Here are the confirmed sessions to-date for this year’s 2025 MMOTM conference – check back for the latest session additions. We will have more than thirty sessions! More information to follow about exact days and times for each session.
Opening Plenary Session:
Be Mindful: All The Sessions You Don’t Want To Miss…
Welcome, Introductions and Conference Highlights
Bob Burdenski, John Taylor and Other Greeters TBA
We’ll launch the 2025 “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.
All About the Pipeline: A Leadership Annual Giving Forum
Ann Fisher, University of Michigan Medicine, Kelly Brault, Oakland University and Teresa Sutter, The Art Institute of Chicago
Session description to follow.
An Annual Giving Directors’ Forum
Jeff Neal, Loyola University Chicago and Panel TBA
They lead annual giving at their institutions – what’s their current perspective? Is our work evolving from “participation” to “pipeline?” Is the “base of the pyramid” still important? Are there annual giving assumptions that have changed? And what’s stayed the same? Join a panel of annual giving directors and hear their perspectives about the continuing role of annual giving in institutional advancement.
A Community/Junior College Fundraising Forum
Jen Davis, Joliet Junior College
Session description to follow.
Digital Engagement Centers 2.0: The Successful Sequel
Alexis Allen, University of Louisville
Session description to follow.
Donor Journeys : Green Lights, Cross Roads and Stop Signs
Rachel Spencer, VanillaSoft
An understanding of where a given prospect sits on their individual journey of awareness, interest and desire to take action, should be at the core of our outbound engagement strategies; as well as the way we think about sustainable pipeline development. From the Engagement Center, to DXO and Leadership Gift programs, we need to pay close attention to the various signs and signals of “readiness to progress” (or – perhaps – a lack thereof!!!) So, what signs should we look out for? And what should we do when we encounter them?!!
Email Fundraising, Communications and Digital Analytics Bootcamp
Beth Hatcher, Beth Interactive
How can you take your email communications to the next level? This interactive workshop is all about email fundraising and engagement best practices—and how to leverage post-campaign data to drive greater giving. We’ll walk through fundamental email marketing best practices, advanced analytics and A/B testing, as well as navigating the impact of AI and machine opens/clicks on email. We’ll also present case studies on how emails can drive a donor pipeline, target engaged prospects, and build major and planned giving portfolios. Finally, we’ll provide practical tools like an email send checklist and library of samples, so you can begin implementing new ideas right away. Participants can even get live feedback on their email campaigns—with guidance on copy, design and fundraising strategy—by sending their email samples to us in advance! Join us for this instructive bootcamp and walk away full of actionable, practical next steps to see real results with your next email campaign.
An Ethics in Advancement Forum – When “Yes or No” Isn’t So Simple
Ric Stewart, AORN and Bob Burdenski
Fundraisers can often find themselves in tricky (and murky) situations. What if a casino business wants to support your organization? What if a donor wants an explanation of your “prospect research?” What if a prospect in your portfolio takes a little too much of a liking to you? Or picks up your dinner check? Or leaves you something in their will, but not your institution? What about the fundraiser who switches organizations, and takes donors with them? Or what about those frequent flier miles you collect from your business trips? Join a discussion about the many ethical considerations in our work, and some (usually) effective ways to manage the murky in fundraising ethics.
A Faculty and Staff Fundraising Forum
Kelly Brault, Oakland University, Jen Davis, Joliet Junior College
Session description to follow.
Getting (it) Out of Your System(s) – Selecting New Technology Tools
Christina Pulawski, Zuri Group
Session description to follow.
Gift and Pledge Administration – A Panel Discussion
Moderator and Panelists TBD
This “audience participation” session will attempt to answer fundamental gift processing and entry questions that have raised concerns for decades! We will begin by asking the audience to list the gift processing issues rearing their ugly heads in day-to-day gift processing. The panel will try to suggest solutions to those problems and reflect on national best practices. The panel will also come prepared to discuss various topics, including gift dates, receipt requirements, gift processing metrics, copying/scanning requirements, and recurring giving issues. You are encouraged to email your discussion topics beforehand if you prefer to be anonymous!
Giving Days, Part 1:
Working with Volunteers, Affinity Challenges and the “Mature” Giving Day
Emily Vente, Wabash College and Co-Presenters TBA
Session description to follow.
Giving Days, Part 2:
Multiple Giving Days, Giving Tuesday, Faculty and Staff Success,
and Custom-Designed Platforms
Paige Gustafson, Albion College
Paige will share the success story of Albion College’s giving day, including the use of three giving days throughout the year (Giving Tuesday, Founders Day, and an athletics giving day), Albion’s strong faculty and staff giving day fundraising, and their use of a custom-designed giving day platform.
Giving THROUGH: Cause-Based Fundraising in Annual Giving
Danielle Hupp, Kent State University
Today’s annual giving landscape is evolving rapidly. As generational shifts, digital engagement, and changing donor expectations reshape how people give, annual giving professionals must rethink traditional appeals and strategies. This session will explore how cause-based fundraising offers a powerful framework for engaging modern donors, particularly Millennials and Gen Z, who prioritize impact, transparency, and alignment with personal values. Attendees will learn how to infuse annual giving campaigns with compelling storytelling, leverage donor segmentation and behavioral data, and integrate cross-channel tactics to inspire gifts through their institution, not just to it. Whether you’re running giving days, digital campaigns, or direct mail, you’ll leave with practical tools to reframe your annual giving efforts around causes that resonate—and build stronger, longer-lasting donor relationships as a result.
A Healthcare Annual Giving Forum (In Two Parts)
Patients, Physicians, Providers, Policies, and Pipelines
Meredith Howell, UChicago Medicine and Moderators TBA
Healthcare institutions offer their own challenges (HIPAA) and opportunities (grateful patients, healthcare professionals, companies and the community) for annual giving fundraising. Join us for a special annual giving forum all about healthcare. Join us for a two-part forum that will share group information and discuss topics including:
What does the prospect journey look like: from acquisition to renewal to major giving prospect? Using digital options to the fullest: emails, unique web landing page, ongoing impact updates; Tribute and 3rd-party giving-making the process easy and meaningful; What’s new in stewardship; Valuable vendors – Who are you using? Email vendors? Print? Business Associate Agreements? Giving initiatives: Doctor’s Day, Giving Day, Nurses Week? Do these help?
An Independent Schools Fundraising Forum
Lauren Gulley, Hathaway Brown School (OH)
Session description to follow.
Innovative Practices in Prospect Research & Management
Andrew Gutierrez, Cleveland Clinic and Peter Kotowski, University of Denver
Session description to follow.
Let’s Dance! Inside the University of Louisville’s raiseRED Dance Marathon
Amanda James, University of Louisville
Session description to follow.
Omnichannel Annual Giving – At Scale!
Jeff Neal, Loyola University Chicago
Session description to follow.
Perk Up Your (Direct Mail) Annual Appeals with Personalization Strategies
Theresa Aide, and Kate Cominsky, Suttle-Straus
Data can be used to personalize your appeal campaigns using many variables. Let’s explore how you can use personalization to improve your fundraising results. Get 11 examples of personalized mail in this session!
Principles of Ethically Influencing Annual Giving
Clark Gafke, LEAD Philanthropy
Discover the science behind donor motivation in this engaging and insightful session! Principles of Ethically Influencing Annual Giving will equip you with eight proven principles—Authority, Consistency, Contrast, Liking, Reciprocity, Scarcity, Social Proof, and Unity—that inspire donors to make meaningful gifts to their university. Rooted in the groundbreaking research of the Cialdini Institute, these principles provide a framework for authentic and ethical donor engagement. Clark Gafke, a Cialdini Certified Professional and Ethical Influence Practitioner, will guide you through the subtle yet powerful elements of everyday communication that drive generosity. With practical examples and actionable takeaways, this session will empower you to build stronger connections with donors and achieve sustainable results in annual giving. Whether you’re a seasoned fundraiser or new to the field, this session will improve the way you approach donor engagement!
Records Management – A Panel Discussion
Moderator and Panelists TBD
Please join our group of industry experts who are prepared to discuss your records management concerns and conundrums! We will encourage audience participation as you are the experts, too! We will come prepared to discuss topics including data governance, deceasing best practices, common data entry errors, when – and when not – to create a spousal/partner record, matching gift company management, daily and weekly data integrity edits, and whether you really need to create a new record when you receive a gift from an existing donor’s estate. While we will be happy to discuss these topics with you, we also want to review what is most important to you! We will add your suggestions to our list at the session’s opening.
Small Shop Hacks and Automation Tools Anybody Can Use (and Afford!)
Torey Calvert, Archdiocese of Chicago, Andrew Gutierrez, Cleveland Clinic and Tracy Rush, Otterbein University
Session description to follow.
Text Success: Michigan Medicine’s Messaging
Ann M. Fisher, Michigan Medicine
Session description to follow.
Using Gift Assessment Fees to Support a Campaign & Offset Budget Reductions
John Taylor, John H. Taylor Consulting, LLC
Your budgets are being frozen (or reduced), yet the Boss wants to launch a campaign next fiscal year. After an internal campaign readiness assessment, you have determined the likely need for increased staff, improved technology, and expanded stewardship and marketing efforts. However, money does not grow on trees. This overview will outline various Advancement funding models analyzed over the past three decades that might bridge the growing gap and discuss their pros and cons.
Welcoming New Constituent Groups Into Your World
John McBride, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Session description to follow.
Why is AI All Up In Your Business?
Felicity Meu, GiveCampus
AI is everywhere, in every industry, and it’s actually been a part of our daily lives for years. Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Face ID, Netflix’s movie recommendations, and Gmail’s spam filter all use AI to–at least in theory–make our lives easier and better. But what does it mean for you as an advancement professional? After all, cultivating an authentic, personal relationship is key to getting someone to give, so how exactly can AI help? Discover how to leverage this emerging technology while preserving and enhancing the most important aspect of the work you do—meaningful human-to-human engagement.
In this session, participants will learn:
● Why advancement teams should care about Artificial Intelligence
● The opportunities and challenges of this technology in the fundraising space
● Practical ways to start leveraging AI in order to reclaim your most precious resource—time.
Join Felicity as she discusses the opportunities and challenges posed by AI and how to effectively leverage this powerful tool today.
Writing for Annual Giving
Shannon Dale, Grand Valley State University
Our popular “Meeting of the Minds” wordsmith will lead a forum discussion on the annual giving writing process. What themes resonate? What voices do you use – including the voice of your institution’s leadership? What considerations do you make for different audiences? How do you use humor? Urgency? Guilt? Peer pressure? When do you write with brevity, when do you write an extended proposal, and when do you write for “however long it takes to tell the story?” Join us for some direction and some discussion on ways to approach your annual giving writing objectives.