Topics and speakers are unlikely to change, but they might. We’re constructing the program with an emphasis on annual giving, advancement services, management, digital, data and stewardship.
We’re going to have more than 30 sessions at this year’s MOTM Conference, so check back as we update the content…
Opening Plenary Session:
Be Mindful: All The Sessions You Don’t Want To Miss…
Welcome, Introductions and Conference Highlights
Bob Burdenski and John Taylor, Conference co-Chairs
Well-known Crystal Apple teachers, CASE authors, listserv moderators, and fundraising curmudgeons Bob Burdenski and John Taylor launch the 2025 Meeting of the Minds Conference with a festive welcome and a rapid-fire rundown of some of their favorite can’t-miss 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 Bob and John as they provide a preview of the great conference sessions to come, and hear a special welcome from our sponsors.
An Introduction to Annual Giving and the “Meeting of the Minds” Conference
Bob Burdenski, Robert Burdenski Annual Giving
New to the profession? New to the conference? Join CASE Laureate and long-time MOTM host Bob Burdenski for an overview of today’s annual giving fundraising. We’ll talk about the evolving goals, methods, channels, messages, metrics — and the very idea of “annual giving” itself. Ideal for “newbies” (or you “oldbies” in need of a refresh) and also get some ideas for maximizing your “Minds” conference experience in Pomona.
Opening Plenary Roundtable:
Annual Giving and Advancement Services, Mutual Admiration and Affection Always
Panel TBA
An Annual Giving Directors’ Forum: Participation, Pipelines and Pivots
Panel TBA
From participation, to pipeline? From socks, to more sustained stewardship? From alumni, to other audiences? We’ll talk about the evolving metrics of broad-based giving (including capital campaign participation goals), and what it all means for a variety of institutions.
Can We Accept Gifts to That Club? Third-Party Fundraising Issues
Elina Gorelik, Loyola Marymount University with John Taylor
Session description to follow.
Direct Mail: Going Beyond the Envelope to Optimize Results
Sara Pond and Matt Sulzer, MCR
This session goes beyond the envelope to showcase ways to balance your annual giving solicitation plan. Explore a variety of direct mail examples thoughtfully packaged with other channels. And, be ready to join in a lively discussion of creative ways to prime your audience and formulate the right solicitation frequency that optimizes results.
This session is packed with:
✔ LOTS of Direct Mail Samples!
✔ Audience Priming Ideas
✔ Donor Journeys
DIY Your Digital Engagement Program
Michelle Poesy, UC Davis
In today’s evolving philanthropic landscape, digital engagement officers are proving to be indispensable in enhancing fundraising strategies and cultivating robust donor pipelines. This session explores how digital tools—such as video, texting, email, virtual meetings, and even traditional phone calls—can transform donor interactions and drive substantial results. Gain insights from a successful program that developed a digital engagement strategy from the ground up, now generating over $1M annually. Learn actionable tips for streamlining your digital outreach efforts, discover valuable resources, and receive practical samples to implement in your own organization. Benefit from the experiences of seasoned development officers who have navigated this digital frontier, and leave equipped with the knowledge to elevate your donor engagement and fundraising success.
Ethics in Fundraising – When “Yes or No” Answers Aren’t So Simple
Bob Burdenski and John Taylor
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 even 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.
Filling the Funnel: Engagement Centers and DXO Strategies
Emily Etzkorn, VanillaSoft
From unaware to loyal giver, your constituents travel a journey to becoming a donor. It’s your role to make sure they land in a place that can answer their questions, support their connection to your institution, and nurture that relationship. Join VanillaSoft Fundraising Evangelist Emily Etzkorn for this session, and dive into the idea that your Engagement Center can and should be playing a crucial role in not just finding one-time donors, but also filling your DXO funnel and helping each and every donor land in the correct place at your organization. Discuss donor loyalty and pipeline development, strategies for leveraging your Engagement Center alongside your DXO program, and more!
Getting Your Act Together Before Even Thinking About a New CRM
Zac Spurlin, University of the Pacific
Everywhere you look these days, organizations are considering a replacement for their Advancement CRM. If whatever you are using is ten+ years old, you likely will start having these discussions if you have not already. For many, “out with the old and in with the new” is scary. Join Zac to learn a few secrets on how to do these implementations right while sharing stories of what has been done wrong. He will discuss the importance of needs assessment, RFP development, managing vendors (rather than them managing you), and the importance of careful planning, design, testing, and flipping the switch!
Gift Processing 101 – A Panel Discussion
Panel TBA
Join us for a discussion session about all things gift processing. We’ll ask the audience to share their questions, and the panel will do our best to answer them. We’ll talk about best practices and discuss some of the important topics surrounding gift processing: receipt dates, legal requirements, metrics, gift records, etc. If you’d like to submit your questions beforehand, you’re welcome to do so by sending them to wjohnson@calarts.edu.
IRS (and State) Sticky Wickets
John Taylor, John H. Taylor Consulting, LLC
Back by popular demand, join John Taylor for a review of specific IRS issues impacting charitable giving. This session will focus on the complex legal issues that can impact gift solicitation and gift acceptance by your organization. We will cover the following:
✔ State Fundraising Registration Requirements
✔ Binding & Non-Binding Pledges
✔ Donor-Advised Fund and Family Foundation Issues
✔ Quid Pro Quo
✔ Donor Influence & Control
✔ Finish Line Topics Including Gift Dates, Scholarships, Cryptocurrency, & Corporate Sponsorships
John also wants to address related issues that keep you up at night! So please email him (johntaylorconsulting@gmail.com) with those questions; he’ll incorporate them anonymously into the presentation!
Leadership Annual Giving – Fundamentals of Personal Solicitation and (More-or-Less)
Face-to-Face Fundraising
Ray Watts, CSU San Bernardino
Annual Giving is a dynamic and changing field, no longer solely focused on mass marketing through direct mail and student phonathons. The “new normal” for annual giving is a team-centered approach with a group of individuals who have personal prospect portfolios and expectations of much more face-to-face identification, cultivation and solicitation work. This workshop will be structured in an interactive format, with a focus on real-time learning and specific coaching. Come prepared to share experiences and learn strategies and tactics to make you a better development professional as you get on the road and work with donors one-on-one.
P2P Texting Compliance: The Boring but Important Stuff
Rachel Cleary, GetThru
When peer-to-peer (P2P) texting was the next big thing for fundraising, it was a bit of a regulatory & compliance Wild West. Much has changed since then, and if you’re spending time, energy, and budget on a P2P texting program, it’s important to make sure your program is compliant with all the relevant rules & regulations. In this hopefully not-terribly-dry session, GetThru will take you through the ins and outs of P2P texting compliance, including demystifying 10DLC, and what the FCC and TCPA have to do with your texting program. We’ll do our best to make it fun, and you’ll come away with the knowledge you need to make sure your P2P texts get through.
Records Management 101 – A Panel Discussion
Panel TBA
Please join our group of industry experts 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. Or, if you prefer, you can send your anonymous (if you rather) suggestions to the moderator in advance: vnguyen@csudh.edu.
The AI-Infused Annual Giving Plan
Bob Burdenski, Robert Burdenski Annual Giving
From the strategic plan to the stewardship, AI can now potentially assist with many elements of your annual giving planning and production. Plan formats, draft letter copy, draft everything copy, long Excel formulas, graphic designs, giving day marketing themes, and a whole lot more. AI won’t replace you, but some of its time-saving shortcuts can help make your annual giving work more efficient. Join Bob for a run-down of some of his favorite (and specific) AI uses for annual giving. Bring yours too!
What to do When Your Donor Wants to Donate An Island in Canada
John Taylor, John H. Taylor Consulting LLC
We will attempt to simplify the challenges of accepting in-kind gifts, from the simple gifts of cars to more complex gifts like real estate, boats, planes, and more. We will attempt to demystify the mysterious when accepting the “weird and bizarre.” We will begin the discussion by reviewing the importance of gift acceptance committees and policies. How to gracefully say “NO” and then we will dive into areas of specific concern.
Why Data is the 4-Letter Word Savvy Fundraisers Swear By
Felicity Meu, GiveCampus
To fully flex your fundraising muscle you need buy-in from both the annual giving and advancement services sides of the house. How do you achieve the alignment necessary to drive meaningful results? The devil is in the data. GiveCampus analyzed aggregate data from 4,532 campaigns and 4,973 giving forms to identify what’s moving the proverbial needle in fundraising and what’s not. Find out how fundraisers are leveraging that data to drive decisions at key stages of the philanthropic lifecycle, and how they got everybody—including advancement services—to back their biggest bets. In this session, participants will learn how to:
✔ Maximize the results of their own fundraising efforts based on aggregate data
✔ Convince key stakeholders at their institution to take a chance on change
✔ Get more creative and launch bold initiatives that drive better outcomes
Women in Leadership in Advancement
Kalyn Rose Miller, Pomona College, Gizel Avina, Drucker School of Management, Claremont Graduate University, and Panel TBA
Women make up the majority of nonprofit employees, yet they are underrepresented in leadership positions across nonprofit organizations. In this panel, we bring together women leaders and aspiring women leaders of nonprofits to engage in discussion about relevant issues and foster meaningful relationships. How can we understand both the challenges and the opportunities presented by women’s leadership? How do issues like gender roles, work-life balance, and mentorship shape women’s leadership?