We have a wide array of educational sessions waiting for you at AFP ICON 2024. Whether you want to master leadership, relationship building, securing the gift, trends and innovation, or all of the above, AFP has the latest and greatest information to unlock your fundraising potential.
2022 Stewardship Survey Results: Sharing Best Practices
After this session you will:
Understand the strategies used to ensure the success of donor stewardship programs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
You’ll also be aware of the challenges faced by stewardship programs and what hasn't worked.
And the most effective strategies and approaches by sector of activity.
Show Me the Money, Securing Lucrative Sponsorships
This session will help you identify what it takes to secure lucrative sponsorships through relationships and prospecting. Therefore, they can show you the money.
The Annual Global Review of Legal Developments & Court Decisions Impacting Fundraising and Philanthropy
I know. You’re wondering how this unique AFP-ICON annual session on recent global fundraising-related laws, rules, regulations, and court cases can be THE session not to miss. But it is. Changes in the law impact donors’ capacity to support our causes. You’ll leave with new ideas and creative fundraising strategies.
Eligible for 1.25 ACFRE credits in Ethics, Accountability and Professionalism
Sway the Doubters: Change the Narrative for Professional Fundraising
The Narrative has helped participants engage about our profession with board members, colleagues and yes, that relative at the dinner table. This session will arm you with the tools and information you need to help you better articulate the importance and relevance of your work to the public, the media, your boss, your board, to those pesky relatives who still haven't quite figured it out, and perhaps most importantly, your donors. Initiated by AFP Canada this session reflects learnings from prior trainings and current events.
The Journey from 2 to 10 Million: Capital Campaigns and Identity
The Perley Health Foundation undertook – in a timespan of 3 years – a rebrand, a new vision for the organization and launched a $10 Million dollar Capital Campaign that dwarfs their typical annual $2 Million goal. Attend to hear the seven leadership learnings from a leader and executive coach.
The Future of Fundraising Events: Raise More and Stress Less (Learning Lab) Presented by Bloomerang
Discover the future of fundraising events. Learn how Bloomerang + Qgiv can elevate your events, boost donations, and ease your event reporting. From dazzling auctions to dynamic peer-to-peer campaigns, we've got the tools you need to raise more and stress less.
Smart Giving: Streamlining Nonprofit CRM with Wealth Data and Relationship Dynamics (Learning Lab) Presented by Altrata
In this session, we will explore 'Smart Giving': a strategy that revolutionizes nonprofit fundraising by integrating wealth insights and relationship dynamics into CRM systems. We'll uncover how this approach enables more targeted, efficient, and personalized donor engagement. By the end, you'll understand how to leverage these insights to maximize fundraising efforts and build stronger, more fruitful relationships with potential donors. Let's dive into how you can transform your organization's approach to giving.
Fundraising Effectiveness Project 2023 Review - Sector Trends and What To Do About Them
This session will report on national donor retention statistics from the AFP's Fundraising Effectiveness Project now in its 18th year of donor retention analysis. Results from more than 27,000 nonprofits can be used as national benchmarks and realist guidelines for improving performance.
Eligible for 1.25 ACFRE credits in Current and Prospective Donor Research
Alice Ferris, ACFRE, CFRE, MBA, AFP Master Trainer
Sun, Apr 7, 2024
4:00pm - 5:15pm
Room 602 A/B
She Leads: Navigating Leadership in Nonprofit and Beyond (Presented by Donor Perfect)
Join us for an in-depth exploration of the critical elements of leadership in the nonprofit sector, with a specific focus on empowering women to take on key leadership roles. This session provides a comprehensive framework for women leaders to navigate the complexities of leadership, including understanding key statistics and trends that impact the sector, identifying and articulating core values, building a strong personal brand, setting ambitious yet achievable goals, seeking out valuable mentorship opportunities, and embracing diverse perspectives and approaches to problem-solving. By honing these skills and capabilities, participants will be better equipped to unlock their full potential as leaders and drive meaningful change within their organizations and communities.
Nearly a quarter of Canadians expect to access charitable services to meet essential needs (Ipsos, Oct 2024). The importance of a thriving, productive charitable sector in our country has never been more important. Members of AFP in Canada play a crucial role to ensure the relationship with the Federal Government is effective and enables fundraising to thrive. Join this session to understand the current landscape, key issues and how you can join AFP to advocate for the charitable sector in Canada.
No Nonsense Must-Haves for Major Giving Success NOW!
Whatever sector/size your organization is, this no-nonsense session spells out what you MUST have, DO and/or FIX to inspire MAJOR gifts. Takeaway how to prioritize key steps you CAN take, regardless of obstacles. Address your mindset, DEI priority, board engagement, asking and MORE to grow YOUR major giving success NOW.
Stepping Out to Fit In: How diverse consultants are reaching success on their own terms
Sometimes the best way to change the system is from the outside. From this panel you’ll hear from a diverse group of fundraisers who found more alignment, freedom, and success working as consultants. Understand how they incorporated their identities into their work to show up authentically as their whole selves.
Let’s Get Critical: Rethinking Research & Evidence for the Sake of Better Practice
Research and evidence are a driving force in fundraising’s evolution…But what happens when the stuff of “best practice” is flawed or biased? In this session, you’ll gain a simple tool for critically evaluating and applying research so you can use it in service of your own better practice.
Eligible for 1.25 ACFRE credits in Leadership and Management
In a Donor Experience, Everything is Love or Lost (Presented by Fundraise Up)
Everything (read: everything) contributes to donor loyalty or to losing them. Every single field, pixel, word, checkbox, payment method, or lack thereof is going to be a negative or positive contributor to the donor experience. Short-term gains are won by improving conversion rates through better digital experiences, while longer-term gains are earned through trust. In this session you'll learn how to see your donor experience from the other side. For donors, nonprofit teams, and beneficiaries of the mission you work so hard on; the impact is real and tangible.
De-Mystifying AI: Making sense of ChatGPT and Fundraising in the Age of AI
What do nonprofit leaders need to know about AI and how it’s re-shaping fundraising? What have we learned so far, and what's on the road ahead? Join me for a walkthrough of the big questions facing fundraising leaders after an exciting first year of fundraising with Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovation.
Engaging Stakeholders to Champion Philanthropy ( Presented by Advancement Resources)
Philanthropy is a powerful solution to many challenges and roadblocks in modern healthcare—but the case for philanthropy is complex, and many organizational stakeholders don’t understand it fully. In this session, panelists will present the case for investing in major gift fundraising and share real-world examples of how that information can be leveraged to recruit faculty, researchers, and others as champions who understand and are committed to the tremendous opportunity in healthcare philanthropy today.
The Future of Fundraising is Female: Fundraisers & Donors Explore
Philanthropy has long been dominated by men filling the role of bard chair, advancement leaders, and donors but recent years have seen a shift towards greater representation of women, gender non-binary, and gender non-conforming individuals.
Creating a Community-Driven Fundraising Strategy - (Learning Lab) Presented by Classy
Giving happens where community thrives. The best fundraising comes as a result of deep, informed relationships when beneficiaries, fundraisers, and donors are part of a connected system surrounded by a cause. But in recent years, as the sector has moved to scale fundraising, that declaration of support has become transactional. The way people interact with and participate in community is changing and even peer-to-peer fundraising has become isolated rather than a cultivator of deep sustaining relationships. Join this discussion around how organizations can radically change their perception of community building and build the future of mobilized communities in service of empowered and invigorated fundraising.
Using an Equity Lens to Create Gift Acceptance Policies
Gift acceptance policies are one of the foundational documents that help guide donor relationships. It is time to rethink gift acceptance policies and practices to examine how they can be an agent of change, and a tool for educating donors on your organization’s values which include equity, reconciliation, and diversity.
Eligible for 1.25 ACFRE credits in Ethics, Accountability and Professionalism
Canadian Knowledge Hub for Giving and Volunteering (Learning Lab)
The data shows that trends in donor behaviour, volunteerism and the social purpose sector are rapidly changing. To adapt to these changes, it is paramount that practitioners and supporters of the sector embrace data-driven engagement. Data-driven insights lead to better decisions that drive effective volunteer involvement, fundraising, and better outcomes from essential programs, services and fund development strategies that meet evolving community needs. In this session, we introduce a formidable tool to harness the power of data-driven insights – the Canadian Knowledge Hub for Giving and Volunteering.
Unlocking Giving Potential: Navigating Market Sizes and Archetypes for Successful Fundraising in North America (Learning Lab) Presented by Altrata
This session will navigate the intricacies of North America's diverse market and donor profiles, offering strategic insights for effective fundraising for the wealthy. Explore the trends prevalent among the ultra-wealthy and learn how to leverage regional preferences. Join us to optimize your impact and ensure your organization thrives in the dynamic world of charitable giving.
Not Just CRM Data Anymore! Mega-trends for Non-technical Fundraising Leadership
Why does Amazon message "forgot to complete your checkout" but most non-profits do not? How can we better use our websites (and mobile apps) to build new donor relationships? These are two of the many questions we tackle in this session designed for non-technical fundraising leaders.
Get your answers here! This session is for Senior Leaders (EDs, DoDs, Board): Ask your most important questions about how to engage your board in the fundraising process either through special projects or capital campaigns. Pick the minds of some of the most successful and knowledgeable leaders in
Measuring Major Gifts Success: The Top 10 Metrics That Matter
Are you struggling to determine what metrics are best for your major gifts program? Is everyone on the same page about which benchmarks you’re using and why? Attend this fast-paced session for a rousing, interactive discussion (and debate!) about effective metrics application and how to measure success at your organization.
Development and Communications Teams Working Together: How to Get Along and Get On With It
This session courageously explores this age-old friction, including research results on what Fundraising and Communications teams face in trying to working together collaboratively. We present common tensions and creative solutions on how teams can build stronger collaborative processes and relationships -- without sacrificing each of their important missions.
Turn data into dollars: How insights and technology together can deliver major giving wins for fundraisers (Presented by Bonterra)
When it comes to major giving, you need a way to do more with less and we have a solution. Bonterra and Altrata will take you through best practices for leveraging data and technology to make a bigger impact. Improve campaign engagement. Never miss an opportunity. Make the most of every conversation.
Not ANOTHER AI session!? The Unexpected Applications of AI (Presented by Fundraise Up)
Explore AI-driven strategies to enhance nonprofit campaigns and donor engagement without sacrificing the personal touch. Learn from real-world examples how AI can amplify fundraising efforts and nurture long-term donor relationships. Gain actionable insights into integrating AI into your development strategy, boosting your team's efficiency, and focusing on impactful work. This session is for both AI skeptics and enthusiasts, aiming to demystify AI's role in aligning with organizational values and missions, moving past the hype to unlock AI's potential in nonprofit fundraising.
Fundraising Reimagined: 5 Innovative Tools to Skyrocket Donor Acquisition (Learning Lab) Presented by Bloomerang
Discover the power of 5 cutting-edge tools that are transforming the landscape of donor acquisition and fundraising. Learn how to use AI and new payment methods to target the right donors and boost your donation conversion. Leverage peer-to-peer and integrated volunteer management to grow your network and nurture your biggest supporters. Join us to elevate your 2024 fundraising game with the latest innovations
Boost your next capital or comprehensive campaign by strategically branding that initiative. In this session, you will learn why branding a campaign is important, how it can enhance your organization's visibility and reputation, and what the four key milestones of campaign branding are and how to reach them.
Empowering Change: Engaging Black Communities and Donors in Fundraising
In today's dynamic philanthropic landscape, the importance of engaging and empowering Black, Indigenous and people of color ( BIPOC) communities and donors cannot be overstated. Many nonprofit organizations have faced challenges in actively engaging Black donors in the United States for various reasons — historical context, lack of diverse representation, limited awareness and outreach, and cultural sensitivity, to name a few. Habitat has recognized these challenges and is actively working to address them.
In this session, you will gain insight into housing disparities affecting Black communities, discover innovative philanthropic strategies, and leverage cultural competency to amplify Black voices. Join us as we delve into the important and timely topic of engaging Black donors in fundraising at HFHI, which can empower Black donors as agents of change and create a more equitable future for all.
Trust, Impact, and Communications to Overcome Donor Skepticism and Increase Fundraising Results
This session will help participants demonstrate trustworthiness and program results and provide accountable communications to support fundraising efforts by presenting seven steps to assure ethics are meaningful, eight disciplines to ensure programs achieve good results, and a communications strategy that highlights responsibility and accountability, thereby increasing funding and program impact.
Eligible for 1.25 ACFRE credits in Ethics, Accountability and Professionalism
Building a Sustainable Fundraising Plan: A Research-backed Guide to Healthy Fundraising (Presented by Qgiv)
With rising costs, the Great Resignation, and donor numbers declining, nonprofit leaders face increased pressure to keep their teams motivated to raise more money with even fewer resources. What can be done to address these challenges? Qgiv’s Sustainable Giving Report sought to answer that question! Join us to learn how you promote wellness and job satisfaction within your organization and ultimately improve staff retention, donor relations, and revenue.
Becoming an AFP volunteer leader is an important and decisive step in your fundraising career. And it is much more than just your time, your energy, and your ideas. Join us as we share our leadership journey and (hopefully) inspire you on yours.