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2024 Advancement Summit: Cultivating Major Gifts

Monday, June 24, 2024 to Wednesday, June 26, 2024

Major donors are critical to the success of any effective independent school program. This three-day summit will focus on every aspect of a robust major gifts program by starting at the beginning—the objective assessment of a development program’s operation—and ending with the ultimate goal of a strong major gifts program: the capital campaign. 

Participants will learn actionable best practices they can implement immediately to build a major gifts program that fuels a school’s vision and creates exceptional learning environments for their students and faculty. 

The summit will be broken into three sections: assessing the development office foundation, building a strong major donor program, and preparing for a capital campaign. Each section will be a comprehensive look at fundraising best practices at all levels of the donor cycle. Participants will engage in breakout exercises designed to put both strategic and tactical approaches into practice—turning the major gift ask into a foregone conclusion after carefully cultivating donors and engaging staff and volunteer leaders in the process 

Presented by The Winkler Group.

Audience: The summit is ideal for mid-level to senior development professionals as well as heads of schools and board members who want to develop their skills cultivating and stewarding major donors. 


Registration
SAIS Member Non-Member 
School
Through June 7   $575 $689
After June 7   $675 $789

 

Morgan Bradley
Morgan Bradley Development Officer AMY Wellness Foundation
Jessica Browning
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Jessica Browning Executive Vice President & Principal Winkler Group
Jim Bush
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Jim Bush Principal & CEO Winkler Group
Brendan Davis
Brendan Davis Director of Business Development Winkler Group
Kirsten Dean
Kirsten Dean Director of Development The O'Neal School
Rachel Ellis
Rachel Ellis Director of Development Providence Day School
Jamie George
Jamie George Donor Relations & Stewardship Coordinator Fellowship Christian School
Katie Keels
Katie Keels Director of Advancement Trinity Episcopal School-NC
Trent Kinsey
Trent Kinsey Assistant Director of Development Fellowship Christian School
Anna Lipscomb
Anna Lipscomb Marketing Event Manager Winkler Group
Lauren Mazzari
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Lauren Mazzari Head of School Saint Patrick Catholic School
Jimmy Messer
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Jimmy Messer Head of School Presbyterian Christian School
Paige Perdue
Paige Perdue Associate Director of Development Whitefield Academy
Michael Plank
Michael Plank Director of Development & Marketing Springwood School
Rachel Presley
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Rachel Presley Director of Development & Marketing Friends School of Wilmington
Brandi Richardson
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Brandi Richardson Asst. HOS & Secondary Campus Director Presbyterian Christian School
Joel Schuster
Joel Schuster Chief Advancement Officer Fellowship Christian School
Elizabeth Sirk
Elizabeth Sirk Director of Development The Walker School
Kathy Tolbert
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Kathy Tolbert Director of Advancement First Presbyterian Day School
Adair Wells
Adair Wells Director of Advancement Saint Patrick Catholic School
Courtney Woodfin
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Courtney Woodfin Director of Advancement Trinity Academy
Sue Yull
Sue Yull Development Administrator Trinity Academy
Speaker

Jim BushJim Bush
Principal & President, Winkler Group

Jim Bush is a seasoned fundraising professional and nonprofit executive with over $100 million raised for capital campaigns over his career. Jim has presented at more than fifty national and international fundraising conferences; he has been named the top speaker at six international conferences. 

He has been fortunate to lead capital campaigns and fundraising initiatives for countless independent schools, including many SAIS-accredited schools. 

Hotel – Renaissance Asheville Downtown

    Please call Zemery Gilliam at 828-210-3006 to make a reservation in the SAIS room block.

      • Group rate: $216
      • Cut-off date: when the block is full

        NOTE: SAIS does not utilize the services of a housing vendor for any events. Neither SAIS nor the hotel will call you to make reservations over the phone. Please use the above hotel links to secure your reservation directly with the hotel.

        Please contact learn@sais.org with any questions.

        Sponsor

        Event Policies & Acknowledgments
        • For questions about event registration or special accommodations, contact abby@sais.org