Philanthropy is critical to helping institutions meet their missions, and strategic priorities that are tightly aligned with institutional mission are what ignites donor passion. Research has found that serving a community's needs can become an important part of who donors are.
Reaching strategic fundraising goals requires strong relationships and a collaborative effort across the institution, and beyond: from the central advancement shop, to academic units, to alumni, community, and donor relationships. Sustainable philanthropy requires:
- Fostering central advancement teams that promote collaboration and eliminate competition.
- Integrating academic leaders in alumni engagement and development efforts.
- Capitalizing on alumni, donor, and volunteer engagement to sustain institutional affiliation and strengthen affinity.
- Generating big ideas that broaden a donor base, motivate all segments of the donor pipeline to give, and secure transformational gifts.
Our Advancement training and resources are designed to promote a collaborative, campus-wide approach to fundraising.
Our goal is to propel higher education toward solving big problems with transformational philanthropic support.
Powerful Learning Experiences That Share Strategies and Best Practices to Maximize Your Fundraising Goals
Opportunities for your Entire Team
Fostering Central Advancement Teams that Promote Collaboration and Eliminate Competition

VIRTUAL TRAINING RECORDING
Key Considerations for Strengthening Prospect Management and Gift Officer Collaboration

VIRTUAL TRAINING RECORDING
Improving Campus Collaboration for Effective Parent and Family Giving


WEBCAST RECORDING
Developing a Collaborative Metrics Structure for Stronger Corporate Engagement

WEBCAST RECORDING
Using a Council to Establish a Holistic Corporate Engagement Strategy
Integrating Academic Leaders in Alumni Engagement and Development Efforts

WEBCAST
Identifying Funding Sources to Achieve Your Academic Unit’s Strategic Plan
May 31, 2023


VIRTUAL TRAINING RECORDING
Preparing Frontline Fundraisers to Support Academic Leaders for Campaign Success

WEBCAST RECORDING
Engaging Deans and Academic Leaders in Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving

COMING SOON!
The Keys to Strong Relationships Between Deans and Development Officers
Capitalizing on Alumni, Donor, and Volunteer Engagement to Sustain Institutional Affiliation and Strengthen Affinity

VIRTUAL TRAINING
Encore and Live Q&A: Recruiting, Training, and Engaging Alumni Volunteers in a Digital Environment
March 29, 2023

VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
Create Meaningful Volunteer Opportunities for your Top Donors
April 26, 2023



WEBCAST RECORDING
Using a Council to Establish a Holistic Corporate Engagement Strategy



COMING SOON!
Measuring Alumni Engagement
Generating Big Ideas that Broaden a Donor Base, Motivate all Segments of the Donor Pipeline to Give, and Secure Transformational Gifts


VIRTUAL TRAINING
Developing a Principal Gifts Program that Supports Transformational Priorities
May 25, 2023

WEBCAST RECORDING
Portfolio Prioritization: Maximizing Opportunities for Your Donor Pipeline

COMING SOON!
Family Giving Series
Investing in Intentional Hiring and Onboarding Processes

WEBCAST RECORDING
Staying Competitive in Advancement: A Conversation on Talent Development

VIRTUAL TRAINING RECORDING
Beyond Salary: An Uncommon Strategy to Recruit and Retain Advancement Professionals



ARTICLE
Retention through Onboarding: How Hiring Managers Can Foster a Sense of Belonging
Hire and Onboard Staff Successfully with Membership
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Customize Membership for Onboarding
Membership includes: Advancement 101: A 7-Day Foundational Series Certificate Course
Sign up new staff for our mini course to receive bite-sized lessons on fundraising basics daily for 7 business days.
Training Calendar
Reconnect to learning and reconnect to colleagues. Cornerstones of our programs include:
- Intimate, workshop-style events with personalized attention
- Needs-driven programs with thoughtfully planned and practical outcomes
- Action plans and next steps to use upon returning to campus
- Carefully vetted instructors that are also practitioners in the field
- Learner-centric programs designed for interaction and collaboration
- The small-scale opportunity to truly connect with colleagues in the same position at other institutions
“I will use the tools and techniques learned in this workshop in my day-to-day work as a development director and am confident I will see success as a result.”
Register Today!
Intentional and Strategic Management of Alumni Volunteers ⟶
March 21-23, 2023 | Minneapolis, MN
Learn how to effectively manage volunteers through their full life cycles.
Mastering the Art and Science of Discovery Visits ⟶
June 27 - 28, 2023 | Denver, Colorado
Explore the practice of discovery through inquiry and authentic curiosity to unlock deeper conversation with prospects, donors, and volunteers.
Fundraising for Deans ⟶
June 22 - 23, 2023 | New Orleans, LA
Learn how to create a sustainable fundraising enterprise in your role as Dean.
Aligning Campus Stakeholders for Holistic Corporate Engagement (Coming July 2023)
Build strong working relationships with offices across campus to support effective corporate relations.
Fundraising for Presidents (Coming August 2023)
Prepare yourself to be strategically incorporated into fundraising activities as President by ensuring that your focus is maintained and you get the most out of your partnership with advancement.
Alumni Boards: Strengthen Your Strategy and Grow Engagement (Coming Fall 2023)
Establish your alumni and advisory boards to accomplish strategic goals and objectives while increasing members’ involvement.
Preparing Your Campaign for Transition and Public Launch (Coming Fall 2023)
Check off your line items, finalize unit priorities, and hone leadership messaging in preparation for the public launch of your campaign.
Converting a Leadership Annual Donor to a Major Gift Donor (Coming Fall 2023)
Evaluate leadership prospects for a major gift and fine-tune a stewardship plan for the donor you have in mind.
Transformational Gifts: Attaining the Gift of a Lifetime (Coming Winter 2023)
Inspire and engage your top donors and develop your transformational gift strategy.
Big Ideas Strategy Summit (Coming Winter 2023)
Work with key institutional partners to identify your big ideas and learn how to prepare them for prospective principal and transformational gift donors.
Roundtables
Advancement Roundtable: A Cohort-Based Series for Development Leaders ⟶
March 24 – April 28, 2023
Engage with a cohort of other advancement leaders to explore common issues you face and share current practices that will help you to build your leadership capacity as you expand your network.
Customize the Topics for Your Division or Institution
Maximize team learning and team cohesion by customizing a workshop to meet your specific needs and objectives.
Great for Teams - Tailored to meet needs of campus
Can be in person, virtual, or blended
Training can stand alone or be used to supplement existing programs
Academic Impressions works with dozens of institutions to customize training based on the unique needs of your division. We take a flexible and collaborative approach to in how we design each workshop.
Customized programs can integrate in-person or virtual workshops, as well as working time with teams, assessments, coaching, and more.
We’ll work closely with campus partners to customize the your program based on the unique goals and contexts of your division and its the participants.
Customize and bring one of these programs to your team:
- Fundraising Partnerships: A Program for Development Officers and Deans
- Writing Workshop for Advancement
- Balancing the Art and Science of Discovery Visits
Hear from Your Peers in Higher Education
“Best presentations on development that I've ever heard.“
“The instructor was a wealth of knowledge and was able to answer any question — even if the subject matter was sensitive.“
“This workshop was a thought-provoking primer on best practices and current thinking about fundraising in a university setting, filled with excellent information and insights on development philosophies and strategies, and real-world recommendations to improve current fundraising initiatives.“
Get in Touch With Us
Contact your account manager for help.

Ryan Coleman
Account Manager
ryan@academicimpressions.com

Yianna Kappas
Account Manager
yianna@academicimpressions.com

Kori Parton
Account Manager
kori@academicimpressions.com

Roshaon Tytar
Account Manager
roshaon@academicimpressions.com

Niecie Washington
Account Manager
niecie@academicimpressions.com