Half-Day Conference- "Extend Your Reach: How Frontline Fundraisers Become Outstanding Gift Officers

Presenting Sponsor:


In fundraising, collaboration leads to shared success.  Attend this workshop to learn and apply practical tools that combine the skillsets of major gifts and gift planning in ways that do more than just multiply results.  Learn how to extend your reach with colleagues and donors for greater satisfaction on both sides of the table, and enhance your ability to close larger gifts: current, blended and deferred. 

The first session introduces the gift conversation from the donor’s side of the coffee table, and a language you can use to engage them in a truly donor-centered way. 

The second session introduces interactive case studies that provide opportunities to practice conversational gift planning skills from the earlier session. 

Participants will learn:

• how to lead donors through purposeful discovery conversations, and how those conversations lead to the effective integration of gift planning and major giving.
• how interactive case studies serve as the tool for sustainable training that equips frontline fundraisers to find more and greater gifts in collaboration with gift planning colleagues and volunteers. 

Who Should Attend 

This workshop offers frontline fundraisers and gift planning experts alike the opportunity to create collaborative partnerships of mutual benefit.  Executive Directors and key volunteer leaders will benefit particularly from the first of the two sessions.  Invite them to join you to learn more about how to become increasingly effective in collaborative teams that regularly uncover and close gifts of significance for your organization.

Daniel Shephard, CFRE  

Dan Shephard is Principal of The Shephard Group, which provides training, coaching, and consulting services focused on the skillsets most valuable to frontline fundraisers.   A veteran of the not-for-profit sector since 1986, Dan knows from personal experience the value to the major gift planner of being equipped with both the competence and the confidence to engage a potential donor in a discussion that will result in a significant gift commitment. 

He is the creator of The Four Decisions – How to Lead Your Donor to Each, which serves as the foundation of his training programs on conversational gift planning. 

Dan began his fundraising career in the performing arts.  He served as Director of Development for The Fulton Opera House, New American Theatre, and Pittsburgh Public Theatre. 

During his time in higher education he served as Planned Giving Director for the Florida State University Foundation, Director of Development for the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech, Director of Gift Planning for The Citadel Foundation, and Director of Development for the Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University.   

Craig H. Smith, Senior Consultant, John Brown Limited

Craig is best known for his leadership, personal solicitation skills, and gift planning know-how. His work as Senior Consultant with John Brown Limited spans more than 25 years. He has directed client relations in higher education, the arts, healthcare, and cultural organizations nationwide, including the National Geographic Society; the University of Michigan; all of the campuses of the University of North Carolina; Columbia University; the Smithsonian Institution; and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. He has helped to develop and manage campaigns from as small at $6 million to as large as $2.5 billion. 

During his career, Craig served as Associate Vice President for Development at Rochester Institute of Technology, and at the University of Rochester Medical Center. In these roles, he managed large teams of field officers focused on major gifts, as well as corporate and foundation relations, and development communications. At RIT, Craig rolled out a combination of activity and dollar-based metrics to drive day-to-day success, and encouraged the routine use of gift planning tools and techniques in all interactions with donors.

Thank you to our sponsors:

Lead Exhibitor Partner:





Sponsorship Opportunities and Partner Fair
Click here for more information about the sponsorship and partner fair opportunities.  For questions, please contact Julie McDearmon.