Schedule and Sessions

Join us for From Asking to Influencing: Your Path to Communication Expertise—a high-impact session that will transform the way you ask, speak, and lead. Learn how communication experts craft powerful requests, build trust fast, and turn conversations into opportunities. Walk away with tools you can use immediately to boost confidence, clarity, and influence.

Don’t just ask—ask like an expert.

Learn how to stop chasing cold leads and start building a stronger, more focused donor pipeline. In this session, you’ll explore Rosso’s Constituency Model and the LIP criteria (Linkage, Interest, Philanthropic Behavior) to identify your best prospects—then discover how to qualify them through intentional 1:1 visits. Whether you're new to fundraising or refining a major gifts program, you’ll leave with practical tools and fresh confidence to focus your efforts where they matter most.

Fundraisers rely on instinct, tradition, and experience—but what happens when we put those practices to the test? In this research-backed session, members of the Advancement Pracademics community bring academic rigor to everyday fundraising. We’ll explore what studies in philanthropic psychology, behavioral economics, and nonprofit research tell us about donor motivation, stewardship, and what truly builds lasting relationships. You’ll walk away with a clear sense of what’s merely good, what’s better, and what research has proven.

This session will highlight the impact of the mental health crisis on the workplace. We will address ways for leaders to proactively review policies and programs, including implementing innovative professional development and wellness programs. The goal is for organizations to prioritize employees' mental health and well-being.

Nonprofits have more donor data than ever, yet understanding why people give remains difficult. This session shows how human ingenuity paired with artificial intelligence can uncover donor motivations, reveal meaningful audience segments, and personalize fundraising—helping organizations transform donor data and research into stronger relationships and greater impact.

Discover how community-based giving initiatives like Giving Days and local campaigns can boost donor engagement and drive impact. Learn data-driven strategies and hear real-world success stories to help fundraisers and consultants spark generosity and build sustainable, community-rooted giving movements.

AI is transforming how fundraisers work—this session is your roadmap to using it with confidence. In this interactive training, you’ll learn how to integrate AI into your daily development efforts, from prospecting and stewardship to event planning and board prep. We’ll explore tools like ChatGPT, Clay.ai, and Beautiful.ai, showing what they cost, how they work, and where to start. You’ll test prompts in real time and leave with practical skills you can use immediately. Whether you're tech-savvy or just curious, you’ll gain tools to save time, deepen relationships, and lead your team with confidence in this new AI-driven era.

Today’s donors don’t just want to know they made a difference—they want to feel it. This session will explore how immersive donor experiences can deepen emotional connection, build trust, and inspire transformational giving. From mission simulations to multisensory storytelling and behind-the-scenes access, you’ll discover creative, human-centered ways to move beyond traditional engagement.
We’ll look at real-world examples, break down the core elements of effective immersive design, and give you tools to start crafting unforgettable donor experiences. Whether you’re working with major donors, monthly givers, or campaign supporters, this session will spark fresh ideas.

What if you could stop apologizing for overhead? Discover how 200+ Australian nonprofits used new donor research to change the narrative. This global-first campaign shares data, insights, tools, and case studies to help you shift conversations from cost to impact—and build stronger donor trust, internal alignment, and fundraising growth.

Fundraisers are burning out—and we now have research that explains why. This 75-minute session centers original doctoral research on fundraiser burnout, revealing systemic drivers rooted in Maslach & Leiter’s burnout theory and voiced through the lived experiences of fundraising leaders across the country. Participants will explore the six key mismatch domains, the cascading effects of burnout on revenue and retention, and the deeper leadership and culture dynamics behind it all. Grounded in real stories and evidence, this session is designed to validate, inform, and ignite a shift toward sustainable nonprofit leadership at every level.

Most fundraising campaigns launch with a dollar goal and a deadline—but no cohesive story to rally donors. The result? Mixed messages, disengaged supporters, and missed potential. In this session, branding expert Lyn Wineman and fundraising strategist Ryan Strawhecker combine their expertise to help you build aligned, purpose-driven campaigns. You’ll explore strategies to clarify your message, engage your team, and foster stronger donor connections. Whether you’re planning a capital initiative, a giving day, or year-end outreach, you’ll leave with practical tools and a sharper approach to campaign success from start to finish.

In today’s nonprofit landscape, effective board recruitment is vital for organizational success. This workshop equips executive leaders, board members, and CEOs with practical tools and strategies to build a robust and aligned recruitment program. Rooted in our 10 Steps to Creating a Board of Development and Recruitment, participants will explore frameworks, ideal member profiles, recruitment timelines, and meeting strategies to ensure every board seat is filled with individuals who align with the organization’s mission and goals.

Individual giving is declining, while supporter attention has shifted to social. This session shows how nonprofits can turn social followers into engaged supporters through direct messaging. Attendees will learn why messaging is emerging as the next major fundraising channel and how organizations are already using it to drive growth.