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ENCORE + Live Q&A: Equipping Gift Officers to Facilitate Conversations Among Multi-Generational Families

The exercise of facilitating philanthropic conversations around values with the families you engage with is essential for the long-term philanthropic viability of your institution. However, gift officers are often not trained for this unique approach to fundraising that focuses on the family. Instead, they may often feel a natural hesitation to insert themselves into these intimate conversations—especially when there are unknowns involved, so as a result they end up forgoing relationship-building among multiple generations of the same family.    Equipping a gift officer with the knowledge of why this approach is important—and not extraneous work—can lead to more creative and meaningful gifts, trusted relationships, and a wider variety of natural opportunities for follow-up.  Join us in this second training within a three-part Family Giving Series to learn how to navigate the different perspectives and unique goals among a multi-generational family by helping them align their values to benefit your institution and increase philanthropic engagement. 

ENCORE: The Role of Philanthropic Conversations in Families

Transferring values, not just dollars, is the essence of philanthropic conversations in families. These conversations rarely occur with families who have the actual capacity to give, however. Whether your alumnus identifies as middle-class or is part of a family with a long-storied history with your institution, cultivating conversation among their closest familial ties is often the missing link when developing strong and sincere relationships with multiple generations. Join us in this first of a three-session series on family giving. In this training, you will gain insights into the role of philanthropic conversations within families and why it is important to bring institutional values into the familial relationships you’re stewarding.

Encore: Keys to a Successful Relationship Between Deans and Development Officers

Philanthropy is critical to helping institutions meet their academic missions, and at its core, it is all about building and maintaining relationships. Although fundraising is just one of the myriad responsibilities overseen by an academic dean, the development officer is a key partner in assisting the dean in achieving those fundraising goals. To find success in academic fundraising, the relationship between an academic dean and a development officer must be one built on mutual respect, trust, and clear communication. Successful fundraising teams develop complementary skills that, when combined, are more effective than the skills of one individual. Through this three-hour virtual training, you will be able to better prioritize fundraising goals as a dean and development officer team. You will learn how to build trust and set expectations with mutual fundraising goals in mind, establish a process to effectively move donors through your pipeline, and practice essential skills such as making an ask.

Annual Giving Institute for New Professionals

In the ever-evolving landscape of annual giving, the recent shift away from the APR metric has opened unprecedented opportunities for your organization. If you’re new to annual giving or looking to revitalize your approach, this session is your gateway to becoming the transformative force your organization needs.  When it comes to your data, annual giving programs are a powerhouse.  Discover how to leverage them to not only enhance donor engagement but also to forge meaningful partnerships across campus and refine your engagement and stewardship strategies.   Join us for this two-day virtual conference to unlock the full potential of your annual giving program and set a new standard for success. This session promises to equip you with the insights and tools to:  Don’t miss the chance to transform your approach and make a lasting impact. 

Advanced Title IX Investigator Training and Certification

Upon the filing of a formal complaint alleging sexual harassment, the Title IX regulations require institutions to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation within their grievance process. These investigations are highly sensitive and often complex; even experienced and skilled investigators must continually refine and enrich their investigative skills. This training will allow experienced investigators to further develop their investigative skills and obtain invaluable insights from our expert faculty and their peers.  Join us this July for a virtual advanced-level investigator certification training specifically designed for seasoned investigators. This hands-on workshop provides experienced investigators with the tools they need to expand and sharpen their knowledge, increasing their competency for investigating difficult and complex cases, including hostile environment sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking.  Our expert speakers will take participants on a deep dive into the following topics:  Upon finishing the training, you will receive a certificate of completion documenting your participation in this Advanced Title IX Investigator workshop. You will come away with greater knowledge and proficiency for investigating complex sexual harassment formal complaints on your campus. 

Design Thinking Practitioner Certification: A 5-Day Program to Help You Solve Complex Problems Creatively

In the ever-evolving landscape of higher education, innovation is not just a buzzword; it’s a necessity. Design Thinking is a proven methodology that fosters creative problem solving and encourages a user-centric approach. By integrating these principles into your practice, you’ll be better equipped to address complex challenges, enhance student engagement, and drive positive change within your institution.    Become a certified Design Thinking practitioner and bring your expertise in solving problems creatively to your campus. The Design Thinking Practitioner Certificate contains three parts:  After you have completed all three steps and your workbook has been graded, you’ll receive a Design Thinking Practitioner Certificate. 

Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable: Engaging in Dialogue About Freedom, Favoritism, and Fairness

During this two-hour virtual workshop, Dr. Sandra Miles, Head of Practice for Team Development at Academic Impressions, will lead us as we explore the ways feelings of defensiveness and discomfort can be very common when engaging in conversations around favoritism and unfairness. Even those who have done extensive reading on topics related to conflict management can find themselves fumbling if they haven’t yet reflected on how their personal feelings may impact the ways they show up in the world—and in these difficult conversations. To get more comfortable engaging in these dialogues, we must first lean into the discomfort of individual reflection and actions that prepare us to enter into them in an open and effective way.  Join us for a two-hour virtual training where we will explore four key concepts and how they come into play during conversations around topics that are deeply personal:  You will be given a workbook of activities, tools, and resources to help you move beyond simply understanding these key concepts. Throughout the workshop, you will begin the hard work of interpreting how favoritism can show up in every aspect of the work we do, and how an orientation around fairness improves relationships, morale, and trust. 

Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable: Engaging in Dialogue About Freedom, Favoritism, and Fairness

During this two-hour virtual workshop, Dr. Sandra Miles, Head of Practice for Team Development at Academic Impressions, will lead us as we explore the ways feelings of defensiveness and discomfort can be very common when engaging in conversations around favoritism and unfairness. Even those who have done extensive reading on topics related to conflict management can find themselves fumbling if they haven’t yet reflected on how their personal feelings may impact the ways they show up in the world—and in these difficult conversations. To get more comfortable engaging in these dialogues, we must first lean into the discomfort of individual reflection and actions that prepare us to enter into them in an open and effective way.  Join us for a two-hour virtual training where we will explore four key concepts and how they come into play during conversations around topics that are deeply personal:  You will be given a workbook of activities, tools, and resources to help you move beyond simply understanding these key concepts. Throughout the workshop, you will begin the hard work of interpreting how favoritism can show up in every aspect of the work we do, and how an orientation around fairness improves relationships, morale, and trust. 

Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable: Engaging in Dialogue About Freedom, Favoritism, and Fairness

During this two-hour virtual workshop, Dr. Sandra Miles, Head of Practice for Team Development at Academic Impressions, will lead us as we explore the ways feelings of defensiveness and discomfort can be very common when engaging in conversations around favoritism and unfairness. Even those who have done extensive reading on topics related to conflict management can find themselves fumbling if they haven’t yet reflected on how their personal feelings may impact the ways they show up in the world—and in these difficult conversations. To get more comfortable engaging in these dialogues, we must first lean into the discomfort of individual reflection and actions that prepare us to enter into them in an open and effective way.  Join us for a two-hour virtual training where we will explore four key concepts and how they come into play during conversations around topics that are deeply personal:  You will be given a workbook of activities, tools, and resources to help you move beyond simply understanding these key concepts. Throughout the workshop, you will begin the hard work of interpreting how favoritism can show up in every aspect of the work we do, and how an orientation around fairness improves relationships, morale, and trust. 

Supervision Certificate Program – July 8 Cohort

Often in higher education, individuals move into a supervisory role without the necessary tools and skills to be successful. Particularly in today’s challenging environments, effective supervision is key to building an effective culture where each individual can contribute to team success. Join us online for a four-week cohort based program leveraging both asynchronous and synchronous learning specifically designed for higher education supervisors who are new to their roles, looking to deepen their skills, or for those who aspire to supervisor roles.