Get a head-start on the 2019 Meeting of the Minds Conference experience by attending one of three great pre-conference workshops. All pre-conference workshops run from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Monday, April 15 at the Kellogg West Conference Center.

NOTE: Registration to attend one of our pre-conference workshops is $60.00 and is not included in the cost of the general conference registration fee.

*Sorry for any inconvenience – Registration for a pre-conference workshop is separate from the registration for the main conference. Reserve your seat through one of the links below.

Pre-Conference Workshops

An Introduction to Annual Giving:
Your Digital Millennial Personal Multi-Channel Participation Pyramid
with Bob Burdenski

This annual giving orientation is ideal for new members of the team (or those in need of a refresher). What do pipelines, pyramids, “the wave,” Starbucks, Cheerios, and Michael Bloomberg all have to do with annual giving and a broad base of support? Bob will provide an overview of the institutional reasons for annual giving, the fundraising channels in-use today, case for support messages that resonate (and with which audiences), and the metrics that define annual giving success.

It’s been twenty years since Bob wrote his first “Innovations in Annual Giving” book for CASE. Much has changed since, but much remains the same. Bob has provided an introduction to annual giving at CASE fundraising institutes for more than a decade. Come and get your annual giving overview — a great foundation for the conference sessions that will follow!

What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You – All the Rules and Regulations You Don’t Want To Know About
with John Taylor

The workshop will begin with a review of the impact – real or perceived – of the 2018 changes in charitable giving law. This will include the impact on charitable giving due to the increase in the standard deduction, and a discussion of what revocation of the 80/20 rule pertaining to seating priority means for athletics – and all other seating applications. We will then look at such topics as quid pro quo, gift dates, donor-advised funds (including an obscure IRS Notice issued in late 2017), and private (family) foundations. There will be discussions on donor control, scholarships, common gift myths, auctions, sponsorships, and special events. The first half of this session will conclude with an exciting discussion of IRS non-compliance penalties.

We will then focus on the “weird and bizarre”. Increasingly donors are attempting to donate unique, and not always desired, forms of non-cash gifts. We’ll also delve into the world of cryptocurrency. This part of our session will focus on the establishment of protocol and policies to facilitate acceptance – or rejection – of these gifts including the vast number of IRS rules regarding them. We’ll discuss the importance of a Gift Acceptance Committee and a Gift Acceptance Policy. We’ll look at gifts of securities, as well as the IRS concern regarding related versus unrelated gifts of property. Finally, we’ll do a lightning round covering a dozen or so other forms of non-standard gifts.

Donor Experience, DX Unlocks the Future of Your Fundraising Relationships
with Lynne Wester

Put yourself in the donor’s shoes. They don’t want another lapel pin or bumper sticker. They want to know they make a difference to your institution and they are valued. Donor appreciation is not expensive, but neglecting it can be. Research shows that it is seven times more expensive to acquire a new donor then it is to keep the one you have. The solution is simple: put the donor first and consume yourself with the DX (donor experience) – their experience, not yours. Together we will learn a NEW behavior based method for donor relations and retention of annual giving donors. Let’s workshop this together and innovate!