus Applied Research | The Cape: A-Frame |
| 11:30 a.m – 12:30 p.m. | Lunch | The Cape: Manta |
| 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. | Facilitated Group Discussion, TED Talks and Peer Learning: 12:30 – 1:15 pm | Legal & Financial Trends Discussion with AMG National Trust, Blue & Co, and Fraternal Law Partners 1:15 – 1:30 pm | TED Talk: Operating with an Enterprise Mindset: A Case Study with Tony Vukusich, Delta Tau Delta Educational Foundation 1:30 – 1:45 pm | TED Talk: Plant Data Today, Cultivate Donors Tomorrow with Kye Hittle, re:Members 1:45 – 2:30 pm | Small Group Breakout Discussion and Peer Learning choose your topic of interest | The Cape: A-Frame |
| 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. | Foundation Representative Meetings with Jeff Dubberley | Green Room |
| 2:30 p.m. | Casual Reception and Networking | The Cape: Lobby Bar |
| 4:15 p.m. | Departure Meetup for Whale Watching Excursion (advance registration required) | The Cape: Lobby |
| 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. | Whale Watching Excursion – Sponsored by Greek House Chefs | Cabo Marina |
| 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. | Poolside Buffet Dinner at The Cape (advance registration required) | The Cape – Pool |
Wednesday, January 28
| Time | Program | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00 – 8:00 a.m. | Breakfast | The Cape: Manta |
| 8:00 – 8:30 a.m. | Day 2 Opening Session with FFE | The Cape: A-Frame |
| 8:30 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. | The 2026 Giving Playbook: How Smart Organizations Capture Modern Philanthropy with Patrick Schmitt, FreeWill | The Cape: A-Frame |
| 10:15 – 11:30 a.m. | TED Talks: Strategies That Scale: Navigating AI, Data, and the Future of Philanthropy 10:15 – 10:30 am | TED Talk: A Critical Crossroads – Rise of AI with Kelly Taylor, Taylor Bell Consulting 10:30 – 11:00 am | Facilitated Large Group Discussion and Peer Learning: AI, Fundraising & Leadership 11:00 – 11:30 am | State of the Industry: A Deeper Dive — Normalizing the Data with Patrick Alderdice, Pennington & Company and Ryan King, FFE Education & Benchmarking Committee Chair | The Cape: A-Frame |
| 11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. | Lunch & Group Photo | The Cape: Manta |
| 12:45 – 2:30 p.m. | Facilitated Group Discussion, TED Talks and Peer Learning: Building Fundraising Capacity for Scalable Impact 12:45 – 1:00 pm | TED Talk: When One Day Wasn’t Enough: The Power of a Month of Giving with Allison Rickels, Farmhouse Foundation 1:00 – 1:15 pm | TED Talk: Training and Empowering Development Directors with Steve Vincent, Pi Kappa Alpha Foundation 1:15 – 1:30 pm | TED Talk: Comprehensive Campaigns – Lessons Learned from Any Phase with Jill Lansing Lucken, Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation and Leslie Loop Martin, Delta Gamma Foundation 1:30 – 2:30 am | Small Group Breakout Discussion and Peer Learning: Capital Campaigns segmented by phases of campaign | The Cape: A-Frame |
| 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. | Foundation Representative Meetings with Jeff Dubberley | Green Room |
| 2:30 p.m. | Casual Reception | The Cape – Lobby Bar |
| Various | Dinner | On Your Own |
Thursday, January 29
| Time | Program | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 7:30 – 8:30 a.m. | Breakfast | The Cape: Manta |
| 8:30 – 10:00 a.m. | Summit Sendoff – The Gift with Ryan King, Delta Upsilon Educational Foundation | The Cape: A-Frame |
| 10:00 a.m. | Departures | On Your Own |
SUMMIT REGISTRATION & INFORMATION
Speaker Bios
About Jeff Dubberley
Jeff Dubberley is Vice President of Cygnus Applied Research, where he leads a team dedicated to driving member engagement and fundraising performance using informative surveys and rigorous data analysis. With over 20 years of consulting experience, Jeff is privileged to have directed four national studies on behalf of the Foundation for Fraternal Excellence, the 2025 edition being the largest survey ever conducted of fraternal alumni and giving.
He has worked with more than fifty nonprofit and membership organizations – including Harvard Business School, the YMCA, the American Red Cross, and five major metropolitan children’s hospitals – using data-driven insights to deepen alumni and donor connections and elevate fundraising results. His models and research have driven multi-million-dollar revenue gains and informed donor-centered strategies across higher education, healthcare, and membership sectors. His experience in translating complex data into clear strategies ensures organizations can use data to strengthen bonds with their members while driving sustainable fundraising growth
About Patrick Schmitt
Patrick is the co-founder of FreeWill, a social venture which has helped organizations to generate more $14 Billion in planned gift commitments, stock gifts, crypto donations, donor advised fund grants, and qualified charitable distributions. Patrick and his co-founder Jenny have been named two of the Top 50 Philanthropists in the World by Town & Country.
From 2009-2010, Patrick ran email fundraising for President Obama, where his team invented many of the existing best practices in digital fundraising. He served as Head of Innovation at Change.org, helping to grow that organization to 200 million members worldwide in just three years.
Patrick received his Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and MBA from Stanford University.
Patrick is recognized as the leading thought leader in the nonprofit fundraising industry, and his weekly talks draw an average of 1,500 industry professionals including representatives from most of the world’s largest charities.
Session Abstracts
Building Alumni Engagement & Support: Turning the 2025 Research into Action with Jeff Dubberley, Cygnus Applied Research (Tuesday, Jan. 27, 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m)
The 2025 Alumni/ae & Donor Engagement Survey provided a wealth of insight into member attitudes, motivations, and barriers related to engagement and giving within fraternal organizations. In this interactive session, we move beyond the data to focus on translating key findings into practical, actionable approaches to implementation.
Tackling the most persistent challenges in alumni engagement and fundraising, the session will guide participants through a series of structured discussions focused on removing the barriers to engagement and giving. Attendees will be encouraged to share their own perspectives and examine the organizational factors that limit their ability to implement change and new programs in a variety of contexts.
As common themes emerge, the discussion will be re-anchored in the research recommendations. Attends will leave with a better understanding of how to apply different strategies and tactics as they work to strengthen alumni/ae engagement and grow contributions.
TED Talk: Operating with an Enterprise Mindset: A Case Study with Tony Vukusich, Delta Tau Delta Educational Foundation (Tuesday, Jan. 27, 1:15 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.)
This TED Talk highlights why fraternities and foundations must move beyond silos to operate with an enterprise mindset. Using a Delta Tau Delta as a case example, this session demonstrates how aligning programs and advancement efforts builds stronger relationships and shared impact and offers clear first steps participants can apply immediately—regardless of structure.
TED Talk: Plant Data Today, Cultivate Donors Tomorrow with Kye Hittle, re:Members (Tuesday, Jan. 27, 1:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.)
What if you think of your CRM as a garden: the data seeds you plant today determine which donor relationships will flourish tomorrow. Learn how to capture the right information now—conversations, motivations, personal connections—so you and your successors can cultivate deeper, more meaningful relationships at scale. You’ll leave with a framework for “planting” strategic data that transforms your CRM from a transaction log into a relationship ecosystem.
The 2026 Giving Playbook: How Smart Organizations Capture Modern Philanthropy with Patrick Schmitt, FreeWill (Wednesday, Jan. 28, 8:30 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.)
Philanthropy is undergoing a structural shift. The rise of donor-advised funds, non-cash assets, and planned giving—combined with the largest wealth transfer in history—is redefining what effective fundraising looks like in 2026.
In this session, we’ll identify the gift types that matter most today and explain how professional fraternity and sorority leaders can integrate them into their fundraising strategy. We’ll cover why alumni behavior is changing, what organizations commonly get wrong, and how to build systems that make modern giving easy for donors and staff alike.
This is a strategy session for leaders who want to move from transactional fundraising to durable, multi-decade impact.
TED Talk: A Critical Crossroads – Rise of AI with Kelly Taylor, Taylor Bell Consulting (Wednesday, Jan. 28, 10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.)
We are at a critical crossroads. Alumni engagement and fundraising are more challenging than ever, with resource constraints, shifting communication preferences, and the rise of AI reshaping the landscape. At Summit, this TED Talk will explore how fraternal foundations can meet these challenges with technology, multi-channel communications, and a greater focus on personalization. Collectively, we’ll look at the innovative approaches that are transforming our work.
TED Talk: When One Day Wasn’t Enough: The Power of a Month of Giving with Allison Rickels, Farmhouse Foundation (Wednesday, Jan. 28, 12:45 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.)
When one day wasn’t enough, we reimagined our FarmHouse Day of Giving—first from 24 hours to 1,905 minutes, and now to our FH Month of Giving. Though we had long counted gifts throughout the month, publicly expanding our annual fund campaign transformed both engagement and results, raising a record $416,843 for the FH Excellence Fund from 1,668 donors in April 2025.
In this TED Talk, I’ll share how we turned one day of giving into a month-long effort that has led to stronger participation and deeper donor connections. Attendees will gain practical ideas to broaden engagement, inspire repeat giving, and keep their campaigns fresh and relevant year after year.
TED Talk: Training and Empowering Development Directors with Steve Vincent, Pi Kappa Alpha Foundation (Wednesday, Jan. 28, 1:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.)
This TED Talk explores how foundations can train and motivate strong development leaders while embedding a culture of “always be asking.” It offers practical insights into effective hiring, team development, and retention strategies that equip development directors for success.
TED Talk: Comprehensive Campaigns – Lessons Learned from Any Phase with Jill Lansing Lucken, Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation and Leslie Loop Martin, Delta Gamma Foundation (Wednesday, Jan. 28, 1:15 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.)
This TED Talk brings perspectives from two $50M+ campaigns and explores organizational readiness, unrestricted versus restricted campaign asks, and more. Attendees will leave able to assess campaign readiness as it relates to staff and volunteer structure, and with greater confidence in structuring fundraising goals tailored to their organization’s needs.
Summit Sendoff – The Gift with Ryan King, Delta Upsilon Educational Foundation (Thursday, Jan. 29, 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.)
As fundraising professionals, we spend countless hours trying to secure “the gift” for the betterment of our organizations. But we don’t always recognize the gifts right in front of us shaping who we are both personally and professionally. In this session we will reflect on the most important gifts at our disposal in 2026 and close Summit with a renewed focus and sharpened perspective on what really matters.
