Explore how advancement professionals can collaborate effectively with the school leadership team — including trustees — to foster strategic growth and implement impactful initiatives that enhance the experience for both educators and students.

Delve into the first three steps of the Donor Cycle, ISM’s strategic framework for deepening donor relationships with your school, exploring how development professionals identify potential donors, strengthen connections, and assess their interests, values, and financial capacity.

Explore how to gather, analyze, and present data in ways that drive strategic planning and build confidence among stakeholders, including school leadership and boards.

Gain valuable insights into your constituents — parents, students, alumni, and donors — by developing detailed audience personas. Explore practical, data-driven strategies to identify their unique needs, motivations, and behaviors.

Explore the powerful connection between school culture and advancement outcomes. Learn how a positive, engaged faculty and student body can strengthen your efforts, while a negative or toxic culture can create obstacles to achieving your goals.

Explore how AI can streamline database management, enhance donor engagement, and uncover fundraising trends, while also addressing key challenges such as ethical considerations and data security.

This session will show you how to develop and use a 52-week calendar as a thoughtful strategic tool throughout the admissions and enrollment cycle.

Learn how to take your school’s social media presence to the next level by developing a structured, goal-oriented content strategy. Explore methods to align content with your school's mission, engage key stakeholders, and optimize your efforts across platforms.

Engage in thoughtful conversations around international student recruitment in the current climate. Explore the most pressing concerns and potential opportunities, identify the strengths of each participant’s institution, and create an actionable plan for the coming recruitment cycle.

Examine the customer service practices at some famous companies, and we'll discuss what good customer service looks like in the private school environment. Gain actionable steps to develop, sustain, and strengthen your school's customer service experience, resulting in better student recruitment and retention.

Learn how to evaluate your top givers and hear practical tips for working with staff and volunteer solicitation teams to increase overall donations.

Tackle the real-world tips and tricks you need to stay organized, keep your sanity, and make a big impact. From finding smart shortcuts to knowing when to call for backup to celebrating the wins (big and small), you’ll walk away with practical advice you can actually use.

This session guides you through identifying and addressing potential weak spots in your school’s crisis communication plan, with a particular focus on the challenges posed by social media. Explore key principles of reputation management across multiple channels and learn how to respond confidently to crises as they unfold.

Develop a five-year endowment master plan for your school — reviewing endowment policies and discussing how to establish or sustain an ongoing endowment fundraising program.

The profile of the modern student is evolving, shaped by shifting demographics, diverse learning needs, and new expectations for education. This session explores how these changes impact admission decisions and classroom experiences, addressing common concerns from faculty about student readiness and caliber.