Reflections on 2023’s CASE Europe Annual Conference
One of the highlights of each year is attending and participating in CASE Europe’s annual conference (CEAC) which brings together advancement professionals from the higher education and school sectors and beyond to discuss, learn, network and compare notes on emerging trends in the sector.
This year it was in our wonderful capital city, Edinburgh. Connecting face-to-face with colleagues and clients over a busy three-day period to discuss and debate sectoral challenges and to immerse ourselves in what the next year and beyond holds was both exhilarating and exhausting.
There were plenty of highlights for me, including the opening plenary from Priya Lakhani, whose enthusiasm energised us all as she shared thoughts on her entrepreneurial journey, and also helped to demystify AI!
On a personal note, as a CASE Educational Partner and strong advocate for CASE’s global role, it was a special highlight to be awarded the CASE Crystal Apple for excellence in teaching, along with the amazing Gavin Maggs, Director of Development and Alumni Relations at University of Birmingham.
A fundraising quote that resonated throughout the whole conference was “No + No + No + Time = Yes”, and although there were many great sessions, it was the conversations between sessions that personally energised and intrigued me the most.
We took part in three sessions, each one bespoke but with emerging themes. Here are my reflections on each session::
Unleashing the power of your people
The role of leadership is critical to the success of growing and sustaining advancement programmes. As a sector, our approach to talent development must be representative of a diverse pool of talent and ensure they are supported and nurtured for success. Advancement professionals must further embed themselves in the success and challenges of the organisations they work in.
Recruiting and retaining talent are significant sector challenges. In our sessions, we discussed the interplay between recruitment, culture, and learning and development—a virtuous cycle. How can employers create an appealing brand that draws diverse talent, conveys their values through the brand story, nurtures a culture fostering long-term learning and growth, and empowers staff in a hybrid world?
Investment in advancement – presenting the winning case
We were pleased to be joined by Matt Ferguson, Director of Development, University of Warwick, who recently has secured investment for over 60 new posts. We spoke about the challenges facing the sector, and Cairney & Company’s experience in supporting clients to gain investment. We shared some top tips for making a winning case:
It’s all about the numbers - these are what get noticed.
Talk about the returns in non-financial terms too
It takes time to build - focus on keeping the internal relationships warm.
Lobby the right people – upward influencing
Be ambitious but realistic
Work with what you have!
It’s a business case and not an emotional one.
The Thomas Report – 20 years on
The Thomas Report (2004) ‘Increasing Voluntary Giving to Higher Education’ was the catalyst for universities in the UK to commit to and strengthen their fundraising programmes through professional training and by incentivising donors to see higher education as a legitimate and effective channel for their philanthropy. It provided a road map for advancement and philanthropy to flourish in the UK.
20 years on, we facilitated a discussion about what had changed in the sector since the report was published. We touched on many aspects of the report from Professor Sir Steven West CBE, DL. Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive Officer, University of the West of England, outgoing President UUK, Professor Dame Sally Mapstone, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, University of St Andrews, and incoming President UUK, Ben Plummer-Powell, Chief Philanthropy and Global Engagement Officer (LSE) and Chair Ross Group, and Jillian Watt, Director of Development, Glasgow Caledonian University and Member of the Caledonian Group.
The panel described their experience and fascinating insight into the role of leadership, the professionalisation of the development office, stewarding donor relationships through leadership transition and building internal relationships as much as external ones.
It was a thought-provoking session with plenty of wisdom and insight from leaders at the very top of their game within the higher education sector.
We look forward to seeing you all in Manchester for CEAC 2024. Please keep the debate and dialogue going between now and then.
We’d love to hear your view – what was your key takeaway from the conference?
Karen Cairney is Founder and CEO of Cairney & Company.