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Is Your Organization Working in the Clouds?
Cathleen Parsons-Nikolić, Villanova University
NEW! This session will explore the world of cloud computing, how the tools it enables will impact the work we do and how these tools could lead to larger changes within your organization. Cloud computing tools, such as SalesForce, have recently focused on the nonprofit market and organizations that have implemented these relationship management tools have new sets of opportunities and challenges to navigate. Definitions, implications, proactive approaches and cloud-like metaphors promised. Order now >>
Prospect Research in a Campaign
David Lamb, Target Analytics, a Blackbaud Company
NEW! Death and taxes … and campaigns. You can’t avoid them. A capital campaign can bring unique demands and pressures on a prospect researcher. Effective prospect research is a vital component of any successful campaign. This session will cover how a campaign should affect the activities of prospect researchers, the systems required to manage prospect information in a campaign and the resources available for helping identify the prospects needed for the campaign. Order now >>
Qualifying Cold Prospects: A Case Study
Dan Lowman, Grenzebach Glier and Associates, and Amy New, University of North Texas
NEW! The University of North Texas, through a combination of research and external screenings, identified a significant number of higher capacity prospects with limited University relationships. After being told by fundraisers that the constituents were "too cold to worry about," the University engaged student callers. This yielded a contact rate of more than 33 percent — three times the gift officer rate. This session will describe the rating process, the challenges of working with the frontline fundraisers and explore a variety of alternatives for making cold prospects much warmer. Order now >>
The Strategic Researcher — In a Position to Make a Difference
David Sterling, Western New England College
Advancement researchers are well-placed — some uniquely positioned — to significantly impact the strategic and tactical direction of fundraising efforts at their organizations. The opportunity to be at the center of activity is not automatically given to most researchers but must be earned. This session explored various ways that advancement researchers can impact the strategic direction of their organization’s development efforts. Among the topics covered: how researchers can position themselves to be part of important meetings and discussions and what to do when invited, how to be an advocate for research, and how to position research staff for involvement. Order now >>
Demystifying the Emerging Energy Business
Michael Foote, Dartmouth College
Some pundits predict we are entering an energy boom similar to what we've witnessed with the dot.com and hedge funds. We have already seen institution-changing gifts from those in the energy industry. This highly complex sector includes oil, natural gas, wind power, solar energy and electricity. Session discussed basic facts, terminology and tips for researching and rating your energy sector prospects. Order now >>