| Start Time | End Time | Session Description |
|---|---|---|
| 7:30 a.m. | 4:00 p.m. | Alliance Partner Exhibit Hall Open |
| 7:30 a.m. | 5:30 p.m. | FFE Content Corner Open |
| 7:30 a.m. | 9:15 a.m. | FFE Breakfast & Keynote Our State of the Industry — By the Numbers Patrick Alderdice and Aaron Parker, Pennington & Company | Meet the presenters Curious how your foundation stacks up against others in the interfraternal world? For over two decades, Pennington & Company has analyzed IRS Form 990 filings from fraternity and sorority foundations, turning dense data into actionable insight. In this year’s State of the Industry session, Patrick and Aaron return to unpack the latest 990 data—comparing current figures with 22 years of historical trends. From asset growth and fundraising totals to grantmaking and program spending, this session offers a comprehensive look at where the industry stands today. Whether you’re navigating challenges or seeking new opportunities, you’ll leave with benchmarking tools, trend analysis, and practical recommendations to help your foundation grow and thrive in the year ahead. |
| 9:15 a.m. | 9:30 a.m. | Networking Break with Alliance Partners |
| 9:30 a.m. | 10:30 a.m. | FFE Breakout Sessions I Traditional breakout sessions with expert presenters and panelists. |
| FFE Industry Survey Takeaways and Call to Action Ryan King, Chief Advancement Officer, Delta Upsilon Educational Foundation; Leslie Martin, Executive Director, Delta Gamma Foundation FFE member foundations are often interested in comparing their organizational results with trends and benchmarks in our industry and throughout the non-profit world. The FFE Industry Survey, the Compensation and Benefits Survey, the Alumni/ae & Donor Engagement Survey, and Seminar’s annual State of the Industry keynote are just a few of the ways FFE provides critical data to our member organizations. This session will focus on key takeaways from the most recent FFE Industry Survey, with a goal of empowering you to identify organizational strengths, areas of improvement and ways to ACT on the data through improved development strategies. |
||
| A Real-Time Look Inside a Transformational Campaign Dan Hartmann, CFRE, President & CEO, Lambda Chi Alpha Educational Foundation; Ted Grossnickle, Senior Consultant & Foundation, JGA; John Keith, Senior Consultant, JGA Join Lambda Chi Alpha Educational Foundation President & CEO Dan Hartmann, Founder of Johnson, Grossnickle and Associates (JGA) Ted Grossnickle, and JGA Campaign Counsel John Keith for insights and learnings in Lambda Chi’s historic $60M Men With Purpose Campaign. Kicking off in 2024, Lambda Chi Alpha Educational Foundation is poised to set new fundraising records in the fraternal philanthropic space. Learn from the experiences of CEO Dan Hartmann, as well as Campaign council at JGA – Ted Grossnickle and John Keith. The presenters will walk-through the critical components to campaign planning, from needs analysis, to the feasibility study, to the silent phase, and future public launch. They will share best practices for those interested in beginning a Campaign, as well as real-time learnings for those seeking lived insights. Learning Outcomes: – Campaign pre-work: Needs assessment, case statement, feasibility study – Campaign strategy: Silent phase, public launch, ongoing stewardship |
||
| Leveraging AI to Enhance Connections and Resources for the Future of Fraternity & Sorority Life Michael Ayalon, CEO., Greek University; Ben Gold, Speaker, Greek University As Fraternities and Sororities navigate an evolving landscape, artificial intelligence (AI) emerges as a powerful tool to clean up your alumni/alumnae database, promote connections on LinkedIn for more alumni engagement opportunities, optimize your resources, and support the long-term success of our organizations. In this workshop, AI consultant and thought leader Ben Gold will guide participants through practical applications of AI tailored to the unique needs of fraternity and sorority headquarters and introduce tools such as ChatGPT, DALLE -3, and Claude. Discover how applying generative AI can improve: – Donor outreach – Generational communication – Organizational efficiency – Alumni marketing – Data integrity Through interactive discussions and real-world examples, attendees will gain actionable insights into leveraging AI to create a more secure, connected, and efficient organizational infrastructure. Leave this session with a roadmap for integrating AI into your headquarters’ strategies, strengthening relationships with key stakeholders, and positioning your organization for success in the digital age. |
||
| Building a $1M Scholarship Program Mary Kate Smith, Programs Director, Kappa Alpha Theta Scholarships are one of the only tangible benefits fraternity and sorority foundations can offer to their members. If you are not already prioritizing your organization’s scholarship program, it’s time to do so! In this session, we will take a deep dive into Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation’s scholarship program and its incredible growth over the past few years. Historically, the program has attracted about 700 applicants each year. That all changed in 2024 when applicant interest jumped to over 1,100 applications submitted. Learn more about why members are flocking to submit applications and how the increased interest is attracting additional funding. Theta Foundation is poised to award over $1 million in scholarship funding in 2025. Come pick our brains about how we got here! Learning Outcomes: – Identify easy-to-implement ways that you can make your application more accessible and approachable. – Learn about how to leverage changes made to your internal processes to attract more applicants. – Take away ideas for how to manage a large-scale scholarship program administratively (with a small team!). – Effectively identify and communicate your funding gaps/needs to stakeholders. |
||
| Storytelling: Your Superpower with Donors! Cindee Riordan, Major Gifts Officer, Alpha Delta Pi Foundation & Alpha Omicron Pi Foundation; Lucy Love, CFRE, Major Gifts Officer, Alpha Delta Pi Foundation Science confirms that storytelling can be a Superpower when connecting with donors. Learn how to harness that Superpower to avoid looking for the cloak of invisibility when your story just doesn’t land!! This interactive presentation will explore the key components in crafting a powerful story, introduce techniques to enhance your stories, and focus on finding the story that is authentically you. Learning Outcomes: – Build impactful stories by crafting relatable characters, defining the transformational moment of the story, and matching story to message. – Understand the use of emotion, data and multi-media in telling a story … does a picture paint a thousand words or limit your donor’s imagination? Participants will recognize how to use each effectively. – Leverage specific techniques of storytelling including length of story, inner and outer dialogue, language, and pattern interrupt. Participants will identify their “once upon a time…” |
||
| Data is the Diplomat Zac Gillman, Account Executive, re:Members; Chris Smith, Director of Systems, Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity & Foundation In this session, we’ll explore how a data-centric approach can transform your foundation—fueling smarter decisions, stronger collaboration, and more personal, lasting donor relationships. Data is the connective tissue between major gifts, annual appeals, and operations, unifying efforts across teams. More than just numbers, your data tells a story—and with the right tools, it becomes a powerful driver of donor engagement. We’ll show how clean, accessible data helps personalize outreach, offering a fuller view of who your donors are, what they care about, and how to engage them meaningfully. This shift from transactional to relationship-driven fundraising can scale when powered by the right systems. We’ll also discuss how to manage data through staff transitions, turning your CRM into the “transition binder” that keeps your work moving forward. Whether onboarding or navigating a departure, you’ll learn how to reduce disruption and avoid common software pitfalls. Finally, we’ll share tips for hiring talent with strong operational instincts and data fluency—highlighting why today’s best development teams need more than just fundraising skills to thrive in a data-driven landscape. Learning Outcomes: – Understand how to leverage a data-centric approach to strengthen donor relationships and unify foundation operations across teams. – Learn strategies for managing data effectively during staff transitions, including how to create a culture where your CRM serves as a central source of truth. – Identify key traits and hiring practices for building a team with strong data and operational instincts to support long-term foundation success. |
||
| The Good, the Difficult & the Power of Knowledge Tiana Ronstadt, Behavioral Financial Advisor, Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation Board Presentation will be highly energetic, engaging and rewarding. It is an interactive workshop with slides, interacting polls, hand outs, interaction with the participants with Q&A as well as partnership discussions to create conversation within the group. You won’t want to miss this! Learning Outcomes: – What are donor advise funds, why should I engage – How to educate donors and attract donors with this tool – Look to cultivating a relationship with advisors to encourage networking |
||
| Incorporating Cygnus Data into Your Communications Strategy Jeff Dubberley, Vice President, Cygnus Research |
||
| 9:30 a.m. | 10:30 a.m. | FFE Aspire to Fundraise Aspire to Fundraise is a dynamic learning track designed for fraternal foundation volunteers looking to lead with purpose and build confidence in fundraising. Through practical skill-building, peer collaboration, and storytelling, participants will gain the tools to inspire support and elevate their impact. |
| 10:30 a.m. | 11:00 a.m. | Networking Break with Alliance Partners |
| 10:30 a.m. | 11:00 a.m. | FFE Volunteer Interest Meeting |
| 11:00 a.m. | 12:00 p.m. | FFE Breakout Sessions II Traditional breakout sessions with expert presenters and panelists. |
| Legal Update Heather Moore, Counsel, Faegre Drinker Biddle and Reath LLP; Jane Wilson, Partner, Faegre Drinker Biddle and Reath LLP The change in administration earlier this year resulted in numerous Executive Orders that have impacted the nonprofit sector. This session will provide a legal update regarding how the Executive Orders, judicial action, and similar developments are impacting tax-exempt organizations generally over the course of 2025 and relevance to Greek foundations. This session will also include a discussion of legislative changes to UPMIFA in several states. Learning Outcomes: – Attendees will leave with an awareness of current legal issues impacting nonprofit organizations. – Attendees will be prepared to help their organization consider whether changes are needed to programmatic activities in light of recent executive action. |
||
| Making a Case That Matters Kyle Yarawsky, Senior Vice President, Pennington & Company; Michael Greenberg, President, Sigma Chi Foundation When developing and communicating a case for support it is common to develop a case that matters to us or the organization. However, as fundraisers we should be focused on identifying what a prospective donor cares about and developing a case that matters to them. Through proper use of prospect research and leading questions we can identify key passions that can be used to develop a strategic case in real time during a solicitation. Mike and Kyle have collaborated on a variety of solicitations using a refreshing model to have impactful conversations and develop creative proposals to maximize a donor’s gift. Throughout this interactive session we will review our model, discuss strategies, and practice utilizing leading questions to develop a case for your fundraising initiatives. Learning Outcomes: – Utilize leading questions in a solicitation. – Being agile in a solicitation to adapt a case for support based on information gathered through leading questions. – Identifying key components in any funding initiative that could be strategically leveraged in a solicitation. |
||
| Practical Tech: Small Changes to Spark Big Changes Sean FitzGerald, CFRE, Director of Advancement, Delta Upsilon Educational Foundation Fundraising is evolving rapidly, and technology can enhance efficiency, donor engagement, and overall success. This session explores how fundraisers can leverage AI and digital tools to streamline tasks and strengthen supporter relationships. AI-driven donor segmentation, automated messaging, CRM systems, and voice-to-text follow-ups help fundraisers stay productive on the go. Advanced AI tools can even adapt to an organization’s unique voice for tailored communication. Attendees will gain actionable strategies to integrate technology into their fundraising efforts, whether working solo or as part of a team. Small tech adjustments can lead to significant improvements in donor retention and campaign optimization. This interactive session also provides a space for attendees to share their own AI and tech success stories, creating a collaborative learning experience. Learning Outcomes: – Gain insights on how a fundraiser can utilize AI effectively and efficiently, without spending too much time – What existing technical resources, ideally free, can make your life on the road easier – Crowdsource some practical tech tips from the speaker and the assembled attendees that you can implement immediately to have more success on the road |
||
| The Perfect Partnership-Working with University Advancement Max Harper, Director of Development & Planned Giving, Butler University At every institution, there are offices and divisions responsible for managing alumni relations and development work. That is no different at the national headquarters level of our respective organizations. Most would think that you would be competing for the same philanthropy, but what if there were ways to work together to unlock countless force multipliers for philanthropy? In this session, we will discuss strategies where partnership and collaboration with University Advancement offices can unlock new philanthropic opportunities, cultivate and steward existing donors, and increase the overall engagement of our chapter alumni. Learning Outcomes: – Identify partnership opportunities with the University and Headquarters/Foundation staff – Learn how to align priorities across organizations to maximize results |
||
| How Storytelling Can Change Your Fundraising Life Ann DiAntonio, Donor Relations Officer, Alpha Chi Omega; Allison Foster, Director of Donor Relations, Alpha Chi Omega Storytelling is a key part of major giving; being strategic in the stories you bring to the table with the donor can lead to greater success for both volunteer and professional fundraisers. During this session, presenters will dive into how to engage with donors to identify their passions, determine how those passions line up with the organization’s priorities and how powerful storytelling can bridge the gap. Participants will have an opportunity to identify their key stories to share during major gift conversations and how to leverage those stories to successfully ask and secure gifts for their organization. Learning Outcomes: – Conversation management: Demonstrate how to conduct a donor meeting applying storytelling as one tactic to redirect and maintain control of a conversation. – Identify overlapping interests: Apply storytelling to discover or reinforce where the Venn diagram of the donor’s interests overlaps with those of the organization. – Develop a story repository: Create a collection of compelling stories that illustrate the donor’s potential impact on the organization. |
||
| Engagement-First Fundraising, Using Data to Maximize Results Greg Lamb, Vice President., Triangle Education Foundation; Brian Gawor, CFRE, Consultant, JGA Wealth ratings are no longer enough. To maximize your fundraising results, especially with a small team, you need to focus on the most engaged and ready donors. New technology, including predictive analytics and AI, that is within any organization’s reach can help you do this. In this interactive presentation, we’ll share insights from how Triangle used engagement data to focus on the right donors, and share insights from over 50 nonprofits that have made the engagement-first fundraising leap. We’ll also share several models for predicting donor likelihood and engagement, and also discuss how Greek organizations can learn from the CASE Alumni Engagement Metrics project. It’s time to listen to our donors better, and today, we can do that with data. Join us to think differently about how we identify potential big givers: it could make a big difference for your annual fundraising and your next campaign. Learning Outcomes: – Identify ways that the fundraising program can utilize engagement data across multiple areas to better focus on “ready” donors. – Learn key tips to shift to engagement-first model, and potential pitfalls from the experience of over 50 nonprofits. – Better understand how data from disconnected systems can be integrated with emerging technology, including artificial intelligence |
||
| No More Paper Checks! How Sigma Alpha Mu Foundation Scale Their Impact with Electronic Payments Robert Davis, President, SmarterSelect; Maria Mandel, Director of Scholarship & Grants, Sigma Alpha Mu Foundation In this session, Maria Mandel from Sigma Alpha Mu Foundation shares how her organization transformed scholarship payments with SendGrant from SmarterSelect. Learn how this fraternal foundation efficiently manages 500+ applicants and $230,000 in annual scholarships while strengthening relationships with recipients and donors. Maria will highlight key features that revolutionized their operations such as: Eliminating paper checks by sending funds directly to students or schools via Digital checks and ACH transfers. Having access to contacts for over 900 universities without searching for email and postal addresses. Moving funds safely and securely via banking networks. Providing transaction records for accounting transparency. The session demonstrates how the Foundation transitioned from spreadsheets and emails to a streamlined system that reduced administrative hours while improving recipient experiences. Maria will share implementation strategies and measurable outcomes that showcase how technology enables foundations to maximize impact while maintaining personal connections. Perfect for foundation leaders, scholarship administrators, and financial staff seeking to enhance their scholarship and grant operations. Learning Outcomes: – Learn how digital payment solutions can replace paper-based scholarship and grant disbursement processes. – Evaluate how implementing automated financial systems can reduce administrative workload while improving recipient experiences. – Develop strategies for transitioning scholarship management from manual processes to streamlined digital systems. Apply best practices for maintaining security and transparency in scholarship fund disbursement. |
||
| Incorporating Cygnus Data into Your Stewardship Plan Jeff Dubberley, Vice President, Cygnus Research |
||
| 12:00 p.m. | 12:15 p.m. | Networking Break with Alliance Partners |
| 12:15 p.m. | 1:30 p.m. | FFE Lunch & Closing Keynote Both/And Thinking for Navigating Tensions Marianne W. Lewis | Meet the presenter Do we prioritize today’s needs or tomorrow’s possibilities? Efficiency or innovation? Performing or learning? Our default approach in such situations is to see dilemmas, then make tradeoffs. We focus on the most urgent, rewarded, or comfortable. Yet this either/or thinking is limiting at best, detrimental at worst. This keynote seeks to stretch your thinking, opening a wider array of options. Marianne Lewis has spent the past 25 years studying the traps, opportunities, and navigation of tensions. As a professor and dean, she also lives tensions herself. Both/and thinking involves a shift from a tradeoff to a paradox mindset. Embracing competing demands can enable more generative, creative, and sustainable solutions. Join us to examine how both/and thinking can help you lead and thrive amidst tensions. |
| 1:30 p.m. | 2:00 p.m. | Networking Break with Alliance Partners |
| 2:00 p.m. | 3:00 p.m. | FFE Coffee Chats with Ignite Sessions The objective of these sessions is to connect attendees and foster relationships with peers through crowd-sourcing solutions to challenges. Ignite Sessions are blended with Coffee Chats so you’ll have time to listen, learn and discuss. Just 5 minutes in length, Ignite Sessions are meant to spark an idea or conduct a demo. A moderator introduces each presenter, then presentations are given in rapid succession. Afterwards, a themed or topical Coffee Chat discussion will be hosted, similar to our virtual roundtable forums. |
| 2:00 p.m. | 3:00 p.m. | FFE Aspire to Fundraise Coffee Chat and Ignite Sessions Aspire to Fundraise is a dynamic learning track designed for fraternal foundation volunteers looking to lead with purpose and build confidence in fundraising. Through practical skill-building, peer collaboration, and storytelling, participants will gain the tools to inspire support and elevate their impact. |
| 3:00 p.m. | 3:30 p.m. | Networking Break with Alliance Partners |
| 3:30 p.m. | 4:30 p.m. | FFE Breakout Sessions III Traditional breakout sessions with expert presenters and panelists. |
| Continuous Improvement in a Nonprofit World Marsha Grady, Chief Development Officer, Alpha Chi Omega Foundation Marsha will share her perspective on how nonprofit organizations can benefit from continuous improvement approaches and practices that benefit the for-profit world. Learn about the importance of process documentation and key performance measurements and how those concepts can lay the groundwork for improving the quality of your donor’s experience while improving the efficiency and effectiveness of your organization. Learning Outcomes: – Learn about the importance of documenting processes and systems, and how it can help improve employee onboarding, service delivery, and donor experience. – Learn about key performance indicators and how they can be used to motivate and measure continuous improvement in your organization. – Learn ways to implement process improvement methodologies in a nonprofit environment. |
||
| Love Actually: Turns Out Donor Retention is All Around Erik Tomalis, Chief Revenue Officer, Avid Donor Retention: A Data-Driven Approach How Personalization, Timing, and Human Touch Drive Giving In a world where every click, stream, and scroll is personalized, donors expect more than a generic thank-you and a quarterly newsletter. They want to be seen, heard, and valued. But many nonprofits are unintentionally ghosting their own supporters. This session reveals the surprising data behind donor retention—and what the top-performing organizations are doing differently. Spoiler: It’s not about flashy appeals or perfectly designed emails. It’s about treating donors like humans. You’ll walk away with a clearer picture of how to retain more donors by improving your welcome experience, writing like a person (not a brand), and sending the right message at the right time—all based on real-world data from 91 organizations. This isn’t theory. It’s a wake-up call to do the small things that actually make a big difference. Learning Outcomes: – The Retention Gap Is Real – With an average retention rate of just 44.5%, most orgs are losing more donors than they keep. Learn what’s driving that churn. – First Impressions Matter – 51% of nonprofits don’t say “thank you” within a week of a gift. You’ll see what an effective welcome series really looks like. – What the Data Says Works – Discover why emails from real people, fewer calls-to-action, and high-value content offers massively boost engagement and retention. – Retention Is Relationship-Driven – From plain-text emails to reply-worthy content, find out how humanizing your communication leads to 114% increases in donor retention. – Scale Without Losing Soul – Use automation and intentionality to deliver a personalized experience—at scale—without sounding like a robot. |
||
| Building Meaningful & Engaging Donor Events and Immersive Experienes at Convention Rachel Soll, Assistant Director of Advancement, Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation; Katie Bate, Donor Engagement Director, Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation Convention provides a unique opportunity to connect Foundation work with fraternity and sorority values and programs. As part of Kappa Alpha Theta’s 2024 Grand Convention, the Theta Foundation team designed events and immersive experiences to further engage collegians and alumnae. The Theta for Good Breakfast was held to celebrate the success of Theta’s college chapter giving program, while the Pansy Party brought more than 100 Theta Foundation donors together, those attending Convention as well as local Thetas not registered. Theta Foundation capitalized on additional engagement opportunities related to their onsite Pansy Patch fundraiser along with their ability to capture video testimonials. Overall engagement, in a multitude of ways, has increased since the implementation of these events. Come prepared with questions for this interactive session to review and discuss best practices for making the most of your own special celebrations! Learning Outcomes: – Celebrate and recognize college chapter fundraising and philanthropic impact in a fun and engaging way. – Utilize donor/prospect research to involve Trustees and volunteer leadership in stewarding attendees throughout an event. – Build an event that capitalizes on Convention programming supported by the Foundation. |
||
| Actionable Insights for Pipeline Management Nick Bratvold, CFRE, Vice President – Philanthropy, Lambda Chi Alpha Educational Foundation Managing a pipeline of tens or hundreds of thousands of prospects is challenging, to say the least. Who should we engage? How? When? Practical, actionable insights for pipeline management are hard to come by, regardless of the size of the foundation. Historically a siloed, esoteric function of fundraising organizations, it may be the single most important indicator of our success: Do we have enough prospects to raise the money we need to fund the programs we want to fund? And, do we have the team to pull it off? During this session, we will discuss how the Lambda Chi Alpha Educational Foundation has used data-based insights to inform pipeline management to raise more and larger gifts. Through this discussion, we will share specific learnings and recommendations that enabled us to right-size our team, territories, and portfolios and optimize fundraising efficiency for annual, major, principal, and planned giving fundraising. Learning Outcomes: – Identify leading connection, interest, and ability directional indicators – Discuss pipeline management structure and process between annual, major, principal, and planned giving prospects. |
||
| Unearthing Impact, Creative Approaches to Uncover Story Gold Melissa Hammer, Associate Director of Communications, Kappa Delta Foundation; Katie Gates, Marketing & Communications Manager, Alpha Phi Foundation; Jen Magro Algarotti, PhD, Director of Strategic Communications, Delta Gamma Foundation; Jessi Horne, Senior Director of Strategic Communications, Phi Mu Foundation Finding the right story to illustrate your foundation’s impact can feel like striking gold—but where do you dig? This session will explore real-world examples and practical tips for uncovering compelling stories in both expected and unexpected places. We’ll share creative strategies for identifying authentic, donor-worthy narratives. Learn how to go beyond the surface in interviews, recognize storytelling gems in everyday updates, and build a culture of curiosity that fuels meaningful donor engagement. Learning Outcomes: – Identify Hidden Storytelling Opportunities – Learn how to uncover compelling impact stories by actively listening in staff meetings, monitoring social media, and recognizing storytelling potential in everyday interactions. – Enhance Interview Techniques – Develop strategies to ask deeper, more meaningful questions during one-on-one interviews to move beyond surface-level details and capture authentic, donor-inspiring narratives. – Strengthen Storytelling Processes – Discover ways to build a culture of storytelling within your organization, ensuring impactful stories are consistently collected, documented, and repurposed for donor engagement. |
||
| Good Data In, Better Donors Out: Building an Actionable Donor Data Warehouse Chris Smith, Director of Systems, Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity & Foundation Is your donor data helping or hindering your fundraising? This Level 1 presentation will guide participants through the fundamentals of data warehousing and its direct impact on donor engagement. Attendees will learn how to assess their current data structure, identify which fields matter most (and which don’t), and create a sustainable strategy for cleaning and maintaining donor records. We’ll cover common pitfalls, practical tools like your CRM and email verification systems, and how to use the 80/20 rule to focus on the data changes that drive the most value. Whether you’re starting from scratch or refining what you have, this session will help you translate data clean-up into stronger donor targeting, better segmentation, and more confident reporting. Expect clear, actionable steps and examples rooted in fraternal fundraising work. This is a presentation format session and is ideal for advancement professionals seeking to improve their operational infrastructure and make smarter, data-informed decisions moving forward. Learning Outcomes: – Identify the most critical donor data fields that impact engagement and fundraising success. – Develop a phased strategy to begin or improve data clean-up efforts using the 80/20 principle. Apply best practices in donor data maintenance to support stronger segmentation and more effective fundraising campaigns. |
||
| Volunteer & Donor Engagement Through Investments…It Is Possible! Emily Musser, CP, Client Relations, AMG National Trust; Jill Carrel, Executive Director, Pi Beta Phi Foundation Foundation investment portfolios are a hot topic for most organizations, especially this year. We talk about market volatility, growth and return, risk, and spending, but how often do you hear about broad volunteer engagement and building donor trust through investments and investment policy? Fraternal foundation volunteers come from many walks of life. They have a passion to serve and want to make a meaningful contribution to the success of the organization they love. Can you really empower volunteers around investments and create meaningful engagement opportunities for people who don’t work in the financial world? In a word, yes. Using events from 2025 as the basis for discussion, we will engage attendees in conversation about the framework and practices around investments that can support both volunteer engagement and donor stewardship. Tools include the Decoded Investment Policy, volunteer on-boarding, ways to share partner expertise for the benefit of many donors, and donor stewardship touchpoints. Pi Beta Phi Foundation will share examples of how this framework is implemented and its results. We will also touch on building trust in volunteer/staff/vendor relationships and the tangible benefits. Learning Outcomes: – How to leverage relationships with finance partners to enhance volunteer engagement and stewardship of foundation assets. – Ways to increase donor and volunteer trust in times of market and economic volatility. – Framework and processes to build trust and engage donors and volunteers. |
||
| The Art & Science of Developing and Leading High Performing Teams Rebecca Gentry, Associate Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, University of Houston; Jen Webb, Executive Director, Alpha Delta Pi Foundation As professionals (staff and volunteers), fundraising and engagement goals are more ambitious than ever before, and that isn’t going to change. With ever-changing landscapes in our industry, new work environments, resource constraints, it has never been more important to position the TEAM for success amidst and despite the odds. We all know this, but do we lead from a high-performing teams mindset every day? Let’s roll up our sleeves and unpack the art and science of developing and leading high-performing teams for maximum outputs. Learning Outcomes: – Gain an understanding of what being a high-impact leader means, why it matters and how it can change team dynamics and outcomes; – Explore case studies and scenarios aimed at applicability; – Assess personal and organizational values and metrics using an assessment worksheet; – Consider how to lead through example and with clarity; – Receive resources for continued learning. |
||
| 3:30 p.m. | 4:30 p.m. | FFE Aspire to Fundraise Aspire to Fundraise is a dynamic learning track designed for fraternal foundation volunteers looking to lead with purpose and build confidence in fundraising. Through practical skill-building, peer collaboration, and storytelling, participants will gain the tools to inspire support and elevate their impact. |
| 4:30 p.m. | 5:30 p.m. | Break |
| 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. The Awards of Distinction nomination deadline is June 4. Learn more and start your nominations here. |
