Goals of the Conference

This conference is a quality continuing education opportunity for development professionals – including non-profit executive directors, development officers, marketing and communication managers, support staff, and volunteer leaders – to expand their fundraising knowledge, learn new skills they can apply in their organizations, and network with peers and industry leaders to share ideas, information and solutions. We expect 500 attendees.

How To Apply

As part of offering our attendees the best conference experience, we are committed to a slate of breakout session speakers who can present top issues, best practices, and emerging trends in the field.  As such, we invite you to complete a SPEAKER APPLICATION by the deadline of Saturday, April 14, 2012.  Please submit a separate application for each topic to ncphilanthropyconference@gmail.com.

Sessions are 50 minutes long and range from 40-100 attendees.  Microphones and projectors are provided; presenters will need to provide their own laptop.

Suggest an Expert Speaker

The Conference Planning Committee welcomes suggestions for outstanding speakers.You may forward these Speaker Application Guidelines directly to potential speakers or, if you would like to recommend a speaker, please contact one of our Program Committee Chairs, Melinda Beauchamp or Amanda Osborne.

Session Suggestions

We seek a variety of topics to appeal to our expected audience.  Our attendees consistently request "hands-on" or "real life" examples of what they can take back and implement into their programs.We suggest you submit industry-relevant topics that are creative, deep, insightful, and practical – and that you know well.

Each year, we ask our attendees to suggest various sessions which would be of interest or assist them in their training. You may want to address one of these, or if you have a session in mind which is not on this list but which you think will be of great interest, you are encouraged to submit it.

Ideas for session topics include:

• Strategic Collaborations
• The Cultivation Cycle, including Prospect Identification, Cultivation, Solicitation, and Stewardship
• Strategies to Prepare Your Volunteers (and Yourself!) to Make the Ask
• Engaging Your Board
• Managing a Staff, Your Boss, Yourself
• Implementing and Assessing Accountability
• Communicating with Finance
• Planned Giving – from Broad Overview to Advanced Topics
• Best Practices in E-mail Marketing, Social Networking, and Blogging
• Direct Mail from Acquisition to Renewal
• Marketing & Communications: What's the Latest Buzz in Web Design, Newsletters, & Annual Reports
• "Back Office" Logistics that Impact your Bottom Line
• Etiquette and Ethics for Development Professionals
• Adding Peer-to-Peer Fundraising to an Existing Event
• How to Hire and Manage a Grantwriter

Selection Criteria for Speakers

Successful applicants will have current knowledge that is delivered in an engaging, high-energy format.  The Conference Planning Committee will review the submissions for breakout session presentations based on the following criteria:

• clarity of the description of the topic, objectives, and presentation methods
• importance, depth, focus, and level of audience interest
• applicability of the presentation to a variety of settings
• presenter's professional background and speaking experience
• absence of commercial content
• originality of topic/presentation (has not been presented at recent local conferences)

The Review Process

Presentation proposals will be reviewed by the Conference Planning Committee. The primary presenter will be notified of acceptance or rejection by May 1, 2012.  Most communication with speakers will be by e-mail initially.

Accepted speakers will be asked to provide presentations in advance for publication to attendees.  Information regarding format and deadlines will be provided as part of the acceptance process.

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The 2012 Conference Planning Committee looks forward to receiving your applications and compiling a top notch, high energy, meaningful educational opportunity for our attendees.Thank you.

We sincerely appreciate your interest in the conference and look forward to having you either as a speaker, exhibitor or attendee. Please note that speakers who wish to attend the conference can do so free of charge but do let us know.