Speaker Bio: 

Sarah E. Sims, CFRE
Executive Director of Donor Relations
University of Florida

Sarah has been responsible for building new and innovative donor relations programs from the ground up at three different higher education institutions and now heads the donor relations team at the University of Florida as they embark on the University's first $3B capital campaign. With more than fifteen years of experience in donor relations and frontline fundraising in a variety of higher education and non-profit settings, Sarah focuses on building strategic donor relationships while forwarding the mission of the organization. Her specialty areas include top donor strategy, program development, fund stewardship and major gift development. Sarah is a non-profit consultant and active industry volunteer with positions held on the CASE IV Board of Directors and with the Association of Donor Relations Professionals. Sarah earned her Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) in 2013 and is a frequent presenter for CASE, ADRP, DRG, and Academic Impressions.

Program Description: 

Planned Serendipity: How to Surprise and Delight the Top of your Donor Pyramid

Your acknowledgement letters bring tears to your donors' eyes, your impact reports make them swell with pride, and your events draw crowds. But what are the highly personalized ways in which you can demonstrate that you know your donors as individuals? How do you use donor relations and individual engagement plans to strategically move and deepen the relationship? "Surprise and Delight" is a term coined by development consultant Susan Washburn to describe the little, unexpected ways to engage with your donors - leading to great dividends. Join us as we explore some of the innovative and ingenious ideas being implemented across the country to bring about "planned serendipity" with our largest and most dedicated donors.

 https://www.donorrelationsguru.com/