Monday, August 19, 2024 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
After great success in hosting the Women’s Foundation Leadership Forum in 2023 alongside Seminar, FFE is excited to host the Women’s Research Symposium in 2024. This pre-Seminar experience offers sorority staff members and volunteers the opportunity to learn about what motivates high-capacity donors and gain insight into Amplifying Sorority Campaign research projects.
How can you take part in this Symposium?
Register for Seminar (Aug. 19-21) or the CSO-Board Chair Symposium (Aug. 18)!
Registration & Costs
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Register for this FFE Pre-Con Symposium by selecting the $0 add-on in the standard registration form.
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Registration includes educational content starting from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. on August 19. Attendees will have access to digital resources from the Symposium following the conclusion of the program.
- The 2024 Women’s Research Symposium will be held in person at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown.
- If you are already registered for Seminar or Dual Meeting but not registered for the symposium and would like to participate, contact Gretchen Foran.
Programming At-A-Glance:
The Women’s Research Symposium will be hosted by FFE volunteers Ashley Byrd, Executive Director at Alpha Omicron Pi Foundation and Tracy Garner, Past President and Trustee of Alpha Delta Pi Foundation and Director on the FFE Board
Decoding the motivations and strategies of high-capacity philanthropists
Dianne Chipps Bailey, Managing Director, National Philanthropic Strategy Executive, Philanthropic Solutions at Bank of America
With the number of Americans giving to charity on the decline, nonprofits increasingly rely on a smaller and more affluent circle of supporters to meet their fundraising goals. The importance and influence of these high-capacity donors has only increased during recent years. The Bank of America Study of Philanthropy, the ninth in a series of reports on giving by wealthy households in the United States, illuminates many expressions of generosity by affluent Americans. The series offers practical insights into distinct donor demographics including the rising generation, ethnically-diverse donors and women.
During this interactive conversation, we will explore what motivates affluent donors to give and stop giving, which organizations affluent Americans currently support and how they are (and could be) structuring gifts. This data will create pathways for fraternal foundation staff and board members to engage high-capacity donors, secure transformational gifts and achieve their mission goals.
Amplifying Sorority Campaign (ASC) Presentation & Panel Discussion
Marsha Grady, ASC Campaign Committee Chair and Chief Development Officer at Alpha Chi Omega Foundation; Leslie Martin*, Executive Director of Delta Gamma Foundation; Heather Matthews*, Director of Marketing and Communications at Kappa Delta; Meghan Parker, ASC Research Committee Chair and Executive Director of Zeta Tau Alpha; Ashley VanDewark, Executive Director of Foundation for Fraternal Excellence; and Jen Webb*, Executive Director of Alpha Delta Pi Foundation
During this session, members of the Amplifying Sorority Campaign Committees will share highlights from the first two research projects that have been completed and are underway — Sorority Market & Persona Research by Culturati and the New Member Longitudinal Study by Plaid — and discuss how organizations are applying various insights to their work. Additionally, participants will learn more about the 4th iteration of FFE’s Alumnae & Donor Engagement Survey by Cygnus (read more about the 3rd Cygnus iteration here).
*Indicates ASC Research or Campaign Committee members.
Meet the Keynote Presenter
Dianne Chipps Bailey
Managing Director, National Philanthropic Strategy Executive, Philanthropic Solutions at Bank of America
Dianne Chipps Bailey is a trusted advisor to influential, impactful philanthropists and a passionate advocate for the nonprofit organizations they support.
Dianne’s current role is Managing Director and National Philanthropic Strategy Executive for Bank of America. Her team delivers customized consulting and advisory services on topics including strategic visioning, mission advancement, high-impact grant making, leadership development, governance and board dynamics. Dianne is a frequent speaker and commentator on topics related to best practices and trends in philanthropy. Her insights have been featured in Axios, Barron’s, Business Insider, Fortune, Town & Country, Washington Post and New York Times, among other publications. In her TEDx Talk, Dianne makes The Case for Fierce Optimism.
Dianne has more than twenty-five years of experience working with operating charities, grantmakers and social entrepreneurs. Previously as an attorney, Dianne’s practice was dedicated to the representation of tax-exempt organizations with clients including colleges and universities, museums, human service organizations, sports philanthropists, health care affiliate and conversion foundations, corporate and community foundations, private foundations and donor-advised fund holders, churches and other religious organizations, national fraternities and sororities, business leagues, trade organizations, as well as a myriad of start-up and grassroots charities. In addition, Dianne regularly was engaged as an expert witness in state and federal litigation matters, providing strategic counsel and trial testimony. Dianne began her career at Georgetown University Law Center, where she served on the adjunct faculty and raised annual and major gifts.
Dianne’s professional commitment to nonprofits is also deeply personal. An active community leader, she has served on and chaired many nonprofit boards including Discovery Place, Novant Health Presbyterian Hospital Foundation and Women Executives. Her current board affiliations include University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Board of Visitors and North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics Foundation. Dianne is a member of MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving grant evaluation panel.
An evangelist for women’s philanthropy, Dianne currently serves as chair of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute national council. She is a founding member and past president of Women’s Impact Fund. Her professional recognition includes a Charlotte Business Journal Women in Business Achievement Award, Leadership Charlotte Circle of Excellence Award and UNCF Charlotte Maya Angelou Women Who Lead Honoree. Dianne previously was named the Mecklenburg Times Woman of the Year.
Dianne graduated, with high honors, from the University of California at Berkeley and, cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center and holds the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy designation.
Note: Dianne does not provide legal advice in her role at Bank of America
Meet the Hosts
Ashley Byrd
Executive Director at Alpha Omicron Pi Foundation
Executive Director Ashley Byrd joined the AOII Foundation team in early 2020 after spending nearly 20 years in non-profit fundraising. She previously served on FFE’s Summit Planning Committee. Working with volunteers to move the mission forward is one of her passions. She lives in Brentwood, TN with her husband, Jason and two boys, Tyler and Logan.
Tracy Garner
Past President and Trustee of Alpha Delta Pi Foundation and Director on the FFE Board
Tracy Garner currently is serving in her second year as a member of the FFE Board of Directors and as Chair of the FFE Grants Committee. In 2022, Tracy was recognized by FFE with the Outstanding Foundation Volunteer Award. Prior to her service on the FFE Board, Tracy served for 12 years on the Alpha Delta Pi Foundation Board holding a variety of positions including Vice President of Finance, We Believe Comprehensive Campaign Chair and five years as Board President. And before that, she served Alpha Delta Pi as Director of Development, Leadership Chair, and International Secretary. In 2019, Tracy retired from AT&T as Vice President of Internet and Entertainment Field Services.
