Competitive Strategies to Earn Foundation Support and Donor Advised Funds

Maeve Riley, Executive Vice President; Tyler Mark, Sr. Vice President; and Mary DeLay, Sr. Vice President - CCS

In FY2025, foundations provided more than one-third (37%) of philanthropic support and Donor Advised Funds represented 10% of giving to UT institutions. This session will review best practices and help you develop strategies to develop, enhance and maintain these important funding sources.

Engaged and Committed: Strategies to Increase Engagement through Testamentary Commitments

Kim West, Assistant Vice President for Development Advancement and Alumni Relations - UT San Antonio; Roya Esfandi, Director of Gift Planning - UTHealth Houston; April Hampton-Perez, Executive Director Gift and Estate Planning - UT Austin; and Kevin Foyle, Senior Vice President for Development and Alumni Engagement - UTHealth Houston (moderator)

Where does testamentary giving fit into your donor’s journey? In FY25, UT institutions documented 258 new testamentary commitments representing $327.6 million. In this panel discussion, hear strategies and best practice that meaningfully engage donors through their testamentary giving program. What might work for you?

It’s a Strategy: Enhancing Corporate Engagement for Institutional Advancement

Maeve Riley, Executive Vice President; Tyler Mark, Sr. Vice President; and Mary DeLay, Sr. Vice President - CCS

On par with national norms for philanthropic support to public research institutions, corporate giving accounted for 12% of all cash donations to UT institutions in FY2025. This session will discuss new approaches for strengthening your institution’s corporate engagement and giving programs to protect and enhance this critical revenue source.

Strategies for Securing Principal and Transformational Gifts

David Livingston, Vice President for Development, and Wendy Anderson, Assistant VP for Transformational Giving - UT Austin

In this interactive session, you will do a deep dive into an effective principal and transformational gift program. Come away with valuable insights into the donor’s journey and intent, along with next steps to design, implement, and evaluate your program.

Do You Trust Me? Nurturing Trust-Based Donor Relationships

Pete Lasher, Principal - Huron Group

All lasting relationships depend on trust, including our relationships with donors. This session will explore strategies to align donor passions and values with institutional priorities, building trust that helps develop and maintain the long-term relationships so important to your institution’s future.

Reimagining Annual Giving and Rebuilding Your Donor Pipeline

Amanda Billings, Vice President, and Susan Nee, Senior Director of Engagement and Participation - UT Southwestern Medical Center

What if your annual giving program wasn’t just a participation strategy, but your best pipeline for future transformational gifts? In this interactive session, you’ll hear ways to apply annual giving to accelerate donor acquisition, deepen engagement and launch a scalable, structured and measurable discovery model for future gifts.

The Times They Are A-Changin' – Understanding the Trends Shaping Advancement and Fundraising

Josh Birkholz, Senior Fellow, Philanthropy Innovation - BWF ZURI, Author, Past Chair of Giving USA Foundation

Donor expectations, generational giving, the role of AI, data-driven decision-making, customized communications, philanthropic support…knowing and preparing for changes in these critical areas is essential to successful philanthropy and the future of your advancement office. This presentation is designed to help all fundraising and advancement services professionals understand the trends that may have an impact on their roles and programs.

Building Synergy: Aligning Communication and Advancement Efforts

Lisa Aaronson, Senior Director - Huron Group

Good communication and institutional philanthropic success are inextricably linked. By integrating institutional communications with advancement communications, we can help donors better understand and value institutional vision, priorities, and brand. In this session, communications and advancement services team members can explore how to maximize those opportunities for collaboration for the betterment of the institution.

Data-Driven Advancement: Turning insights into Action

Karl Miller-Lugo, Vice President, Advancement and Alumni Engagement, and Greg Cortez, Chief Data Officer - UT San Antonio

Without good data, strategies may become flawed and programs might become weaker. But what does it mean to have good actionable data? In this interactive session, discover ways to enhance the quality of the data you gather and use it most effectively.

From Gift to Gratitude: Managing the Donor Experience Lifecycle

Angela Altamore, Associate VP for Donor Relations and Experience - BWF ZURI

Meeting donor expectations and understanding generational differences are key elements in meaningful donor relations programs. Learn more about how alumni relations, grateful patient programs, stewardship, gift receipting, engagement programs, and communications can help improve donor relations and set your institution apart.

Leading Through Uncertainty to Seize Advancement Opportunities

Sarah Clough, Principal, Chief Strategy Officer and Vice President, Philanthropy Insights & Analytics - Marts and Lundy

Changing donor expectations and philanthropic priorities often require new technologies and services. Some advancement offices will manage the change well and effectively, while others may experience more challenges due to staffing, budget or other factors. This session will help you align people, processes and priorities to build a resilient team ready to take advantage of new opportunities.

Crisis Communications and Our Essential Responsibility

Charles Bakaly, Senior Counselor and Global Lead - Edelman; and Greta Hays, Senior Vice President, Higher Education - Edelman

Today's crisis and issues management landscape is more complex and fast-moving than ever before. Within this context, how do we maintain our essential responsibility to speak to the people we serve with clarity, empathy and authenticity? Join us to walk through best practices in crisis and issues management as we tackle the nuts and bolts of preparation and response. Is this really a crisis? Should we issue an apology? How do we prep our leaders for tough media conversations? What do we say on social? The presentation will include interactive participation.

From Pandemic to Protests: How the Higher Ed Communications Landscape Has Changed

Mike Rosen, Senior Director of Media Strategy - UT Austin; Gary Susswein, Principal - BandOne; and Ben Wright, Media Relations - UT System

The last six years have stress-tested higher education and health communications in ways few could have anticipated — from a global pandemic to campus protests, legislative and public scrutiny, and a more polarized media environment. This interactive discussion takes stock of what has changed and the impact on institutions going forward.

Tell a Better Story: How Research Institutions Can Stand Out

James Wakefield, Founding Partner - Legend Labs

There are more than 180 R1 institutions competing for research dollars, media coverage, and stakeholder recognition — and more than 130 R2 institutions on the ascendency. In this session, we’ll take a deep dive into learning how highly competitive storytelling can help institutions win the battle for reputation and relevance.

Under the Dome: Strategic Legislative Communications

David Beshear, President - The Beshear Group; Elyse Yates, President - The Digital Advance; and Jeff Jeter, Vice President of Government Relations - UT Arlington (moderator)

A legislative session is one of the most high-stakes communications environments a higher education institution faces. This session will discuss how to align messaging, thought leadership, and social media strategy to position UT institutions as helpful, credible policy resources within the compressed, fast-moving context of an active session.

How is AI Impacting Journalism? Friend or Foe?

Grant Moise, CEO and Publisher, and Colleen McCain Nelson, Executive Editor - Dallas Morning News; Randa Safady, Vice Chancellor for External Affairs, Communications and Advancement Services - UT System (moderator)

AI is impacting everything, including the newsroom. And with an increasing amount of reporting now being driven by forces outside of human hands, misinformation and distrust are more prevalent than ever before. In this session, we’ll learn more about how AI is both a tool and a risk to journalism, and the public perception of trust in the media. Speakers will also examine how university communicators can best engage with journalists in the new media landscape to ensure accuracy, integrity, and expertise.

Managing (AI) Impressions

Brady Renner - Meltwater

Students and parents, as well as political leaders and journalists, increasingly are developing opinions about higher ed institutions based on their interactions with AI tools. This session will discuss how to make your institutional voice heard and explore the changing value of owned, earned and paid media in influencing AI-generated responses.

Rebranding from the Inside Out

Tadd Pullin, Senior Vice President of Institutional Affairs and Chief Brand and Communications Officer - UT MD Anderson Cancer Center; Heather Adkins, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer - UT San Antonio; Stephen Hadley, Assistant Vice President, Marketing and Media Communications - UT Medical Branch; and Randa Safady, Vice Chancellor for External Affairs, Communications and Advancement Services - UT System (moderator)

Rebranding for academic or health institutions is far more than a design project — it touches every department, employee, and community the institution serves. In this panel, senior communications leaders from three UT institutions who recently completed brand evolution projects will share what drove the need for change, how they built the case for leadership, and what it really took to bring everyone along.

The State of Social: What’s Changing and What to Do About It

Meredith Howard, Senior Manager of Digital Strategy - Deloitte

Social media is changing. Again. Platforms are fragmenting among age groups and along partisan lines. Content is no longer king. Algorithms are shifting. Join us to explore an up-to-date overview and assessment of the emerging social media landscape and how to adjust your social strategy accordingly.

Students as Digital Content Creators

Alex Garrido, Assistant Vice President of Marketing Strategy & Innovation; Kara M. Lara, Social Media Manager; and Christopher Cabello, Digital Engagement Coordinator - UT Rio Grande Valley

If you want to know more about your institution, just talk to students. With a systematic approach and training, student creators can enhance institutional storytelling. In this session, the UT Rio Grande Valley team will share their proven system for recruiting and managing student creators, resulting in consistent, high-utility content that resonates with their constituents.