education sessions
We have a wide array of educational sessions waiting for you at AFP ICON 2024. Whether you want to master leadership, relationship building, securing the gift, trends and innovation, or all of the above, AFP has the latest and greatest information to unlock your fundraising potential.
- Current & Prospective Donor Research
- Ethics, Accountability & Professionalism
- Health Care (Sponsored by DonorSearch, Curated by Advancement Resources)
- Leadership & Management (Sponsored by Lindauer Global)
- Relationship Building (Sponsored by GolfStatus)
- Securing the Gift Track (Sponsored by Mission CRM)
- Volunteer Involvement
Health Care
Sun, Apr 7, 2024
9:00am - 10:15am
Room 802 A/B
Influencing and Informing Your Organization’s Vision for Philanthropy (Presented by Advancement Resources)
Have your colleagues ever approached you with a shopping list of funding priorities and a directive to “go get the money”? Too often in healthcare philanthropy, our organizations understand only in part how to apply the power of philanthropy to achieve our goals. In this panel discussion, learn research-based best-practices for redirecting conversations with clinicians, executives, and others; building trust; and securing a seat at the table in hospital or system priority-setting discussions. Use data-driven strategies to help achieve lasting outcomes for your organization’s important work.
Audience: Applied
Speakers
UT Southwestern Medical Center - AVP Advancement Strategy and Operations
Shashea is the AVP of Advancement Strategy and Operations at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Over her 20+ years in leadership, Shashea has been a trusted advisor on culture and strategic planning, but her greatest contribution is leading her team to advance engagement, fundraising initiatives, and the mission of UT Southwestern.
Advancement Resources - Senior Vice President
Mark is committed to this comprehensive approach, identifying strengths and opportunities, assets and effectiveness in teams, and helping to create near-term change that produces long-term transformation. With more than 36 years of experience in a wide range of development leadership positions, Mark has worked with leaders in health care, higher education, arts, human services, and faith-based institutions to help organizations prepare and take steps toward the next level of growth.Michael Delzotti, CFRE, AFP Master Trainer, FAHP
UK Markey Cancer Foundation - President & CEO
Mike has 29+ years in leadership and began at a Los Angeles foundation; moved to UCLA, then Special Olympics. In Texas, Mike was a leader at Rice University; then led both MD Anderson’s major/planned giving during two $1B+ campaigns and Neurodegeneration Consortium ($65M partner-campaign with MIT, Baylor College of Medicine).Sun, Apr 7, 2024
10:45am - 12:00pm
Room 802 A/B
Preparing Before, During, and After for Stellar Engagement (Presented by Advancement Resources)
Engagement makes the world turn in healthcare philanthropy—but are you fully leveraging the opportunity that intentional, strategic communication and engagement strategy provides? In this session, panelists explore how they prepare for and execute thoughtful communications and follow-up with potential donors in order to ensure that each touch point is maximized for optimal effectiveness in increasing commitment and meeting your hospital’s goals.
Audience: Applied
Speakers
Michael Garron Hospital Foundation - Director of Marketing and Communications
From igniting discussion about the most fatal gynecological cancer to fostering optimism as our health system recovers from the pandemic, Janice’s career has focused on creating meaningful engagement. At Michael Garron Hospital Foundation, she’s showing donors how their support is helping a community hospital exceed all expectations.
Advancement Resources - Vice President of Strategic Partnerships
Caleb works closely with academic, healthcare, and nonprofit organizations to develop and execute a customized and strategic approach to deepen the culture of philanthropy within each organization while supporting long-term transformation. In addition, Caleb is part of the facilitation team that delivers professional education for healthcare, academic, and nonprofit organizations. Through these engagements, he is involved in many client-focused projects and is honored to serve these organizations in a variety of ways.
Nicklaus Children's Hospital Foundation - Director of Development
Marc is responsible for major giving, capital campaigns, donor engagement, cultivation, and strategic collaboration across the Nicklaus Children’s Health System. Marc spends his time in the community creating awareness and providing the opportunity for members of the community and global community to invest in the children’s future.Michael Delzotti, CFRE, AFP Master Trainer, FAHP
UK Markey Cancer Foundation - President & CEO
Mike has 29+ years in leadership and began at a Los Angeles foundation; moved to UCLA, then Special Olympics. In Texas, Mike was a leader at Rice University; then led both MD Anderson’s major/planned giving during two $1B+ campaigns and Neurodegeneration Consortium ($65M partner-campaign with MIT, Baylor College of Medicine).Sun, Apr 7, 2024
4:00pm - 5:15pm
Room 802 A/B
Cognitive Impairment in Donors: Best Practices & Considerations
With 1 in 9 people aged 65+ years showing signs of cognitive impairment, encountering a donor with this issue is inevitable. We will teach the top signs of cognitive impairment, best practices to utilize in this situation, and pose questions about incorporating this in your culture, metrics, CRM, and stewardship.
Education Track(s): Ethics, Accountability and Professionalism
Audience: Introductory/Foundational
Speakers
Tara Adams, JD, Ed.M.
Cognitive Empowerment Consulting Group, LLC - Co-founder
Tara Adams has served in roles at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, University of Illinois College of Law at Urbana-Champaign, and North Carolina State University as well as raising funds for the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. Tara received her B.S. from Illinois State University and her Ed.M. and JD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she is a current Ph.D. student. Tara is the co-founder of the Cognitive Empowerment Consulting Group.Anthony Pomonis, CFRE
Cognitive Empowerment Consulting Group, LLC - Co-founder
Anthony Pomonis served as a major gift officer for the University of Illinois, the University of Illinois Foundation, and the University of Central Florida. Anthony graduated with his B.A. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and began a 15-year journey as an entrepreneur. Anthony considers himself to be a lifelong learner and is about to sit for the CFP exam. He is the co-founder of the Cognitive Empowerment Consulting Group, LLC.Mon, Apr 8, 2024
8:00am - 9:15am
Room 802 A/B
Leverage Top Trends for Engaging Your Healthcare Philanthropy Board (Presented by Advancement Resources)
Research shows that donors who are involved in a volunteer capacity with nonprofit organizations they care about are likely to give more than twice as much financially than those who are uninvolved. In short, volunteers are our most committed supporters—yet do we fully leverage the opportunity afforded by their commitment and expertise? In this dynamic session, explore five strategies for ensuring board members feel appreciated, fully utilized, and deeply engaged.
Audience: Applied
Speakers
Sinai Health Foundation - Executive Director, Campaign
David Grieco is Executive Director, Campaign at Sinai Health Foundation. In his role, David leads the organization’s unprecedented $50M campaign to establish a Centre for Mature Women’s Health at Sinai Health. David’s experience spans 17 years in Toronto’s non-profit sector, with over a decade of experience in health care philanthropy.
Advancement Resources - Senior Vice President
Mark is committed to this comprehensive approach, identifying strengths and opportunities, assets and effectiveness in teams, and helping to create near-term change that produces long-term transformation. With more than 36 years of experience in a wide range of development leadership positions, Mark has worked with leaders in health care, higher education, arts, human services, and faith-based institutions to help organizations prepare and take steps toward the next level of growth.
Loma Linda University Health - Senior Vice President of Advancement
Rachelle Bussell is the Senior Vice President of Loma Linda University Health. With over 30 years of experience working with nonprofits, she has been in her current role since 2011. She oversees philanthropy, marketing and communications for 6 hospitals and 8 schools within the university.Michael Delzotti, CFRE, AFP Master Trainer, FAHP
UK Markey Cancer Foundation - President & CEO
Mike has 29+ years in leadership and began at a Los Angeles foundation; moved to UCLA, then Special Olympics. In Texas, Mike was a leader at Rice University; then led both MD Anderson’s major/planned giving during two $1B+ campaigns and Neurodegeneration Consortium ($65M partner-campaign with MIT, Baylor College of Medicine).Mon, Apr 8, 2024
10:15am - 11:30am
Room 802 A/B
Engaging Stakeholders to Champion Philanthropy ( Presented by Advancement Resources)
Philanthropy is a powerful solution to many challenges and roadblocks in modern healthcare—but the case for philanthropy is complex, and many organizational stakeholders don’t understand it fully. In this session, panelists will present the case for investing in major gift fundraising and share real-world examples of how that information can be leveraged to recruit faculty, researchers, and others as champions who understand and are committed to the tremendous opportunity in healthcare philanthropy today.
Audience: Strategic
Speakers
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center - Director of Philanthropic Gifts
Nick Peyton is a seasoned fundraiser, currently serving as the Director of Philanthropic Gifts at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. In this role, Nick is part of the fundraising team responsible for a $3B comprehensive campaign for Fred Hutch. With expertise in major gift fundraising, he has worked for and managed teams at organizations including the University of Washington, Pacific Science Center, Washington State Opportunity Scholarship, and Epiphany School.
Advancement Resources - Vice President of Strategic Partnerships
Caleb works closely with academic, healthcare, and nonprofit organizations to develop and execute a customized and strategic approach to deepen the culture of philanthropy within each organization while supporting long-term transformation. In addition, Caleb is part of the facilitation team that delivers professional education for healthcare, academic, and nonprofit organizations. Through these engagements, he is involved in many client-focused projects and is honored to serve these organizations in a variety of ways.