RNL 2020 Advancement Innovation Summit—On Demand
Watch sessions from our virtual summit on donor engagement
It’s time to challenge the norm in donor engagement. Whether you’re looking to build a more loyal base of annual givers, identify a pipeline for big gifts, or engage new groups of supporters, these sessions from our interactive online event provide new insights to drive immediate results for your institution.
5 reasons to watch on-demand sessions from the 2020 RNL Advancement Innovation Summit
- Hear industry experts share new tactics to maximize engagement, including the digital engagement center and omnichannel campaigns that combine traditional methods like phone and mail with integrated texting and video greetings.
- See how AI-driven personalization breaks through the competition for your donors’ attention.
- Explore emerging technologies being used by RNL partners to engage new groups of donors.
- Learn how these innovations can be adopted quickly and on a tight budget.
- Discover actionable steps to drive innovation in your program
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RNL Advancement Innovation Summit agenda
The sessions at the virtual RNL Advancement Innovation Summit were held live online September 17-18. The on-demand sessions are now available until September 2021. The agenda below shows the schedule for the virtual conference and what you’ll be able to watch on-demand. (Note: some sessions are not available for on-demand viewing.)
If you have any questions, or suggestions for topics, please contact us.
Thursday, September 17
10:00 – 10:15 a.m. CT
RNL Welcome from Dr. Sumit Nijhawan
RNL Welcome from Sumit Nijhawan, CEO
10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. CT
Opening Keynote:
Vu Le, Founder of NWB Consulting, NonProfit AF and co-founder, Community Centric Fundraising
“Six questions to challenge the norm in donor engagement” (Not available for on-demand viewing.)
11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. CT
Innovation in Action Case Study: The University at Buffalo
With Geoff Bartlett, Assistant Vice President, Annual Giving
12:05 – 1:15 p.m. CT
Advancement Leaders Panel: Beyond Business as Usual
Hosted By Renée Vaillancourt, Executive Vice President of Client Success and Sarah Kleeberger, Senior Vice President, Fundraising Consulting
- Edward Chiu, Senior Vice President for Advancement, Babson College
- O’Neil Outar, Vice President for Institutional Engagement, Rhode Island School of Design
- Megan Morey, Vice President for College Relations, Williams College
- Scott Roberts, President/CEO, University of Connecticut Foundation
1:30 – 2:15 p.m. CT
The FY2021 RNL Innovation Roadmap
Josh Robertson, Senior Vice President for Product Strategy
2:30 – 3:30 p.m. CT
Key Issues in Advancement Fishbowl Discussions
Participate in an online discussion with fellow leaders in small groups organized around key innovation issues. (Note: these discussions are not available for on-demand viewing.)
Digital Engagement Centers
Hosted by Miranda Fagley, Associate Director of Annual Giving, Carnegie Mellon University, Chad Warren and Kadisha White, RNL
Budget and Resource Strategy
Hosted by Chris Sorensen, Hiya and Chris Bingley, RNL
Student Philanthropy Engagement (with and without students on campus)
Hosted by Audrey Leland, Student and Young Alumni Philanthropy Officer, Tufts University and Dayna Carpenter, RNL
Donor Acquisition on a Budget
Hosted by Barbie Terry, Assistant Vice President for Development, University of North Alabama, Heather Kopec, Director of Annual Giving, Virginia Tech, and Jay Finney, RNL
Engaging Major Donors in Times of Crisis
Hosted by Aaron Escobar, Vice President for Development and Senior Associate Athletic Director, Oregon State University and Justin Marquart, RNL
Leadership Annual Giving and Mid-Level Donor Strategy
Hosted by Sarah Myksin, Director of Annual Giving, DePaul University and Greta Daniels, RNL
Managing Staff Remotely
Hosted by David Jones, Executive Director for Annual Giving and Constituent Development, University of Georgia, Sylvia Vandever and Katie Coats, RNL
Building Analytics Capacity: Fundraising, Engagement And Digital
Hosted by Jennifer MacCormack, Senior Director, Annual Philanthropy & Advancement Analytics, University of Washington and Josh Robertson, RNL
Young Alumni Engagement
Hosted by Rebecca Trump, Associate Vice President, Annual Giving, Rutgers University, Montrell Cartwright and Chad Friedlein, RNL
Social Networks and Lifetime Learning
Hosted by Brooks Hull, Vice President for University Advancement, Louisiana Tech and Stephanie Soscia, RNL
Friday, September 18
10:00 – 10:45 a.m. CT
Amplify Lifetime Engagement with 
LinkedIn is where your alumni and top supporters gather to connect with peers, seek information, and build their careers. It is also where your institution can engage its network with lifelong opportunities to continue education, spotlight what’s new on campus, and give back to their alma mater.
New platform engagement tools are making it easier than ever to reach your student network with these updates and opportunities at the right moments of their personal and professional lives. Join LinkedIn experts as we unpack what this powerful networking tool can do to amplify your alumni and supporter engagement.
- Jarrod Butler – Account Executive, Enterprise Education
- Chantal St.Louis Augustin – Lead, Education Vertical Marketing
11:00-11:30 a.m. CT
Challenging the Norm in Donor Relations
Lynne Wester, Donor Relations Guru
What are the emerging trends in our field? What are top shops focusing on? And what are the challenges that face our field? Join us to learn where we’re headed in the future and to explore the unique challenges facing the field.
Armed with information from three “pulse of donor relations” surveys spanning multiple years, examine the changing landscape of donor relations, our future partnerships in fundraising, and what type of talent we need to drive our profession forward.
11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. CT
Advancement Leaders Panel: the FY21 Outlook
Hosted by Chris Bingley, Senior Vice President and Meg Weber, Vice President
- Karl Miller Lugo, Vice President for Advancement, University of Texas at San Antonio
- Lori Redfearn, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Systemwide Advancement, California State University
- Josh Harraman, Vice President for Alumni Engagement, Annual Giving, and Advancement Communications, Rutgers University
- Colleen Fitzpatrick, Vice President for Advancement, Middlebury College
12:30 – 1:00 p.m. CT
Key Innovation Download – Integrated P2P Texting
Hosted by Shad Hanselman, Associate Vice President, Annual Giving
Special Guests:
- Deidra Miles, Director of Annual Giving, University of Massachusetts, Lowell
- Sarah Kathryn Hickman, Assistant Vice President, Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving at Baylor University
Key Innovation Download – Personalized Video
Hosted by Eric Billings, Associate Vice President, Digital Product Management
Special Guest: JD Beebe, Co-Founder and CEO of ThankView
Key Innovation Download – Maximizing Phone Impact
Hosted by Brian Cass, Vice President for Client Success
1:00 – 1:30 p.m. CT
Key Innovation Download – AI-Driven Personalization
Hosted by Peter Caron, Vice President, Software Products
Special Guest: Mark Sanders, Director of Information Systems, Georgia Tech
Key Innovation Download – The Remote Digital Engagement Center
Hosted by Shad Hanselman, Associate Vice President, Annual Giving
Special Guests:
- Pamela Chan, Senior Director of Direct Response Marketing, University of California, Berkeley
- Howard Heevner, Executive Director of Annual Programs, University of California, Berkeley
Key Innovation Download – Crowdfunding and Giving Days
Hosted by Kristin DeMarco Carroll, Senior Client Solutions Consultant
Special Guests:
- Ryan Lawrence, Associate Director of Digital Philanthropy University of California, Berkeley
- Phillip James, Associate Director, Annual Giving, The University of Cincinnati Foundation
1:30 – 2:00 p.m. CT
Innovation in Action Case Study: Southern Methodist University
Alexandra Stoops, Director of Direct Marketing
2:15 – 3:00 p.m. CT
Key Issues in Advancement Fishbowl Discussions
Participate in discussion with fellow attendees in small groups organized around key innovation issues. (Note: these discussions are not available for on-demand viewing.)
Micro-Campaigns and Affinity Engagement
Hosted by Sean Devendorf, Senior Director of Annual Giving, Tufts University and Karen LaMalva, RNL
Working with Volunteers
Hosted by Nicole Schroeder, Director of the Alumni Annual Fund, Carleton College, Dayna Carpenter, and Samantha Stowell, RNL
Donor Engagement, Fundraising and Acquisition During Election Year
Hosted by Becca Widmer, Director, Annual Giving, Drake University and Jared Glass, RNL
Working with Fewer Staff And Resources
Hosted by David Jones, Executive Director for Annual Giving and Constituent Development , University of Georgia and Autumn Horton, RNL
Crafting and Remaining Agile With Your FY21 Plan
Hosted by Maggie Linn-Addison, Assistant Vice President, Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving, Regis University and Meg Weber, RNL
Re-Engaging Crisis Donors to Renew
Hosted by Christina Sebastian, Senior Executive Director, Donor Relations and Broad-based Marketing, Columbia University in the City of New York and Emily Richman, RNL
Parent Fundraising
Hosted by Molly Taylor, Senior Director of Annual Giving Programs, Washington University in St. Louis and Chad Friedlein, RNL
3:00 p.m. CT
Conference Close & Key Takeaways
Many thanks to our RNL Advancement Innovation Summit 2020 sponsors!
