Our expert consultants were front and center at the 2024 CASE Summit for Leaders in Advancement in New York this year, and we’ve compiled all the takeaways, insights, and strategies to help you navigate this fall.
General Takeaways:
- Leadership Challenges – particularly in today’s uncertain environment. Techniques like fostering a growth mindset and delegating tasks effectively can help leaders navigate these challenges.
- Learning Conscious Leadership – There is a growing recognition of the importance of “conscious leadership” emphasizing intuition and awareness.
Key Takeaways for Leaders:
- Building Relationships and Trust – Building relationships with colleagues across departments and fostering trust are crucial for success.
- Welcoming Conversation and Discourse – Universities in particular should facilitate discourse, not take stances. It’s important to create spaces where people can disagree respectfully and explore different viewpoints, rather than making institutional statements on hot-button topics.
- Focusing on Wellness – Leaders should prioritize the well-being of themselves and their staff.
- Increasing Authenticity – Donors are looking for authenticity, so be sure that you are genuine in your interactions with donors and focus on building relationships. With that being said, mid-level donors ($5k-$25k) are particularly passionate and committed so cultivating long-term relationships with this audience could be incredibly valuable.
- Navigating Polarizing Events – Maintaining relationships with donors during polarizing events can be incredibly challenging. Develop cohesive, organizational strategies for navigating sensitive topics and maintaining positive relationships with donors regardless of their viewpoints.
- Harnessing the Power of AI – Explore ways to leverage AI to augment your team’s work and improve efficiency.
Key DEI Takeaways:
- Diversifying the Donor Pipeline – Consider ways to reach out to donors of color and tailor your approach to resonate with their values and experiences. Techniques include considering factors like “time, talent, treasure, testimony, ties and trust” – generosity comes in many forms.
- Establishing and Building Trust – authenticity is key when engaging donors of color. Ensure your messaging is inclusive and reflects the diversity of your institution.
- Leveraging Data – Use data to Inform your DEI strategy is critical and especially helpful in identifying opportunities for outreach and engagement with underrepresented communities.
