Date(s):
●
Time: 3:00pm ET
We may not know exactly when our campuses will reopen to faculty and students, but we do know that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed how schools will operate in the coming school year. Join us to discuss the implications that admission, marketing, and development professionals must consider to ensure they can perform their jobs effectively, no matter what the future holds.
Watch every ISM webinar run between March 1 and August 31, 2020 for only $880. Learn more.
We all eagerly await the day when we can welcome students and faculty back to campus. But it’s safe to assume that reopening our campuses will be anything but “business as usual.”
Join us to discover what you should do now to be ready. We will outline steps that admission, development, and marketing communications professionals should take to ensure their next recruitment, re-recruitment, and fundraising cycles result in positive outcomes. We’ll discuss policies, events, messaging, and more, with plenty of time allotted for questions and answers.
You will:
- learn how to plan now for your eventual return to campus;
- explore updating enrollment policies, procedures, and events;
- discover how to adjust your annual and capital campaign goals and messages; and
- determine what changes you should make to your marketing communications strategies.
This webinar is great for:
School Heads, Development Directors, Admission Directors, and Marketing Communications Directors.
Penny Abrahams, IAP-L
ISM Consultant | Virtual Advancement Summit Convener
Expertise
Penny first joined Independent School Management in 2010 as a member of the Advancement Academy’s founding faculty. As a Consultant, she specializes in marketing communications, enrollment management, and development. Her experience in these areas comes from working in private-independent schools for more than 13 years, and serving a variety of other non-profits for an additional seven years.
Her areas of expertise and passion include building enrollment management and marketing plans; developing mission-based messaging; crafting digital marketing and social media strategies; establishing crisis communications plans; and advising on optimal staffing structures and functions.
Current Role
As an Advancement Consultant and founding Advancement Academy Faculty member with ISM, Penny:
- consults in marketing communications and enrollment management planning, case statements, message frameworks, and development assessments
- conducts workshops and webinars focused on marketing communications and enrollment management best practices
- speaks at regional and national education conferences
- co-convenes ISM’s Advancement Academy for experienced school practitioners
- writes for ISM’s publications, including Ideas & Perspectives
She holds the Leader Certification through ISM’s International Advancement Program (IAP-L).
Prior Experience
Penny began her career in schools in 2001 at Ravenscroft, a PreK through grade 12 school in Raleigh, NC.
As the Annual Fund Director, she managed all aspects of the school’s annual giving program, overseeing a team of volunteers responsible for raising nearly $600,000. Penny later became Ravenscroft’s Director of Communications and was charged with building the school’s communications program from the ground up.
From 2013-17, Penny served as the Director of Admissions & Marketing at Academy at the Lakes, a PreK3 through grade 12 school located in Tampa, FL., where she helped the school reach record application and enrollment numbers.
Prior to her time in private-independent schools, Penny worked in publications and media relations for the University of Texas, the Memphis Center City Commission, and U.S. Synchronized Swimming.
Education
Penny graduated with a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received her International Advancement Program—Leader certification in 2012.
Michael Christopher, IAP-L
ISM Consultant
Expertise
Michael shares his expertise in building comprehensive development programs from the ground up. He believes a successful development program has solid operations, strong annual funds, proactive constituent cultivation, and robust communication and marketing programs.
Current Role
As a member of ISM’s Advancement Team, Michael:
- Serves on the ISM Advancement Academy faculty
- Acts as a member of the ISM Summer Institute faculty
- Authors and co-authors articles for ISM publications, including Ideas & Perspectives
- Presents national education conferences, including CASE-NAIS, APC, ISAS, NAIS, and NAES
- Assists schools with development, planning, governance, and school identity as an ISM Consultant
He holds the Leader Certification through ISM’s International Advancement Program (IAP−L) .
Prior Experience
Michael previously served as the Assistant Headmaster for Development at Lausanne Collegiate School in Memphis, Tennessee, a PK–12 International Baccalaureate World School of 860 students.
At Lausanne, Michael rebuilt the development program, oversaw development of alumni programs, built planned giving offerings, instituted a major gifts effort, and ran two capital campaigns. In doing so, he restructured the staff, created a culture of philanthropy within a highly diverse community, and supported the Board with three major strategic planning efforts.
Michael oversaw the incorporation and serves on the Board of Lausanne Learning, Inc., a non-profit educational services organization that supports the financial aid programs at Lausanne Collegiate School.
Michael has served as the Director of Development at Greensboro Day School and Holland Hall School in Tulsa, OK. He started his career in school advancement at the St. Louis Conservatory of Music, where he was Associate Dean for 15 years.
Education
He has a master’s degree from the University of Iowa and a bachelor’s degree in music from Cornell College (IA).
Amy P. Riley, Ed.S., IAP-L
ISM Consultant
Expertise
Amy provides ongoing consulting and coaching in the areas of admission, enrollment management, marketing communications, constituent relations, customer/client service, and school culture.
Current Role
In addition to her consultation and coaching services, Amy's responsibilities at ISM also focus on:
- writing for ISM’s advisory letter Ideas & Perspectives, distributed to school leaders in almost 1,000 schools;
- leading marketing and enrollment management workshops and webinars; and
- offering ISM content, quick tips, and tools via LinkedIn, YouTube, and Twitter.
Amy has been a member of the ISM team since 2011, when she joined the faculty of ISM’s Advancement Academy. In 2013, she joined ISM as a full-time Consultant. She serves as Academic Dean of ISM’s International Advancement Certification Program and holds Leader (IAP-L) level certification in the program.
Prior Experience
Amy has served educational institutions for more than 15 years. She was an educator at the public secondary and post-secondary levels; acted as Director of Advancement, leading admission, marketing communications and development; and functioned as an enrollment management consultant and school culture coach for private-independent schools.
Amy has led workshops on behalf of CASE-NAIS, FCIS, NCAIS, AMS, ACIS, EMA, and AISGW.
She holds a number of K-12 education credentials:
- Educational leadership and secondary English education certification, with gifted education endorsement
- American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE) High School Journalism Institute Fellow
Education
Amy earned an Ed.S in educational leadership, a master’s degree in English, and grades 6-12 teaching certification at the University of West Georgia. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Auburn University, AL.
If several of us at the school want to attend the webinar, do we each have to register and pay?
If two or more people at your school want to attend the webinar in the same location (for example, in a conference room with one monitor), then you only need to register and pay for one person who will receive the email and link. If you have people in remote locations, each person will need to register and pay separately. Essentially, a registration and payment gives you one link to the webinar.
Will I receive a reminder about the webinar I’ve just purchased?
Yes. A message will be sent to the email address you registered one or two days before the run date. You will receive a link to the webinar as well as PDF slides of the presentation you will be attending.
What happens if I miss my webinar? Will the fee be refunded?
If you’ve missed your scheduled webinar, don’t panic—you will automatically receive a link to the recorded webinar, barring any technical difficulties that prevent us from recording the session.
Will I receive a recorded version of the webinar after it concludes?
Yes, a recording of your webinar will be sent 24–48 hours after the recording concludes.
What if I have questions about the presentation? Whom do I contact?
You will be able to type questions, thoughts, and concerns in the communication box throughout the webinar. Each webinar allows 15 minutes for answering questions.
Confirmation and Cancellation Policy
We will correspond with you through email as soon as your workshop is confirmed, no later than two weeks prior to its start date. Occasionally, we may be forced to cancel an unconfirmed, scheduled workshop due to insufficient registration. So we ask that you do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until you receive notice that your workshop is confirmed. (ISM will not be responsible for any change/cancellation charges assessed by your airline or travel agent.)
Tuition Payment and Cancellation Policy for In-Person, Group-based Programs
Tuition must be paid in full 10 business days prior to the start date of the in-person, group-based program. An attendee with a balance due on the start date will be denied entrance to the program until the balance is paid in full.
Cancellation requests must be made in writing by emailing workshops@isminc.com, faxing to 302-656-0647, or mailing to: Professional Development Coordinator, ISM, 2207 Concord Pike, #417 Wilmington, DE 19803.
- Cancellations received more than 15 business days prior to the start date of the program will be fully refunded. Gold Dollars will also be fully refunded.
- There will be no refunds for cancellations made less than 15 business days before the start of the program. For registrations paid for with membership Gold Dollars, the member school will receive a 50% refund of Gold Dollars.
- Non-payment of tuition or no-show to the event does not constitute a cancellation. Full tuition will be due and payable.
The Substitution Option and Wallet Option
Should an attendee need to cancel less than 15 days prior to the start date of the workshop, the school has two options to avoid penalty. Schools may also exercise these options at anytime for cancellations.
- The school may substitute another employee.
- The school may bank the funds for a future ISM registration. These funds must be applied to a professional development event within one year from the start date of the original workshop. After one year, the funds will be forfeited. To use banked funds, please call the Professional Development Coordinator at 302-656-4944 x152.
*We DO NOT accept enrollments from consultants.
Our Guarantee
ISM believes in providing quality and excellence in all of our events and in ensuring the satisfaction of everyone who attends. Nearly 100% of our participants say they would recommend our events to their colleagues. If you are not satisfied with your event for any reason, ISM will credit the fee you paid toward another similarly priced workshop or will refund it.
Upcoming Events
4/29/2025 — 4/30/2025
4/23/2025 - 6:00am ET