Development and Finance Symposium

June 11-12, 2013

 Co-sponsored by the Association of Fundraising Professionals International and the Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership, at the Susanne M. Glasscock School of Continuing Studies, Rice University 

Register to Attend 

Nonprofit organizations have the opportunity to create strategic advantage by developing a strong relationship between their fundraising and finance functions. This symposium is designed to explore the dynamics of having these two offices collaborate, resulting in better-informed business decisions for their organizations. Senior advancement officers and CFOs will share their experiences and strategies for effective management, and participants will learn more about the complexities of both roles. Fundraisers, chief finance officers, vice presidents, executive directors, investment professionals and board members will all benefit from gaining more insight into how fiscal roles can create stability for their organizations. 

See symposium schedule 

Hotels near Rice University (pdf) 

See information on CPE credit 

Scholarship Information (pdf)

Sessions

The following are some of the sessions being held during the conference. More session descriptions will be added as they become available.

Fundraising and Finance Can Strategically Advance Your Mission

When fundraising and finance staff work well together, our NPO’s can grow and flourish; when these offices do not communicate it can lead to significant consequences for the organization. Drawing on years of on-the-ground experience as a nonprofit funder and private sector executive, Paul Shoemaker will share why these two departments should work together and how changing the dynamic can influence the future direction of your nonprofit.

Keynote Speaker: Paul Shoemaker 

Paul Shoemaker was recently named one of the “Top 50 Most Influential People in the Non-Profit Sector” by "The NonProfit Times" for the second year in a row. He is the Founding President of Social Venture Partner International and currently sits on their board of directors, as well as the Board of the Microsoft Alumni Foundation and Partners for Our Children. His past work includes a recent term as Board Treasurer of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (2001-2007), Children’s Alliance in Seattle, (1996-2000) and Treepeople in Los Angeles (1987-1990).

Before coming to SVP Seattle in 1998, Mr. Shoemaker was group manager for worldwide operations at Microsoft Corporation and developed a group of 22 direct marketing professionals and implemented a direct marketing infrastructure. Prior to his work at Microsoft, Paul was a Product Manager at Nestle USA in Glendale, CA. He holds a BBA in Accounting from Iowa State University and a MBA in Marketing and Finance from the University of Texas.

The GAAP between Accounting and Fundraising

Cash is king for fundraisers and the donor’s commitment is what counts in the world of finance. This invariably creates a natural tension between how gifts are counted and results in different reporting numbers to boards of directors and volunteers. The Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Marketing and Development officer of Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council and their teams work closely together to manage that natural tension and will share their insight in this session.

Speakers: 

Beth Shea, chief marketing & development officer, Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council 

As the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council, Beth Shea is responsible for building, planning, implementing and analyzing all branding, marketing, fund development and advocacy activities, including public and media relations, online networking, alumnae association, major gifts, special events, annual campaigns, corporation/foundation relations, grant writing, endowment and planned giving, coordinating state and local advocacy initiatives and the professional development of her staff of 12. Prior to joining GSSJC, Ms. Shea enjoyed a lengthy career as a commercial banker.

Active in the community, Beth has been Board Chair of the YMCA of Greater Houston, Leadership Houston, the Weekley YMCA, President of Texas Executive Women and the Saint Anne Catholic School Foundation and served on numerous boards including American Leadership Forum, Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council, the Greater Houston chapter of the American Red Cross, Children’s Protective Services, the Southwest Houston Chamber of Commerce and the Dominican Sisters of Mary Immaculate Province.

Debbie Prosperie-Woodson, chief financial officer, Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council 

Debbie Prosperie-Woodson is the Chief Financial Officer of the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council, one of the largest Girl Scout councils in the nation, which serves more than 69,000 girls and 18,000 adults in 26 county areas of Southeast Texas. She is responsible for the direct fiscal management of the Council through the development, implementation, and evaluation of systems that insure sound fiscal control and timely, accurate reporting. She also oversees information systems, retail/purchasing operations, administrative services, accounting, human resources and membership credentials.

She has been a long-time friend of Girl Scouts, first working on the Council’s audit team when she was with Deloitte & Touche LLP. After leaving Deloitte to become a controller for Hines Interests, she joined the Council Finance Committee and was elected to the board of directors in June 2010 as an at-large member. In 2011, she joined the Council as CFO. 

Investing in Development

You know that you need to invest in your development efforts in order to build a stronger financial base for your organization, but how do you go about doing that. This session will cover the topics of building a case for this investment, how to communicate with the various constituencies within the organization, and what metrics and measurements are important to whom.

After this session, you will understand and learn specific strategies for the following:

• What details and research are needed to demonstrate the need for investment
• How to frame operations and stewardship strategies in the overall fundraising plans
• How to track performance to show impact of the investment

With development and finance staff working and discussing together, an organization can attain greater results than when these functions are separated and operating with different expectations.

Speaker: Catherine M. Connolly, MBA, CFRE 

Catherine M. Connolly, MBA, CFRE has been an independent consultant since 1996, and she works with nonprofits regionally in Northern California and nationally who are interested in improving their direct marketing efforts and results. Ms. Connolly has been working in membership and direct marketing for more than 25 years. After working at a large, national consulting agency, she spent time at Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund (now known at EarthJustice). There she integrated the direct marketing program into the bigger scheme of the entire Development office, along with building the institutional readiness needed for a successful mail program.

Ms. Connolly currently holds the Treasurer position for the Association of Fundraising Professionals International. In addition to AFP, she is also a member of the Direct Marketing Association, the DMA Nonprofit Federation and the Association of Direct Response Fundraising Counsel.

Meeting of the Minds Around Metrics

Finance and development professionals seem to speak a different language at times. This session attempts to help CFOs and CDOs bridge that gap by presenting financial tools, concepts and metrics and translating those into understandable terms. Newly-developed financial health metrics are included.

Speaker: Dr. John Zietlow, professor of finance, Malone University 

Dr. Zietlow is the co-author of "Financial Management for Nonprofit Organizations" and "Cash & Investment Management for Nonprofit Organizations". He has been serving, researching, training, consulting and writing in the nonprofit field for over 25 years, with a special focus on faith-based organizations. His most recent research includes the development of a nonprofit financial health index and bench-marking organizations’ financial health with that index. He is currently Professor of Finance at Malone University in Canton, OH and he also teaches graduate nonprofit financial management as Associate Faculty at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI). John is certified as Certified Treasury Professional through the Association for Financial Professionals.

Measuring ROI In Fund Raising

Three chief development officers with decades of experience in education (at the independent school and collegiate levels), the performing arts and academic medical centers will offer practical advice for measuring the effectiveness of fundraising staff and programs, working with the chief financial officer to better steward donor relationships, and making the case to CFOs and board members for a larger investment in development staff and resources.

Speakers: 

David Chambers, Chief Development Officer, Houston Symphony 

David Chambers is Chief Development Officer for the Houston Symphony, a position he has held since November 2011. He oversees a team of 15 who together have an FY 2013 operational fundraising goal of $15 million in support of the Symphony’s $28.7 million operating budget. Since joining the development team, he has led his team to successfully close out two challenge grants in 2012 – one for The Brown Foundation, the other with Houston Endowment. He has revitalized the fundraising of the Houston Symphony by initiating a project-based fundraising model that has created deeper engagement with the Symphony’s donor base, provided more resources for the institution and allowed for better donor stewardship. 

Prior to joining the Houston Symphony, Mr. Chambers worked for Houston Grand Opera for nine years, where from July 2006 until his departure in October 2011, he served as Director of Institutional Giving. He has spent most of his 20 year career working in the performing arts—the first ten in public relations, the next ten working in development. He has a Bachelor of Business from Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia where he majored in marketing and hotel and catering management.

Ed Harris, President, Key West Consulting 

With 25 years of experience in fundraising, Ed Harris is President of Key West Consulting, Inc., a practice specializing in nonprofit management and organizational effectiveness, operations, development of institutional affiliations and partnerships and fundraising. He also serves as Director of Development for the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), where he focuses on securing venture philanthropy and building partnerships with academic and educational organizations. 

Prior to forming Key West Consulting, Mr. Harris served as Vice Chancellor for University Advancement at the University of Denver and as Executive Director of Development and Campaign Director at Baylor College of Medicine. He has also held development positions at Rice University and South Texas College of Law. He is a graduate of Rice University.

Tom Moore, CFRE, Director of Advancement, The Kinkaid School 

Tom Moore is in his 33nd year as a fundraising professional. Mr. Moore joined The Kinkaid School in June 2001 as Director of Development and Alumni Activities and was named Director of Advancement in June 2006. Under his guidance, the School has completed two capital campaigns (a $46.5 million capital campaign, one of the largest campaigns nationwide for a day school, and a $25 million campaign), conducted a very successful Centennial Celebration during the 2005-2006 school year and increased Annual Fund giving to record heights.

Accredited by the Association of Fund Raising Professionals, Mr. Moore served as the 1996 President of the Greater Houston AFP Chapter and is a former treasurer, secretary and board member of the Houston PRSA Chapter. He served on the board of the Planned Giving Council of Houston and is a graduate of Leadership Houston Class XVI. He earned a masters degree in TV-Radio from Syracuse University and a bachelor degree in Economics from Hamilton College.

Know the Basics of Hybrid Organizations... Before You Launch

Is your nonprofit looking to diversify its funding base? Are you trying to determine ways your organization can earn a profit and still serve a purpose? Many nonprofits are establishing businesses to generate earned income and become less dependent on donors and grantors. This panel will explore the process and implications of starting a for-profit business to fund your mission. Learn the challenges "hybrid" organizations face, how they change organizations and how profits are being used to fulfill missions and secure organizations' futures.

Speakers: 

Dana Campbell, Chief Financial Officer, Community Action Agency of Butte County 

Patricia Tynan, Sr Marketing Manager Sage, Board Member Front Steps, Austin 

Patricia Tynan is Sr. Marketing Manager for Sage Nonprofit Solutions. She is a regular volunteer and serves on the board of directors for Front Steps, a nonprofit working to end homelessness in Austin, Texas and on the board of the Central Texas World Future Society. Ms. Tynan is a regular speaker presenting on social and technology trends with a special emphasis on the nonprofit sector. She has presented locally at AFP Houston's Meet the Experts conference, the Emerge conference series, and to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Consulting workshops. Ms. Tynan holds an M.T. in Strategic Foresight from the University of Houston and a BA in Government from The University of Texas in Austin. In her free time she scans for emerging trends and blogs about them online you can follow her @TheFutureScout.

Attention CPAs

The Glasscock School of Continuing Studies is a Registered CPE Course Provider. 

Our attendees may earn 10.5 CPEs by attending the Development & Finance Symposium. 

We have registered with the Texas State Board of Accountancy (Registration no. 600) to meet the requirements of the continuing professional education rules covering maintenance of attendance records, retention of program outlines, qualifications of instructors, program content, physical facilities and length of class hours. This registration agreement does not constitute an endorsement by the Board as to the quality of the program or its contribution to the professional competence of the licensee. Rice University is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be addressed to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. 150 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 700, Nashville, TN, 37219-2417. Website: http://www.nasba.org/ 

See more information on CPE credits offered by the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies.