2016 ANNUAL CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD

DAY 1 SESSION 1 | 10:30 AM-12:00 PM

Hallmarks of a Successful Annual Giving Program Novice (less than three years in the field) & Intermediate (3-7 years in the field) Annual Fund Track DAY 1 SESSION 1 | 10:30 AM-12:00 PM

Allison Searson, Director of Annual Giving, Academic Health Sciences, UVM Foundation, UVM Medical Center Kathy Howrigan, Consultant, Analytical Solutions, Marts & Lundy There are several markers of a successful annual giving program; do you know what they are? How do you set your goals and decide where to allocate limited resources? Throughout the year, how do you determine if you are going to meet your goals? At the end of the year, how do you know if you were successful? Are only looking at dollars raised, number of donors, and average gift? In this session we will talk about establishing goals and framework, and we’ll explore metrics that tell a deeper story and can better inform our strategy like cost per dollar raised; retention, attrition, reactivation rates; and donor growth rates. You will leave this session with new tools for managing and evaluating your program and you will be able to pick the metrics that are most important and relevant to your organization and most helpful in determining the success of your individual program. We believe that a successful conference session is interactive. If you choose to attend this session, we welcome you to bring samples of your current plans, reports and metrics so that we can discuss them as a group.

You Can Do It! Great Gift Ideas - To Fit Your Donor’s Needs (and Yours) All Levels Planned Giving Track

Ellen Estes, LL.B, Estes Associates Frank Estes, LL.B, Estes Associates What we hope to show today is that planned giving need not be mysterious or difficult – but, rather a way to engage your donors who want to make a gift – in a way that will help them make gifts that are most appropriate for their goals, needs, and

Developing A Multifaceted, Multi-Platform Communications Program To Support Your Fundraising Program All Levels Communications and Marketing Track DAY 1 SESSION 1 | 10:30 AM-12:00 PM

Kelly Frost, Principal, Frost Advancement Advisors A multifaceted communications program that seeks to engage and inform prospective donors utilizing a variety of communications platforms is fundamental to any successful fundraising initiative. This session will review case studies of two organizations that overhauled their communications programs to significantly increase constituent engagement and fundraising activity.

Beyond Bad Training and Boring Meetings: A Toolkit for Facilitators, Trainers, and Meeting Managers Intermediate (3-7 years in the field) & Advanced level (10+ years in the field) Management and Leadership Track DAY 1 SESSION 1 | 10:30 AM-12:00 PM

Andy Robinson, Principal, Andy Robinson Consulting, LLC Learn basic skills to work with groups more effectively, including • How to identify and avoid bad trainer behavior • Designing exercises and activities that engage your learners • Encouraging everyone to participate — and managing those who over-participate • Building consensus and running effective meetings • Tips and tricks from the trainer’s toolbox Come prepared to participate. Warning: PowerPoints will be confiscated at the door!

Collaborative Outcomes: Can You Really Raise Money That Way? All Levels Major Gifts and Capital Campaigns Track DAY 1 SESSION 1 | 10:30 AM-12:00 PM

Tom Raiser, Principal, Director of the Outcomes Lab, Convergent Nonprofit Solutions How much more effective could your organization’s fundraising efforts be if you were able to focus on collaboration instead of competition? Today’s nonprofit funders are taking a harder look than ever before at the impact nonprofits are having, and they’re putting their money where the outcomes are. In this session, Tom Ralser, who has been personally involved in over 500 nonprofit funding projects and has helped nonprofits raise an estimated $1.2 billion, will examine real-world examples of campaigns that involved collaborative organizations, investors, communities, and agencies, and delve in to what made those initiatives successful. Stop competing for funding with organizations that have goals closely aligned to your own, and learn how to leverage your collaborative outcomes to secure higher levels of funding instead.

DAY 1 SESSION 1 | 10:30 AM-12:00 PM circumstances. We will cover the “who, what, why, when and how” of planned giving. From the basic, simple gifts that everyone can and should promote – to the more complex gifts that will be discussed by organizations with more mature programs…this presentation will focus on ways to help you transform giving to your organization.

DAY 1 SESSION 2 | 2:00 PM-3:30 PM Leveraging Volunteer Fundraisers All Levels Annual Giving Track DAY 1 SESSION 2 | 2:00 PM-3:30 PM

Dave Holman, Assistant Director of Annual Giving, Bewdoin College Learn how to build a volunteer fundraiser strategy, recruit and train volunteers, define volunteer roles, provide guidance, updates, tools, and impact analysis so that your organization leverages volunteer fundraisers to multiply your fundraising efforts.

Where Are My People? All Levels Communications and Marketing Track DAY 1 SESSION 2 | 2:00 PM-3:30 PM

Barbara Dozetos, Consultant/Owner, Above the Fold LLC Target market, buyer persona -- are they all the same thing? Do they matter in non-profit marketing? Will understanding these concepts improve our online marketing efforts? The answers: Not really, yes, and ABSOLUTELY! You will leave this session with more than information. You'll have a picture (literally!) of exactly who you should be targeting your marketing to. But wait! There’s more! For absolutely no extra charge, you'll also know where to find those individuals and what do about it when you find them!

Finding Happiness in Fundraising! All Levels Management and Leadership Track DAY 1 SESSION 2 | 2:00 PM-3:30 PM

Penny Harris, Principal, Renewable Philanthropy LLC Fundraisers! Surveys say your job is stressing you out. You are constantly looking for new donors and more money, and no one wants to ask for it. It is time to shift our perspective! The Finding Happiness in Fundraising workshop explores a 3-part system called Mission-Centered Fundraising. Mission-Centered Fundraising turns fundraising into a joyous community-building activity, in which the organization, donors and the fundraisers partner to serve their mission. In this workshop, you will identify who is really on the Fundraising Team, learn the importance of the Fundraising Relationship Cycle, and how to use the Donor Experience Management framework to keep donors engaged, and renewal high. You will leave the workshop understanding the value, function and process of building a giving community which makes service to the mission the end goal for everyone, raising donor renewal while meeting financial goals.

Engaging Your Volunteers for Greater Success

Libby K. Rust, The Rust Communications Group

Novice (less than three years in the field) & Intermediate (3-7 years in the field) Major Gifts and Capital Campaigns Track DAY 1 SESSION 2 | 2:00 PM-3:30 PM

Participants will leave with the Skills Key to Success in Engaging, Managing, and Motivating Development Volunteers. The session will include tools for engaging the board, the development committee and others in your fund-raising activities, tips for successfully managing and keeping them motivated. The session will be a lively combination of lecture, discussion, and open dialog. Each participant will leave with a Monday morning ‘To Do List’ for Engaging Volunteers for Greater Success.

How to Raise the Subject of Planned Gifts With Donors Intermediate (3-7 years in the field) Planned Giving Track DAY 1 SESSION 2 | 2:00 PM-3:30 PM

Joseph Pratt, President, Bar Harbor Trust Services Ruth Dunbar, Vice President and Trust Officer, Bar Harbor Trust Services With all the technical jargon, financial complexity and tax implications related to planned gifts, it can be intimidating to broach the topic with donors. "What if they ask a question I can't answer?"; Too often we just don't bring it up. So where do you begin? How do you transition from chatting about grandkids and flower gardens to wills, beneficiary designations and charitable trusts? This session is intended to help you answer the following questions: How do I identify prospective planned gift donors? How do I arrange a meeting? How to bring up the topic of planned gifts? How to follow up after the meeting?

DAY 1 SESSION 3 | 3:45 PM-5:00 PM Launching Your First Giving Week: Learn About Tools And Techniques You Can Use To Help You Launch Your First Giving Week Novice (less than three years in the field) Annual Giving Track DAY 1 SESSION 3 | 3:45 PM-5:00 PM

Brenda Beard, Director, Annual Giving, Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College Sharon Giguere, Annual Fund Coordinator, Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College Ethan Darling, Web Information Manager, Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College What difference can 8 days make? Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth shares the results of their first time-bound giving campaign. Join us to learn how a small shop created a successful giving campaign bringing in a record number of gifts and engaging new and lapsed donors.

Storytelling Journey: Tips on Maximizing the Mileage All Levels Communications and Marketing Track DAY 1 SESSION 3 | 3:45 PM-5:00 PM

Rachel Jellinek, Partner, Reflection Films Creating video can seem like a daunting task for several reasons. From the get-go, it can be challenging to figure out what story or stories you want to tell and who are the right people for the job. In the middle of things, it can seem overwhelming, because you have all of this footage and you might not be sure of the best way to get the most mileage out of it. And on the tail end of things, it can be difficult to figure out how to share it with your desired audiences. Have no fear! In this interactive workshop, we will focus on video storytelling strategy, with a particular emphasis on some pitfalls to avoid and how to map out a communications calendar to put your video footage to creative, consistent, and effective use. *This presentation will not include discussion of the technical aspects of video production or video editing.

Consultant-to-Consultant Advanced level (10+ years in the field) Management and Leadership Track DAY 1 SESSION 3 | 3:45 PM-5:00 PM

Lisa Wahlstrom, Consultant, Ovation Fundraising Counsel This session is for fundraising consultants and is an opportunity to connect with and learn from fellow consultants. We will discuss timely topics, seek answers to questions on "All Things Consulting", and gather input from our colleagues on a range of topics, and share challenges and success stories. If you are a fundraising consultant, you won't want to miss this inspiring and educational session.

Special Project Campaigns: A Case Study All Levels Major Gifts and Capital Campaigns Track DAY 1 SESSION 3 | 3:45 PM-5:00 PM

Susan Buchanan, Major and Planned Gifts Officer, Concord Hospital Trust If you are interested in engaging your major donors, internal stakeholders and volunteer leadership corps while expanding your annual giving base, have you considered launching a special project campaign? This session will walk you through each aspect of a mini-campaign by describing what strategies were successful, what mechanisms were less productive and what approaches would require more testing, a deeper culture of philanthropy or a different set of competitive challenges for the organization you are championing. Less emphasis will be placed on the purpose of the project but ascertaining whether you have a "saleable" project will be a part of an interactive discussion.

Board Members and Professional Advisors: Keys to Planned Giving Success

Sarah Ruef-Lindquist, CEO Maine Women's Fund

Intermediate (3-7 years in the field) Planned Giving Track DAY 1 SESSION 3 | 3:45 PM-5:00 PM

Learn how to optimize board member participation and outreach to key professional advisors in the gift planning arena to build your organization's planned giving success for the long term.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4TH DAY 2 SESSION 4 | 8:30 AM-10:00 AM Growth Through Extreme Donor Retention All Levels Annual Fund Track DAY 2 SESSION 4 | 8:30 AM-10:00 AM

Peter Wallace, Vice President, Aria Communications Adding new contributors to your non-profit is great! But if you lose one or more donors for every one you add, your base of support is shrinking. Rising average gift amounts can hide a declining donor base for a while, but retaining existing donors is essential to growing your base of support. This session will describe an aggressive plan for retaining existing donors and re-activating past donors. There will also be a brain-storming exercise to investigate more retention ideas.

Do You Matter? All Levels Communications and Marketing Track DAY 2 SESSION 4 | 8:30 AM-10:00 AM

Joe Heslin, Principal, Joe Heslin Strategies Debra Askanase, Founder & Digital Engagement Strategist, Community Organizer 2.0 What does it mean to matter? How do you communicate in a truly authentic way to your current, younger, and upcoming donors? In this participatory workshop, we’ll focus on your uncovering what matters most to your supporters about your cause, what conversations they want to engage in with you online, and how they might participate in the growth of your organization. Supporters who feel like they matter enthusiastically contribute their knowledge, networks and funds to support your cause and what’s more, become active, powerful agents on your behalf. During the workshop itself, we will walk through exercises to define your value, share in-depth case studies of how organizations are using this method of Matterness to do more and raise more, and work with you to leave with a new framework for communication, including concrete ideas to implement back at the office.

How to Get Your Board Excited About Fundraising

Maryann Lindberg, President, Philanthropy Resource Group

All Levels Management and Leadership DAY 2 SESSION 4 | 8:30 AM-10:00 AM

A non-profit board can be the greatest asset a non-profit has when it comes to raising gifts, but most board members are reticent about doing what they should relative to raising funds. This session will help staff and volunteers understand how to give boards the tools they need, inspire them to want to be a part of raising money for your cause, and even get them excited about getting out there and doing their part to help build philanthropic support for your mission. Whether your board members are afraid to ask or uncomfortable talking about money, unwilling to use their networks on your behalf or any other reason they can give for not wanting to help with fundraising, you will come away from this session with an arsenal of ways to convince them that they are the best ones to be out there asking and involving your potential donors.

How to Ask for Money: An Experiential Workshop Novice (less than three years in the field) & Intermediate (3-7 years in the field) Major Gifts and Capital Campaigns Track DAY 2 SESSION 4 | 8:30 AM-10:00 AM

Robin Cabral, Principal, Development Consulting Solutions An essential part of the nonprofit world is fundraising and that means asking others to give, whether gifts of cash, or in-kind gifts like silent auction items, sponsorships, and so much more. Learn from the experts how to get past your nerves and ask for charitable gifts, both in-kind & financial, for your nonprofit.

Managing Expectations with Gift Policies All Levels Planned Giving Track DAY 2 SESSION 4 | 8:30 AM-10:00 AM

Theresa Curry, Senior Director of Gift Planning, UNH Foundation Lindsey Dupont, Associate Director of Gift Planning Administration, UNH Foundation Managing Expectations with Gift Policies is an interactive seminar where participants will discuss and compare various gift acceptance and gift counting policies and thereby learn how to review, revise or even create policies for their organizations. Join us and we will explain what works, what doesn't and how to develop and implement policies that will truly guide and help build your program.

DAY 2 SESSION 5 | 10:30 AM-12:00 PM Avoiding Schemes, Scams, and Rabbit Holes: Focusing on Genuinely Effective Strategies When Constructing Your Development Plan All Levels Annual Fund Track DAY 2 SESSION 5 | 10:30 AM-12:00 PM

Alan Cantor, Principal, Alan Cantor Consulting LLC Question: What’s a nonprofit’s most precious resource? Answer: The time of its staff and volunteers. So then why do so many of us spend weeks cobbling together foursomes for a benefit golf tournament? Or why do we send out email blasts urging our board and other supporters to eat at a particular restaurant on a Tuesday night… so that our organization can net $150 from the proceeds? This session is a no-nonsense, clear-eyed guide to avoiding activities that sound too good to be true – because they are. More to the point, this session will help you create a development plan that focuses on strategies that are truly effective and efficient. (Spoiler alert:

it's all about building relationships with donors!)

Powerful And Surprising Direct Mail Practices That Raise More Money Intermediate level session Communications and Marketing DAY 2 SESSION 5 | 10:30 AM-12:00 PM

Gary Henricksen, President, Five Maples Development Communications You know the basics of direct mail fundraising--doesn’t everybody? But now it’s time to up your game. These proven and practical techniques will improve your results and help you avoid the common pitfalls. Direct mail is still the most responsive channel for annual fund giving, so you shouldn’t miss this chance upgrade your direct mail chops. We’ll cover: • Why direct mail still outperforms digital. • Lessons from Bernie Sander’s direct mail fundraising that will work for you. • The five types of fundraising letters and how to decide which one to use. • How to ask each donor for the right gift in the right way. • Six misconceptions that are hurting your results. • How to use direct mail, email, and the phone together to boost your results. • Benchmarking yourself against the metrics that matter We’ll use an in-session survey of the attendees’ direct mail programs to help anchor the discussion in the real world.

What's Your Problem? (Or Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Fundraising But Were Afraid To Ask) Novice (less than three years in the field) Management and Leadership Track DAY 2 SESSION 5 | 10:30 AM-12:00 PM

Katie Gardella, Major Annual Gifts/Annual Campaigns Robin Eichert, Human Resources Jane LaPointe, Strategic Planning Betsy McNamara, Capital Campaigns Don't suffer alone! There is a good chance that whatever problem you are facing has an answer! This lively and informative session will give you the answer to all of your most pressing fundraising problems. Please come prepared to discuss problems you are currently facing in the areas of major gifts, capital campaigns, annual fund, strategic planning, governance and human resources. The expert panel, as well as your peers, will do their best to help you solve the problem. Answers to all problems will be highly constructive and professional with solutions based on best practices, data, and experience. No Whining allowed!

Capital Campaigns And Major Gifts: What's The Difference? All Levels Major Gifts and Capital Campaigns Track DAY 2 SESSION 5 | 10:30 AM-12:00 PM

Abbie von Schlegell, CFRE, Principal, a. von schlegell & co It’s very common to find that more than 75% of all funds raised in a Capital Campaign come from Major Gifts – contributions of $25,000 and above. This session will help you to understand why a steadfast focus on Major Gifts is not only “the hallmark” of a successful Capital Campaign but also a strategy that yields rich dividends far beyond the life of a campaign. In fact, studies of philanthropic trends show that contributions from individuals make up the majority of charitable gifts, and Major Gifts from individuals can account for up to 90% of annual donations to non-profit organizations from as little as 5% of annual donors. The same patterns of behavior hold true in Capital Campaigns, because resources are concentrated in “the vital few.” Focusing attention on the small pool of individuals with both the capacity and interest in the organization’s mission is the best course of action.

Establishing a Consultant Practice -- New Consultant’s Dialogue Advanced Level (10+ years in the field) Planned Giving Track DAY 2 SESSION 5 | 10:30 AM-12:00 PM

Christine Graham, Consultant, GPG Enterprises Tim Scott, President, Country COnsulting Group, Inc. William Stockwell, President, William F. Stockwell & Associates, LLC Kate Villa, Senior Director, CCS Lisa Wahlstrom, Consultant, Ovation Fundraising Counsel This session is for new consultants and those who are considering shifting from a staff position to becoming a knowledgeable outside resource for nonprofit organizations. If this session meets your professional interests please join William F. Stockwell and a panel of experienced consultants from around the region. They will tell you how they did it, what obstacles they had to overcome and decisions they had to make - weighing the pros and cons with plenty of time for questions and dialogue. We will make sure your questions and concerns get covered.

Keynote: Working together to achieve and communicate impact. All Levels

LUNCH AND KEYNOTE | 12:00 PM-2:00PM Steve Rowe, CEO, Maine Community Foundation Mr. Rowe will discuss the critical role that nonprofit businesses play building strong human capital and thriving economies and the importance of working together to communicate and deliver on that value proposition.

2016 ANNUAL CONFERENCE SCHEDULE CHECKLIST

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD DAY 1 SESSION 1 | 10:30 AM-12:00 PM

Hallmarks of a Successful Annual Giving Program

Developing A Multifaceted, Multi-Platform Communications Program To Support Your Fundraising Program Beyond Bad Training and Boring Meetings: A Toolkit for Facilitators, Trainers, and Meeting Managers

Collaborative Outcomes: Can You Really Raise Money That Way?

You Can Do It! Great Gift Ideas - To Fit Your Donor’s Needs (and Yours)

DAY 1 SESSION 2 | 2:00 PM-3:30 PM

Fundraising’s Virtuous Circle: Alumni and Volunteers – Giving-Programmes Needed for Everyone's Success

Where are My People?

Finding Happiness in Fundraising!

Engaging Your Volunteers for Greater Success

How to Raise the Subject of Planned Gifts With Donors

DAY 1 SESSION 3 | 3:45 PM-5:00 PM

Launching Your First Giving Week: Learn About Tools And Techniques You Can Use To Help You Launch Your First Giving Week

Storytelling Journey: Tips on Maximizing the Mileage

Consultant-to-Consultant

Special Project Campaigns: A Case Study

Board Members and Professional Advisors: Keys to Planned Giving Success

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4TH DAY 2 SESSION 4 | 8:30 AM-10:00 AM

Growth Through Extreme Donor Retention

Do You Matter?

How to Get Your Board Excited About Fundraising

How to Ask for Money: An Experiential Workshop

Managing Expectations with Gift Policies

DAY 2 SESSION 5 | 10:30 AM-12:00 PM

Avoiding Schemes, Scams, and Rabbit Holes: Focusing on Genuinely Effective Strategies When Constructing Your Development Plan

Powerful and Surprising Direct Mail Practices That Raise More Money

What's Your Problem? (Or Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Fundraising but Were Afraid To Ask)

Capital Campaigns and Major Gifts: what's the difference?

Establishing a Consultant Practice -- New Consultant’s Dialogue