2025 Education Conference

Fundraising Forward: Strategies That Stand the Test of Time

Save the date: Friday, September 12th for a day of education, networking, and inspiration to help you in your fundraising efforts. We'll refresh our skills, explore new solutions, and prepare to approach the evolving fundraising landscape with the tools and confidence to achieve your goals.

Opening Keynote: How to Drive Meaningful Change in Any Fundraising Climate – Jaclyn Jones, Masterworks Agency

In this inspiring keynote, Jaclyn Jones explores how to drive meaningful change across your fundraising strategy no matter the climate. From understanding participation and retention trends to unlocking the power of monthly giving, she’ll share actionable insights that help you build resilient mid and major donor programs and embrace the necessity of diversification. Whether you're navigating disruption or planning for growth, this session will equip you to lead with clarity, innovate with confidence, and deepen donor engagement across every channel.

General Session: Monthly Giving Magic – Rachel Muir, CFRE

Looking for a stable, predictable source of ongoing income? What if you could build one that also gave you a pool of prospects who would name your charity in their will or estate? Learn how to successfully manage a monthly giving program for sustainable fundraising outcomes. In this session we'll cover:
...why you should start monthly giving and how to sell it to leadership
...who your BEST monthly giving prospects are
...the lucrative math of monthly giving and loyal donor retention
...when, how (and how often) to ask for monthly gifts
...how to upgrade monthly donors
...monthly giving examples with direct mail, phone, email, websites, & social

Lunch Keynote: The Power of Positive Leadership – Jennifer Lehman, Mission Advancement

As leaders, we strive to build strong cultures and high-performing teams with staff and volunteers.  High-performing teams work hard and do big things….exactly what we need to accomplish our missions.  But leading is hard.  Whether you lead a team, a department, a single strategy, or an entire organization, you are often faced with adversity, setbacks, and negativity that can impact your mindset and, consequently, how you show up for your organization. So how can we show up as the positive leaders our teams need, even when we are surrounded by negativity?  And why does it matter?  Positive leadership is not about “faking it” – it’s embracing the hard stuff that comes our way and leading through it with confidence and optimism. 

Interactive Workshop: Oh, the Campaigns You'll Create! – Jeff Grandy, Catapult Fundraising

This interactive session is designed to move you from theory to action. Together we’ll roll up our sleeves and dive into:

Building annual and year-end giving campaigns that inspire donor generosity.
Mapping stewardship strategies and donor journeys that strengthen long-term relationships.
Using a gift chart to strategically plan, lead, and evaluate giving success, and
Understanding the phases of a capital campaign from feasibility to public launch.
Whether you’re new to campaigns or looking to sharpen your strategy, you’ll leave with practical tools, templates, and ideas you can use right away.

Closing Keynote: Fundraising When Everything Changes – Becky Dinnin, Social Venture Partners

When the ground shifts, your strategy must too. Becky offers insights on leading through disruption with clarity, agility, and purpose.

Please note our updated venue: We’re grateful to be graciously hosted by the Barshop Jewish Community Center of San Antonio, located at 12500 NW Military Hwy., Ste. 275, San Antonio, TX 78231. We look forward to welcoming you at this new location.

Grateful for Our Generous Sponsors

We extend heartfelt thanks to our sponsors for championing your professional growth and the transformative impact you create within our community. Your dedication inspires lasting change, and their support makes it possible.

Trinity University

Alamo Colleges Foundation

Click here to secure your spot.