Understanding how to use social media effectively can be confusing. There's a lot of information out there, but not all of it is reliable. This presentation will help you sort out fact from fiction with a discussion of common social media myths that, while pervasive, may not help your organization reach its goals. You'll learn how to think about social media in a way that goes beyond the hype and ensures you choose the right tools, align your message with your audience's needs and get the highest return on the investment of your time and effort.

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• Hybrid Session Slides

This session will provide a framework for understanding donors of faith, discerning their interests and teaching best practices for how to engage them in the mission of your institution. Topics include:

• The Three Dimensions of Religious Fundraising
  
• Donor profiles: the connection between annual fund, major gifts and planned giving
  
• Identification, cultivation and retention of donors driven by faith
  
• Understanding and applying fundraising tools that include the Giving Cycle and the Cycle of Discernment
  
  
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Going to Corporations and Foundations for Major Gifts: The Roadmap to Yes
Heidi Jark

Let’s face it, if working with people were always easy and if there was just one way to do it, we would all be experts. But every year there are another dozen books with new theories, new approaches and another 12 steps on solving the riddle of how best to support, encourage, motivate and collaborate with the people in your organization.

Chris Andersen will lead a panel discussion with people who’ve been wrestling with the question of optimizing staff for decades. We’ll address such questions as: What’s the worst HR decision you’ve ever made?; When do you need outside help?; What’s the dumbest thing a boss ever said to you?; What’s your best piece of advice for other managers? and What’s the best compliment that you ever received from an employee?

Will you leave with all of the answers? No. But you’ll get sound advice from people who’ve been around the HR block a few times and who’ve learned from success and failure. You’ll know exactly what to say the next time someone tells you that when God closes a door, he opens a window (Please!).

With resources being limited, telemarketing can be a valuable tool for your planned giving or legacy program to efficiently uncover unknown gifts and/or determine who has an interest in further discussions regarding these types of gifts.  This session will show examples and discuss methodologies of programs that have been successful in using the phone to discover opportunities for their organizations.

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Clean, crisp writing is a must in the "information now" age, where a reader's attention span is shorter than the average YouTube clip and often doing battle with extraneous distractions. On Twitter, professionals have an opportunity to create direct contact with their base, participate in real-time conversation and connect with like-minded Tweeters. Thinking of writing as a literal mental exercise, Kate Smith has created a few brief, memorable writing points that will allow your Tweets to be understood clearly and retained long after your reader's eyes have left the page.
Attendees of this session will gain inspiration from the following sections:

• Where to leave room for thought (open-ended/discussion-driven writing)
• When to max out (short bursts of importance)
• Where to go for pace over personal bests (longer topics)
  
  
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This session is designed to help participants discern the links between those motivations and methodologies, rooted in Biblical “cheerful giving,” that apply to active Christian stewardship, personal philanthropy and professional fundraising. The ultimate goal is to prepare the professional to successfully minister to the entire body of the church (congregations, agencies and individual donors).

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This workshop will look at the role of the pastor and church staff as they relate to the families of the children attending your school. As parents make the investment in the ministry of education that your school offers, is your church dealing kindly with them? Does your church foster relationships through their school experience? Before one can talk about ministry and care, it begins with developing relationships. As relationships are developed, ministry opportunities abound and you need very little money to invest in these opportunities. This workshop will look at developing tools for spiritual guidance, parenting, personal support and Biblical teaching. You will learn how you can share these ministry opportunities with the parents of your school children.

WHAT ARE “CONFERENCE WITHIN A CONFERENCE” SESSIONS?  The CWC is a short-form option being held in conjunction with the main International Educational Conference.  Organized in partnership with the Evangelical Lutheran Education Association (ELEA), it is for schools, congregations and early childhood centers that may be new to the idea of organized, professional fundraising.  Three CWC sessions are offered alongside regular sessions, and any conference registrants can attend.  Learn more at alde.org/cwc.  Attend the CWC in addition to the main conference for just $135 more.

Expect to leave with a Ready, Set, GO! attitude toward raising easy money online for your organization. Simple signature fundraising events proven to engage students, parents and teachers in tapping their networks for support will be profiled. Getting started plans, coaching emails and other tactics to drive successful results will be covered. Come prepared with lots of questions because this session will also include a professional panel of experienced online fundraisers ready to impart their knowledge on this topic. Finally, be sure to bring a business card to enter for a chance to win a prize at the end of this session.

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A number of exhibitors and sponsors will be presenting Resource Sessions about a variety of topics during regular curriculum time slots.  We haven’t cut the number of curriculum offerings per session, but have simply added to what is available.  Please note that Resource Sessions are sponsored sessions, so the presenters may address how their products/services can help address the topic at hand.  These sessions are not recorded.  The presentations will take place in regular meeting rooms.