Conference Agenda

CONFERENCE AGENDA

8:00 – 9:00 AM

Breakfast and Registration

Registration (Conference Center Entrance Lobby)

9:15 – 10:15 AM

Morning Featured Speaker
“Shine On: The Generosity Mindset Experience”
Marcy Heim, CFRE, PLCC
CEO, The Artful Asker

Marcy lives to inspire generosity and transformation! She’s a resilient, risk-taker who knows her mind and knows her stuff when it comes to building success in your fundraising... and your life! On stages throughout North America and beyond, Marcy delivers empowering messages with tangible tools to set your intentions for personal and professional success.

CE Credit: 1 pt (pending approval)

10:15 – 10:45 AM

Coffee Break with Resource Partners

10:45 – 11:45 AM

Morning Breakout Sessions

Fundraising in Flux: Navigating Policy Shifts in Today's Climate
Lara Tilley-Bouez - Senior Vice President, CCS Fundraising
Shawn McKay - Senior Vice President, CCS Fundraising
Salon VIP A

Today’s fundraising landscape is shaped not only by donor behavior but also by evolving policies, regulations, and economic conditions. From changes in tax policy and donor-advised fund regulations to shifting corporate priorities and global uncertainty, fundraisers are being asked to adapt faster than ever. This session will explore how policy shifts—both anticipated and unexpected—are influencing philanthropy, and what nonprofit leaders can do to remain resilient and proactive. Through real-world examples and actionable strategies, participants will leave with a clearer understanding of how to navigate uncertainty, mitigate risk, and engage donors in a changing environment.

CE Credit: 1 pt (pending approval)

The Call to Courage: How Fundraisers Lead Change and Inspire Giving
Leslie Marant, JD, LLM, CDE(R)
Founder, The ESP Effect
Salon C&D

Fundraisers are not just revenue generators. They are leaders and change agents within their organizations. This session will explore how courage in fundraising can influence donor behavior, strengthen organizational culture, and create lasting impact. Attendees will leave with practical tools to lead with authenticity, integrity, and vision in every donor interaction.

Learning Objectives

Attendees will:

Understand the role of fundraisers as leaders and change agents.
Explore how courage influences donor behavior and organizational culture.
Practice practical ways to lead with authenticity, integrity, and vision.

CE Credit: 1 pt (pending approval)

Creating a Development Plan
Jeff Grandy, M.Ed.
Vice President, Client Development, Catapult Fundraising
Salon E

Are your fundraising efforts driven by strategy—or survival? Too often, nonprofit professionals get stuck in a cycle of nonstop events, rushed grants, and disengaged boards. This session offers a practical framework to break that cycle, design a mission-aligned development plan, and move from reactive fundraising to intentional growth. Participants will learn how to set realistic goals, engage boards and volunteers, diversify revenue, and create actionable timelines. Walk away with tools, confidence, and a customizable framework for sustainable success.

After this session, participants will be able to:

Evaluate current fundraising efforts to identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities for growth.
Construct a tailored development plan that includes goal setting, timelines, strategies, and methods for evaluation.
Design effective strategies to engage board members and volunteers in fundraising activities to expand organizational capacity.

CE Credit: 1 pt (pending approval)

A MG/PG Collaborative Roadmap: Closing Transformational Gifts
Samuel B. Young, ESQ, LSW, CAP
Director of Gift Planning, University of Pennsylvania
Salon F

With the Great Wealth Transfer ($80 trillion+) and our aging population, the impactful paradigm for transformational donations incorporates Blended Gifts, Alternative Assets, and Estate Planning for current and future support. Samuel B. Young will share strategic donor stories, perspectives, and effective action steps to illustrate how to maximize your financial resource development ROI. You will leave with a roadmap of realistic approaches to execute immediately.

CE Credit: 1 pt (pending approval)

Grants: Are They Worth It?
Jessica Backofen
Executive Director, University Hospital Foundation
Salon G

Whether you’re thinking about grant funds to advance your mission or feeling like they may be more work than they are worth, this session will help you weigh the costs and benefits of grant funding, as well as help you create a framework to guide your organization’s decision-making before approaching potential funders. Participants will leave feeling more confident and organized in using a cross-functional approach to grants management.

CE Credit: 1 pt (pending approval)

The Data-Driven Playbook: Campaigns That Cut Costs and Raise More
Jesse Park
President, amplifi
Salon VIP B

You’re sitting on more data than you realize—the challenge is knowing how to use it. In this session, amplifi President Jesse Park shows how organizations prioritize, personalize, and optimize to build smarter, better-performing campaigns. Learn how one nonprofit boosted revenue 52% while cutting direct mail 31%, and how to apply similar strategies. Whether managing an annual fund, donor segments, or campaign strategy, you’ll leave ready to test, measure, and maximize results.

Learning Objectives:

The key principles to help prioritize your audience on most likely to respond.

Build personalization strategies using versioned and variable content that feels relevant

Optimize your campaign performance through better questioning and deeper reporting

Reduce waste and increase ROI by sending less and raising more

Establish a culture of continuous improvement driven by testing and refinement

CE Credit: 1 pt (pending approval)

11:45 – 12:15 PM

Networking with Resource Partners

12:15 – 1:45 PM

Luncheon Keynote Speaker
The 4 Asking Types - Which Are You?
Laura Fredricks, JD
Author, Speaker, Consultant, and Trainer

Laura Fredricks, JD, a proud Rutgers alum and “Jersey Girl,” trains and coaches individuals, businesses, and nonprofits on How to ASK. She has raised more than $1 billion for clients, drawing on successful careers in law and philanthropy. Her “Five Laws on Asking” and six books have guided hundreds of global executives, boards, fundraisers, and philanthropists to achieve their goals simply by asking. Her latest, Hard Asks Made Easy: How to Get Exactly What You Want, is Amazon’s #1 book for Business Mentoring and Coaching.

CE Credit: 1.5 pts (pending approval)

2:00 – 3:00 PM

Afternoon Breakout Sessions

CE Credit: 1 pt (pending approval)

Stewardship -- It's an Experience, Not a Thank You Letter
Gary Laermer
Senior Consultant, DBD Group
Salon C & D

Effective stewardship goes far beyond thank-you notes and branded swag. It is a strategic, data-informed approach aligned with the donor journey and the work of front-line fundraisers. Today’s donors expect engagement that reflects their values and deepens their connection to your mission. This session explores how stewardship, gift officers, and leadership can collaborate to create donor experiences that inspire loyalty and elevate your cause as a philanthropic priority. Learn how to use data to guide decisions, personalize outreach, and build experiential stewardship plans that exceed fundraising objectives through intentional practices.

Learning objectives:

Session participants will learn:

1) Understanding how stewardship plans that align with major gift officers’ strategies can enhance the donor journey and lead to increased philanthropic investment.

2) Be able to successfully demonstrate how to develop stewardship plans using donor data and engagement metrics, rather than relying solely on gift size, to personalize donor experiences.

3) Apply principles of strategic cultivation to design stewardship plans that elevate your organization’s priority in the donor’s philanthropic decision-making.

4) Identifying methods for creating experiential stewardship strategies that foster inclusive engagement and deepen donor commitment across diverse communities.

CE Credit: 1 pt (pending approval)

From Zero to $60M: Building a Winning Team from the Ground Up to Inspire Unprecedented Giving
William Miller, CFRE
President & CEO, Kean University Foundation
Salon E

This session will show how a small university foundation is on track to raise over $60 million by building strong leadership and creating a culture where philanthropy can thrive. Participants will understand the importance of leadership and culture in fundraising and learn the essential components of building a successful team capable of achieving transformational results.

CE Credit: 1 pt (pending approval)

Too Much of a Team Player: From Burnout to Boundaries and Bold Leadership
Joie M. Langford, CFRE
VP, Strategic Philanthropy, Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey
Salon G

Fundraising professionals are often celebrated for collaboration and tenacity—but what happens when that “team player” mindset becomes unsustainable? In this interactive workshop, Joie M. Langford, CFRE, explores the shadow side of over-functioning, especially for rising professionals eager to prove their worth. She’ll examine how intersecting identities and cultural norms shape responsibility, loyalty, and burnout in predominantly white-led nonprofits. Participants will gain tools to set boundaries, prevent burnout, and advocate for healthier workplace cultures rooted in honesty, healing, and empowerment.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

Identify how over-functioning shows up in fundraising roles and how it’s often masked as "being a team player."
Explore how intersecting identities and cultural norms can influence our relationship to work, boundaries, and burnout.
Develop personal strategies to balance ambition and sustainability without sacrificing authenticity or well-being.
Create a plan to advocate for systemic change within their organizations to support healthier workplace cultures.

CE Credit: 1 pt (pending approval)

Financial Resiliency & Sustainability for Non Profits
Priya Pachkawde, CPA – Chief Client Officer, Brand K
Jennifer Lui, CPA, CFA, MBA – VP, Accounting & Operations, Brand K
Salon F

Financial stability is essential for a nonprofit to successfully deliver on its mission. In this session, you will learn how to adapt to changing environments, manage risks, and build long-term sustainability. Key topics include reserve planning, understanding financial health indicators, diversifying revenue streams, strengthening internal controls, and preparing forecasts and scenarios. Build the resilience needed to navigate uncertainty and position your non-profit for long-term success.

CE Credit: 1 pt (pending approval)

Leadership Without a Script: Learning to Lead When You're Not Ready
Daniel Henkel
Federal Police Officer, Veteran, and Founder, Ironclad Leadership Institute
Salon VIP B

In today’s unpredictable world, leaders rarely have a script to follow. In Leadership Without a Script, Daniel Henkel, MPA, U.S. Navy veteran, federal officer, and founder of the Ironclad Leadership Institute, shares insights from his career in the military, law enforcement, and federal service, as well as lessons from his forthcoming book Forged to Lead: Learning Leadership Through Grit, Failure, and the Furnace of Growth. Through real-world stories of grit and growth, he shows how leaders can adapt under pressure, embrace uncertainty, and motivate teams when the path forward isn’t clear. Nonprofit professionals will leave with practical tools to lead with confidence, resilience, and vision.

Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

Identify at least three strategies for leading effectively under pressure and uncertainty without a pre-set plan or “script.”
Apply principles of resilience and adaptability to strengthen their leadership approach within nonprofit teams and organizations.
Evaluate their current leadership style and implement at least one practical adjustment to improve decision-making and inspire confidence in others.

CE Credit: 1 pt (pending approval)

3:00– 3:30 PM

Networking with Resource Partners and Exhibitors

3:30 – 4:30 PM

Late Afternoon Sessions

CE Credit: 1 pt (pending approval)

From Burnout to Brilliance: Revitalizing Your Fundraising Team
BillieJean Ring
Certified Coach & Master Trainer, BJR Solutions
Salon C & D

Fundraising takes heart — but even the most passionate professionals can run on empty. This session helps you recognize the hidden signs of emotional fatigue and compassion burnout unique to our field and understand how they affect both team performance and donor relationships. Through practical, trauma-informed strategies, you’ll learn how to restore energy, rebuild resilience, and re-engage with purpose — for yourself and your team.

CE Credit: 1 pt (pending approval)

The Power of Planned Giving: Basics Every Fundraiser Should Know
Lori Funicello
Director of Planned Giving, Kean University Foundation
Salon E

Planned giving is one of the most effective ways to build long-term sustainability and deepen donor relationships—without being complicated. This session introduces the fundamentals, including common types of gifts, donor motivations, and strategies to identify prospects. Participants will understand how planned gifts fit into overall fundraising, why they matter to campaigns, and steps to start or strengthen a program. Designed for newcomers or those refreshing their knowledge, this session provides actionable tools to engage donors and inspire lasting legacy gifts.

Learning Objectives:

Learn how to launch or revitalize your legacy society to increase overall philanthropic revenue (both deferred and outright) to your organization.
Explore ways to maximize campaign support by documenting planned gifts.
Recognize what motivates donors to include a planned gift in their estate plans for your charity.

CE Credit: 1 pt (pending approval)

A Modern Feasibility Study: Six Essentials to Set Your Campaign Up for Success
Jacqueline House, MBA, CFRE
Vice President of Communications and Community Engagement at Safe Children Coalition
Salon F

Well-done feasibility studies give nonprofit leaders the data-informed confidence they need to lead successful campaigns. How you conduct a study can be the difference between campaign success or failure. In this session, Jacqueline House, CFRE, will explain how to use a modern feasibility study technique to define goals, engage key stakeholders, and analyze results to make data informed campaign recommendations.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

Understand the pros and cons of a modern guided feasibility study
Assess leadership readiness
Examine strategies to assess community readiness
Strategize to set a realistic and achievable capital campaign goal

CE Credit: 1 pt (pending approval)

4:30 – 5:30 PM

Cocktail Reception

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