Redefining Annual Giving – Making It Work in the 21st Century

“Because that’s the way we’ve always done it.”

Have you heard that more than once when talking with colleagues, volunteers, and other leaders about planning and executing your annual giving program each year? Have your ideas been met with resistance or hesitance because they are new or include changing sacred events and activities? Do you feel like hitting the reset button on your annual giving strategy or specific elements within your program?

In this Gonser Gerber Institute webinar, we will hear from Brett Evans, Senior Director of Development and CSU Fund at Columbus State University, about ways to break the mold on traditional annual giving practices and approach each fiscal year with renewed vision and vigor. In this program, Brett will discuss:

• The Development Enterprise and the Vital Role of Annual Giving
• Characteristics of an Effective and Successful Annual Giving Team and Culture
• Using Your Annual Giving Program to Drive and Support Your Major Gifts Program
• The Necessity of Personal Visits and Relationship-Building in Your Annual Giving Program
• Using Digital Platforms Effectively in Your Annual Giving Program
• Repurposing Your Traditional Mail and Phone Appeals
• Strategic Activities That Move Your Program Forward
• The Importance of Branding, Marketing, and Communication
• Steps To Evaluate, Improve and Expand Each Fiscal Year

The fee is $295 per institution, which allows your entire team the opportunity to participate in this professional development at the same time. If you are a current client of Gonser Gerber Advancement Consulting, that fee is just $145. You will also receive a copy of the presentation and a recording of the webinar with your registration.

About Your Faculty:

Brett Evans, Senior Director of Development and CSU Fund, Columbus State University, Columbus, Georgia

Brett Evans has over 16 years of professional experience, primarily in fundraising and administrative roles within the higher education and nonprofit sectors.  In his current role at Columbus State University (his alma mater), Brett manages a portfolio of donors, develops annual and multi-year strategies for the CSU Fund, provides guidance on prospect identification and research, and leads his team in the execution of fundraising activities to support multiple institutional priorities, five colleges, and athletics.

Prior to joining CSU’s advancement team, Brett served as Director of Development at Auburn University and Director of Development for Kid One, a nonprofit organization in Birmingham, AL.  He also served as an administrator within the UAB School of Medicine.  Brett holds an MPA from the University of Alabama-Birmingham and a BS in Political Science from Columbus State University.