When the pandemic hit, many advancement leaders felt the weight of concerns of how to move forward with daily tasks & normal in-person processes. Staff were drastically affected with many finding themselves in new work from home scenarios, that left many feeling isolated professionally and personally.
However, over-coming the new state of the world has brought an intense amount of innovation. Beyond concerns of overwhelming alumni and families with valid sensitivities, advancement professionals took a hold of these challenges and provided more personal, more heartfelt and more authentic ways to connect that will last far into the future regardless of the growing virtual world.
Topics
• Managing staff, professionally and personally
• Pivoting from strategy to a sole focus on student support
• Advancement taking a side seat to preparations around family
• How innovations and new ideas are shaping the outcomes of connections through the pandemic
• How advancement teams faced the realities of COVID and making connections
• Providing assistance for families financially, technologically & personally
• Hard conversations. Are they being had openly? With staff? Behind closed doors?
Brent JohnstonExecutive Director, Advancement, The Country Day School
John LynchExecutive Director of External Relations, Crescent School
Nancy SmithDirector of Advancement, Lower Canada College
Shelley HuxleyDirector of Development, Ridley College