Topic:
Fundraising, Then and Now
We aren’t doing things today the way we did five years ago, much less thirty! Join our panel of presenters as they discuss what has changed in fundraising over time.
Speakers:
Dr. Jennifer Sager Gentry (moderator) was appointed Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement for the Virginia Community College System in January 2005. In this capacity she works in the areas of fundraising, governmental relations, and marketing. She also serves as the Executive Director to the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education. Previously Jennifer was vice president and managing partner of The Clements Group, a leading fundraising consulting firm specializing in community and technical colleges. While at The Clements Group, she organized major gifts fundraising campaigns for more than 20 community and technical colleges in 13 states targeting over $90 million. She currently serves as an adjunct faculty member with the University of Richmond’s Institute on Philanthropy, is a board member for the Northern Shenandoah Valley Community Foundation, and serves on her church council.
Alex Smith is currently Vice President for Development for Collegiate School. In 2002, CASE awarded Alex the Robert Bell Crow Award for Lifetime Development Achievement. Alex is past president of the Virginia Independent Schools Development Association serving from 1989-90. He is also a past president of VAFRE and in 1994, received the Nina Abady Award for professional excellence. In a career spanning 42 years at Collegiate School, Alex has managed seven capital campaigns totaling over $160 million raised. The school’s last completed campaign in 2002 raised a total of $28,670,420 with 13 single gifts of $1 million or more. Collegiate is currently in the public phase of a $54 million campaign with $43 million raised including 17 gifts of a million dollars or more.
Chris Withers, CFRE, is the President of D. Chris Withers, Inc. Chris is known to many of us because of his highly successful career as VP at the University of Richmond. He transitioned into his own fundraising consulting firm 9 years ago and has served over 40 non profits in that time, including many in the Richmond area. Chris is an author, popular speaker and has twice participated in the Oxford University Roundtable. Chris is the 1995 recipient of VAFRE’s Nina Abady Award.
Cheryl Gonzales Yancey, APR, currently works as a consultant with the Richmond Symphony, where she has focused her recent efforts on raising over $4.5 million of a planned $5 million endowment. She previously worked at VCU in a variety of capacities, serving as Associate Vice President of University Advancement at her retirement. Cheryl has also been an active volunteer, working with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra League , the advisory board of the Junior League, as a Board Member of The Collectors’ Circle of the VMFA, and on the Advisory Board of the YWCA, among others. In 1992 she was the second recipient of VAFRE’s Nina Abady Award.Schedule:
Registration begins at 11:30 a.m., lunch and the program begin at noon. The session will adjourn at approximately 1:15 p.m.
Location:
Jefferson Lakeside Country Club, 1700 Lakeside Avenue. Click here for directions.
Menu:
Regular: Chicken Parmesan with spaghetti and chef’s choice of vegetable.
Vegetarian: Eggplant Pamesan with spaghetti and chef’s choice of vegetable.
Dessert: Selection of Cookies.
Cost to attend:
$20 for members (no additional fee for Season Pass holders), $25 for nonmembers employed by a member organization, and $30 for nonmember guests. Fees support program costs and administration. Registrations should be received by Thursday, February 24th .
Questions?
Contact VAFRE Administrator Mary Kidd at (804) 288-2950 or by e-mail to vafre@catapult-inc.com.
Online registration for this event is now closed. If you would care to register, please call Mary Kidd at (804) 288-2950.
