Opening remarks from our amazing emcee, THE Floyd Jones. Hold onto your excitement! Brace yourself for a wave of awesomeness!

Tammy Zonker, Fundraising Transformed

Genuine connection is the cornerstone of lasting relationships. That’s as true in fundraising as it is in real life.

In this session, Tammy Zonker will show you the tools and processes to uncover the larger story in each donor's life, fostering connections that turn ‘transactional fundraising’ into ‘transformational giving.’

Tammy will dive into our core human needs: significance, appreciation, and understanding.  You’ll see how these fundamental needs shape our donor's relationship with us (and our organizations).  

By the end of this session, you'll have the skills you need to build more meaningful relationships, not just with donors, but with anyone in your life.

Learning Objectives:

• How to create powerful connections that resonate deeply with your donors

• How to craft engagement opportunities that go beyond ‘asking for a gift’ – opportunities to touch the hearts of your donors and inspire their long-term engagement with your organization.

Mallory Erickson

In an era marked by both unprecedented challenges and opportunities, the art and science of nonprofit fundraising are undergoing a radical transformation. The need for a paradigm shift in fundraising approaches has never been more urgent. This requires more than just strategic know-how; it calls for a profound transformation in how we think and feel about the fundraising process. In this dynamic session, Mallory Erickson brings her wealth of experience in executive coaching and behavior science to the forefront, guiding you through a journey of self-discovery and empowerment. Mallory's innovative approach, grounded in the principles of Alignment Fundraising, promises to dismantle the psychological barriers that frequently derail fundraising success.

This 60-minute session is designed not just as a presentation but as an interactive experience, inviting you to dive deep into the complexities of the fundraising mindset. You'll learn how underlying beliefs and emotions can shape your fundraising outcomes, and more importantly, how to reshape them to work in your favor. Mallory's method bridges the crucial gap between theoretical understanding and practical application, ensuring you're equipped to apply what you've learned immediately and effectively.

Learning Objectives:

• Concrete strategies to identify and dismantle psychological barriers in fundraising, transforming limiting beliefs into stories of empowerment and success.

• Deep insights into the science of motivation and behavioral change, providing you with a comprehensive framework to supercharge your fundraising effectiveness.

• Hands-on executive coaching techniques and behavior design principles to help you manage the emotional complexities of fundraising, ensuring you're primed to embrace diverse and innovative fundraising strategies with confidence.

Nathan Chappell, DonorSearch

The Societal Implications of Responsible + Beneficial AI” examines the critical responsibility of the nonprofit sector in leading the charge for ethical, transparent, and impactful AI adoption. As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integral to society, nonprofits have a unique opportunity—and obligation—to establish frameworks that prioritize long-term human welfare over short-term technological gains. This session explores the nuances of Responsible and Beneficial AI, highlighting the importance of privacy, accountability, and equity in AI governance. Attendees will gain actionable insights into how the nonprofit sector can set the standard for ethical AI practices, ensuring that these technologies serve as catalysts for societal progress and trust.

Learning Objectives:

• Define Responsible and Beneficial AI: Understand the principles and distinctions between ethical AI and Beneficial AI, with an emphasis on long-term societal impact.

• Explore the Nonprofit Sector’s Role: Examine the unique position of nonprofits to lead in establishing AI frameworks that prioritize equity, transparency, and trust.

• Develop AI Governance Strategies: Learn how to create and implement AI policies that align with nonprofit values, ensuring ethical and accountable use of AI technologies.

• Balance Innovation with Responsibility: Discover how nonprofits can harness AI’s potential while safeguarding human dignity, trust, and societal well-being.

Julia Gackenbach, DonorPerfect

Everyone has heard the saying “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” But what if it isn’t efficient? Your organization has unique needs and your time is valuable. It is time for you to get off the fundraising treadmill and think outside of the box. In this session, the experts at DonorPerfect will use case studies and data to help you evaluate your fundraising strategy, get creative with your tactics and consider solutions that will make it possible for you to spend more time focused on your mission!

Learning Objectives:

• Identify inefficiencies in current fundraising practices.

• Explore opportunities to engage stakeholders and uncover hidden challenges.

• Learn how to prioritize impactful and creative fundraising solutions.

Amy Eisenstein, Capital Campaign Pro

You lay the groundwork for your campaign long before you start asking for gifts. In this session, we’ll lay out three important ways to tip the campaign scales in your favor.

If your organization is just flirting with the idea of a capital campaign then this is the perfect session for you. Take it to heart and you’ll greatly increase your chances of success!

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the handful of people who can make your campaign success all but inevitable

• Engage those people long before your campaign has been fully formed

• Create the elements of a pre-campaign plan

Cherian Koshy, Kindsight

At the start of a new year, many fundraisers set lofty resolutions and ambitious timelines, only to find themselves trapped in the tyranny of short-term metrics. For example, we overestimate how quickly gifts will materialize and underestimate the value of long-term relationship building. In this session, we’ll explore how breaking free from short planning time frames can unlock transformative results for your fundraising program. Drawing on sector-specific data, behavioral science, and the principles of neurofundraising, we’ll challenge the assumptions that keep us tethered to immediate outcomes and reframe how we measure success.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the Pitfalls of Short-Term Thinking: Understand how short-term metrics can distort decision-making and hinder long-term success in fundraising.

• Reframe Your Metrics: Learn to integrate meaningful, long-term indicators of success into your fundraising strategy.

• Apply Neurofundraising Principles: Discover how leveraging behavioral science can foster deeper donor relationships and create more sustainable giving patterns.

• Craft a Future-Focused Plan: Walk away with a roadmap for building realistic, data-informed timelines that balance urgency with patience.

• Shift Organizational Mindsets: Gain tools to advocate for a culture that values long-term impact over immediate gratification.

Packed with thought-provoking insights and actionable strategies, this session will help you move from transactional to transformational fundraising. It’s time to embrace the power of patience and design fundraising plans that are not only achievable but sustainable.