All times are Central.
Zoom attendees – signup for these sessions is now closed.
Note that recordings for all sessions (except in-person-only sessions as noted) will be available for viewing after the conference.
Download an at-a-glance spreadsheet of the whole “Meeting of the Minds” conference schedule.
1:00-1:45 p.m.
Opening Plenary Session:
Be Mindful: All The Sessions You Don’t Want To Miss…
Welcome, Introductions and Conference Highlights
Bob Burdenski, Deidra Miles, DePaul University, Christina Pulawski, Zuri Group, Meredith Howell, UIC and Other Greeters
We’ll launch the 2022 “Meeting of the Minds” Conference with a festive welcome and a rapid-fire rundown of the favorite advancement services and annual giving conference sessions and speakers to follow. Often in sync, lovingly in conflict, and always working in support of philanthropic goals, annual giving and advancement services offices play a critical role in advancement success. Join us as we provide a preview of the great conference sessions to come, and hear a special welcome from our sponsors.
2:00-3:15 p.m.
What’s in and What’s Out: Trend Forecasters Liz and Adam on Annual Giving Trends
Adam Niermann, U. of Chicago Booth School
Liz Sullivan, Northwestern U.
With over 20 years of experience between them Liz and Adam have seen many Annual Giving fads come and go. Hear their thoughts and see the data on what really works and why.
Advanced Email Marketing: Best Practices + Other Nerdy Secrets
Beth Hatcher, Beth Interactive
Back by popular demand! All about email marketing, this interactive workshop will cover both the high-level strategies and the little details that make a good email great. We’ll walk you through the latest email marketing best practices, advanced analytics and A/B testing. We’ll also discuss new email trends in the post-COVID-19 world, how Apple’s Mail privacy changes are affecting results—and how email marketing can build a donor pipeline through acquisition and engagement. Participants can even get live feedback on their email campaigns, with guidance on copy, design and coding best practices! Just send your sample in advance to beth@bethinteractive.com. Join us for this hands-on demonstration—and walk away full of actionable and practical next steps to see real results with your next email campaign.
Direct Mail Recipes – Add Spice to All Your Channels
Christina Brandel, CFRE, Marketing Communication Resource, Inc.
Stuck in an appeal rut? Want to spice things up but can’t seem to find the right recipe that pulls in all your favorite channels? Join in a conversation about how to use your favorite “ingredients” to spice up all your appeals.
3:30-4:45 p.m.
Business Etiquette in a Zoom and Covid World
Bob Burdenski and Panelists TBA
As we get back to social rules-of-engagement in our work, the pandemic has made things more complicated. Shake hands? Exchange business cards? And which fork at your place setting is still the one for salad? On top of all the etiquette we thought we knew before, how has appropriate digital engagement entered the conversation?.
“Segments of One” – The Art of Personalized Communication
Jonathan Van Oss, Pledgemine
Picture this: Donor communication as personal as a living room conversation. Pieces whose stories resonate, convey a genuine thank you, congratulate milestones, and ultimately increase giving. Jonathan Van Oss of Pledgemine will show you how you can treat your donors as “Segments of One”.
An Advancement Services Q&A Forum
Kristine Petroshius, Lake Forest Academy and Others TBA
Join your colleagues for an open forum on all things advancement services. Gift processing? ✔ Data management? ✔ Gift acceptance? ✔ Remote solutions? ✔ VSE surveys? ✔ Alternative payments? ✔ Database selection? ✔ Dashboards? ✔ No topic is off-limits – bring your own! Kristine will help provide answers and therapy!
5:00-6:30 p.m.
Conference Opening Reception at the Palmer House
Sponsored by MCR
(No Zoom at this session.)