Stay tuned for information about the next UI Philanthropy Conference!

 

To get a good sense of what the conference has included in the past, here's information about our 2019 UI Philanthropy Conference for your reference!

Friday, April 26, 2019
9:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Graduate Iowa City
210 S Dubuque St
Iowa City, IA 52240

From equipping board members for legendary fundraising to leveraging special events into major gifts, the UI Philanthropy Conference is positioned to help your organization thrive! Kent Stroman, regarded as America’s Asking Coach and a previous conference attendee favorite will present the engaging conference sessions. Kent will provide real-life insights and practical tools for you to inspire board members to become change-agents for your organization. He will also share proven tactics to make events more impactful in ways you may not have thought of before. This promises to be a fantastic conference for fundraising professionals, CEOs, board members, community volunteers, and students.

You will leave the conference knowing how to:

  • Equip your board members with insights to work collaboratively and help move your organization forward.
  • Build and manage a healthy, well-governed organization.
  • Determine if your events are truly cost-effective.
  • Utilize special events to fill your pipeline of prospective major donors.

There is no cost for registration, but space is limited.

Conference Schedule

9:30–10:00 a.m.
Registration

10:00–11:30 a.m.
Heroes Among Us: Equipping Board Members for Legendary Fundraising
 

Finding appropriate ways for board members to bring donations to philanthropic organizations can seem elusive. Yet, they have a unique role to play. Oftentimes board members feel the burden of their responsibility but aren’t recognized for their successes. Or we expect them to achieve big fundraising results but we fail to provide the training they need to thrive.

Kent Stroman brings real-life insights and practical tools to equip CEOs, board members, and fundraising staff to work collaboratively and move their charity forward. Attendees will leave with tips, tools, and techniques they can use immediately. Participants will get a glimpse into Kent’s newest book, The Intentional Board: Why Your Board Doesn’t Work and How to Fix It.

11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Lunch

1:00–2:30 p.m.
Fundraising Events & Major Gifts: How do we get from one to the other?

Your fundraising events are successful, they raise money for your mission and help introduce people to your organization’s great work. Or do they? They can also cost a lot to produce, take up significant staff and volunteer time, and leave you exhausted. In this interactive workshop, you’ll learn how to determine if your events are truly cost-effective, and how you can use these events to fill your pipeline of prospective major donors.

2:30–3:30 p.m.
Networking Reception
After our afternoon session, stick around to meet and mingle with other conference attendees during the networking reception. Discuss what you learned throughout the day and make new connections with other area professionals. Refreshments will be provided.
 

Don’t miss this valuable learning opportunity!

Speaker Biography

Kent Stroman 

Regarded as America’s ASKing Coach, Kent Stroman’s purpose in life is to Equip, Inspire and Encourage. He accomplishes this through speaking, writing, teaching, consulting and executive coaching. Since 1976 he has been involved in teaching and organizational leadership, impacting countless organizations with his contagious passion for excellence. Kent’s appeal transcends age, culture and occupation and has made him a frequent speaker to regional, national and international audiences.

After a 25-year career in higher education, Kent launched STROMAN & ASSOCIATES, consulting in fundraising, board governance, strategic planning and leadership development. He holds numerous credentials including Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE).

In 2012 Kent created the INSTITUTE FOR CONVERSATIONAL FUNDRAISING™ with the mission of “Equipping leaders to dramatically transform their fundraising results.” The Institute is laser focused on relationships and specializes in long term, strategic, sustainable, mutually rewarding relationships between donors and the charitable organizations they support.

The Conference is sponsored by the Nonprofit Leadership and Philanthropy Certificate and the University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication through generous support from the Kevin and Donna Gruneich Philanthropy Studies Fund.

Registration is handled by Sarah Nelson, Administrative Services Coordinator in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication for the Nonprofit Leadership and Philanthropy Certificate.

If you have questions, please email sarah-m-nelson@uiowa.edu.

CFRE Points
The UI Philanthropy Conference has been approved for 3 possible CFRE points. We will provide a point tracking sheet at the conference, but you can also download it here.

 

Travel
Getting to Iowa City:
Iowa City, Iowa is on Interstate 80, about 60 miles from the Iowa-Illinois border at the Mississippi River. We are about 5 hours drive from St. Louis and Minneapolis-St. Paul, about 4 from Chicago. Megabus and other bus services are available from Chicago and Des Moines.

The closest and most convenient airport is the Eastern Iowa Airport (airport code: CID) located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, about 30 minutes north of Iowa City. From there it is possible to rent a car or to get limo or shuttle service to Iowa City.

The Airport Shuttle costs $70 round trip from the airport to Iowa City. A taxi from Marco's Taxi is $40.25 each way. Both the shuttle and taxi require advance scheduling.

It is also possible to fly into Moline, IL (airport code: MLI) or Des Moines, IA (airport code: DSM), each +/-1.5 hours drive from Iowa City on I-80.

There is Megabus service from Des Moines. From Moline it’s easiest to rent a car.

Parking
Parking for the conference is available at the Dubuque Street Ramp located next to the Sheraton. Here is a map of downtown Iowa City displaying the Dubuque Street Ramp and other public ramps. The Graduate is formally the Sheraton Hotel identified on the map. The ramp charges $1 per hour with the first hour free.

Hotels
The conference will be held at the Graduate, where hotel rooms are available. Iowa City also has a variety of other hotels available.