Preparing Your President and Board for Your Campaign 

The most important fundraiser at your institution is the individual who sits in the leadership seat - your president, chancellor, or dean.   Some leaders embrace their role in working with prospects and donors, while others are uncomfortable at best. But whether the leader you support is new to your institution or has been around for years, their work with your team in advancement is crucial to your institutional success and ability to make great things happen.

This work is never more important than during your Institution’s campaign. Your organization will change during your campaign, and your leaders need to be prepared and actively involved during that time. It is also the time when your Board is even more critical, often driving the campaign for concept to closure. The working relationship between your President and the Board is necessary to your success.

Your work in supporting, managing, and preparing your institution’s leader and your Board for the campaign is one of the most critical roles you play as an Advancement leader. Helping them manage their time, preparing them for prospect visits, and strategizing with them on major solicitations are just a few examples of the essential work you must do to help your leader be an active and effective member of the advancement team.

In this workshop, designed for Advancement and Development leaders -- including Vice Presidents, Chief Advancement Officers, and other Senior Development Professionals -- we will discuss ways to motivate, educate, prepare, and effectively engage your institution’s leader and the board in your campaign.

Topics we will cover include:

• The role of the President, Chancellor, or Dean during the campaign
• The role of your board during the campaign
• Your supporting role
• Preparing your institution’s leadership for campaign work
• Focusing on the campaign
• Campus-wide messaging
• Solicitation calls and visits

Registrations and Hotel

Gonser Gerber Institute workshops cost $995 per registration, $895 for each additional registration from the same institution. Current clients of Gonser Gerber receive a discounted fee of $795 per registrant. This fee includes breakfast and snacks both days of the workshop, and lunch on Thursday. We have secured a limited number or rooms for our workshop participants at the single room rate of $149 so you should make your reservations now.  Reservations must be made by May 1, 2017 at our conference hotel, the Westin Kansas City at Crown Center. Find out more on our Workshop Fact Sheet.

Workshop Cancellation Policy

Full workshop refunds will be made for cancellations received 20 or more business-days prior to the workshop. All but $250 will be refunded for cancellations received less than 20 business-days prior to the first day of the workshop.  Non-refundable, but can be put toward another Workshop.

Register Now! 

Your Faculty

Chad Jolly, Ph.D., Gonser Gerber partner, has been serving the field of education for more than 17 years. Most recently, he served as Vice President for Institutional Advancement for William Jewell College (MO) where he led a highly successful advancement program and was responsible for development, alumni relations, public relations and marketing. His professional background also includes enrollment management. Dr. Jolly is a frequent presenter and speaker at conferences and professional meetings throughout the U.S.

Kent Huyser, senior consultant at Gonser Gerber, has more than 12 years of experience in non-profit and advancement leadership. Prior to joining Gonser Gerber, he was Associate Vice Chancellor for Advancement at Metropolitan Community College, Kansas City (MCC) where he led a successful advancement program and launched the first comprehensive campaign for $20 million and reaching record fundraising levels. Prior positions also include Director of Development at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) Foundation where he led fundraising efforts for the School of Medicine, leadership positions at William Jewell College (MO), including Regional Development Director and Executive Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.