November 1-3, 2023
Pre-Conference: Workshop with ISM
PRE-CONFERENCE: ISM WORKSHOP
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1
9:00AM-4:00PM
Session 1 • 9:00am-12:00pm
Back to the Future: Preparing for Your Next Major Fundraising Initiative
The planning phase is the most crucial part of any successful fundraising initiative. Without the establishment of a fundraising action plan, you risk not properly engaging your community and developing the steps required to reach your goal. In this session, Phil will diagram the essential components of capital campaign or major gift initiatives, from planning to launch.
Participants will learn how to successfully create and execute:
● feasibility studies,
● case statements,
Participants will learn how to successfully create and execute:
● feasibility studies,
● case statements,
● budgets,
● committee structure, and
● campaign leadership strategies.
● committee structure, and
● campaign leadership strategies.
Art of the Ask: Secure Your Future
In this session, Phil will discuss how the first four steps of ISM’s Donor Cycle (identification, engagement, evaluation, and solicitation) provide a strategic approach to building a closer relationship between a donor and your school.
Participants will examine the process by which development professional
● begin the discovery and identification of potential donors
● enhance relationships with donors
● qualify their interests, values, and financial resources; and
● align their leadership donors with their strategic priorities.
● align their leadership donors with their strategic priorities.
Who Should Attend? Advancement, Development, and Marketing professionals; School Heads
Session 2 • 1:00-4:00pm
Data Can Help Predict the Future: How to Unleash the Power of
Data Within Your Advancement Team
Data Within Your Advancement Team
Prospect research is an essential tool for identifying the giving potential within your school community and improving donor engagement in meaningful ways. Harnessing the power of data in your advancement team’s strategic priorities creates predictability, informed decision making, and realistic goal setting.
In this session, Phil will:
● examine the intricacies of prospect research and data for both development and admission teams;
● discuss the role of prospect research and data analytics within your advancement program;
● review the tools to support your constituent data collection efforts; and.
● evaluate methods to analyze data to support both admission and fundraising goals.
In this session, Phil will:
● examine the intricacies of prospect research and data for both development and admission teams;
● discuss the role of prospect research and data analytics within your advancement program;
● review the tools to support your constituent data collection efforts; and.
● evaluate methods to analyze data to support both admission and fundraising goals.
How to Create a Robust Alumni Program That Delivers ROI
The relationships between your school and your alumni are lifelong. Alumni are greatly influenced by schoolwide communications and there are opportunities to engage them across every facet of your operations. Whether your school is a boarding school with a large and active alumni body or a small K–6 school, a robust alumni relations program can engage your school’s graduates in every phase of their lives. Your program should be respectful, transparent, and grounded in supporting and fulfilling your school's mission.
In this session, Phil will:
● provide tools to evaluate your program;
● identify ways to strengthen lasting relationships with your alumni; and
● discuss the newly-developed CASE Alumni Metrics and it can be used to create a robust alumni strategic plan and to evaluate your program.
Who Should Attend? Alumni, Advancement, Development and Marketing professionals; School Heads
SPEAKER
Phil Higginson, IAP-L
Consultant
Independent School Management (ISM)
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Phil joined ISM as a full-time Consultant in 2023. A nationally recognized leader in philanthropic efforts and a renowned speaker, his expertise is in fundraising and development. Phil works with schools to develop their strategic vision, establish financial priorities, and formulate campaigns to fund identified strategic initiatives. Phil most recently served at Ravenscroft School in Raleigh, North Carolina. In over 20 years with this school, starting as the Director of Development and transitioning to the Associate Head of School for Philanthropy, he helped establish 75 new endowments equating to nearly $14M raised in outright and deferred gifts. Phil started his career in 1987 at Washington International School, Washington DC. Since that time, in his 36 years of independent school advancement work, he has served four additional schools. At St. Albans School in Washington, DC, he collaborated on a $15 million capital campaign. At Norwood School, Maryland, he headed development programs that included another $15 million capital campaign. He has also served at Sandy Springs Friends School and Landon School, both in Maryland. Phil was a founding faculty member for ISM’s Advancement Academy and has served as a planning architect, instructor, and mentor for over 12 years. He teaches workshops related to the alignment of advancement objectives, institutional strategic planning, management of major gifts programs, roles and responsibilities of the Development/Advancement Committee, and effective use of advancement data. He holds Leader Certification through ISM’s International Advancement Program (IAP−L). Phil has presented at more than 30 local and national conferences for CASE, NAIS, NCAIS, AISGW, and NCPG. He served as Chair of the 38th annual CASE-NAIS national conference and has served on three planning committees for this event. He served as a member of the CASE District III Board; he chaired the CASE/NAIS conference in 2008 and is a member of the CASE Laureates. Phil earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Richmond, Virginia.
Pre-Conference: Heads, Trustees, and Business Officers' Workshop
PRE-CONFERENCE: HEADS', TRUSTEES', and BUSINESS OFFICERS' WORKSHOP
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1
1:00-5:00PM
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1
1:00-5:00PM
Leading and Governing Independent Schools in an Era of Risk, Ambiguity, and Uncertainty –
A Cross-Role Conversation Among Heads, Board Chairs, and CFOs
This session will focus on the key challenges and opportunities facing heads, board chairs, and CFO’s as they develop strategies and financial models/plans to ensure that their schools will thrive in a highly complex and challenging environment. We will examine the following questions/challenges facing independent schools in the coming years: How do heads, board chairs, and CFO’s define financial sustainability in their schools? What can schools do to ensure alignment of financial resources with mission? What are the key misalignment challenges schools are facing in the current context and how might heads, board chairs, and CFO’s work together to develop effective strategies for making progress on these challenges? As part of the session, we will engage in both cross-role and role-alike discussions to ensure that multiple perspectives are maximized.
Learning Objectives:
Participants will develop strategies and financial models/plans to ensure that their schools will thrive in a highly complex and challenging environment.
Who should attend? CFOs/Business Officers, Board Chairs, Trustees, School Heads
For more information about CPE credits for CPAs, see the sessions below.
SPEAKER
James P. Honan
Senior Lecturer on Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education
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James P. Honan has served on the faculty at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) since 1991. He is also a faculty member at the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), an affiliate faculty member with the Center for Public Leadership (CPL) at HKS, and a member of the Faculty Executive Committee of the Advanced Leadership Initiative (ALI) at Harvard University. He is Educational Co-Chair of the Institute for Educational Management (IEM) at HGSE and Faculty Chair of Emirates Leadership Initiative Executive Education Program and Nonprofit Financial Stewardship (NFS) at HKS, a fully online executive education program. He has also been a faculty member in a number of Harvard's other executive education programs and professional development institutes for educational leaders and non-profit administrators, including the Harvard Seminar for New Presidents, the Management Development Program, the ACRL/Harvard Leadership Institute, Crisis Leadership in Higher Education (Faculty Co-Chair),
HGSE/Grantmakers for Education Program (Faculty Chair), the Principals' Center, and the Harvard Institute for School Leadership at the Harvard Graduate School of Education; Governing for Non-Profit Excellence, Strategic Perspectives in Non-Profit Management, NAACP Board Retreat, and Habitat for Humanity Leadership Conference (Faculty Section Chair) at the Harvard Business School (HBS); and Strategic Management for Charter School Leaders, Achieving Excellence in Community Development, American Red Cross Partners in Organizational Leadership Program and US/Japan Workshops on Accountability and
International NGOs at the Harvard Kennedy School. He has served as Faculty Co-Chair of the Performance Measurement for Effective Management of Nonprofit Organizations program, an institute developed by the Initiative on Social Enterprise at HBS and the Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations at Harvard University and served previously as Educational Chair of HGSE's Management Development Program. He has also taught in executive education programs and professional development institutes in Aruba, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Guatemala, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, Panama, Thailand, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. He has served as a consultant on strategic planning, resource allocation, and performance measurement and management to numerous colleges, universities, schools, foundations, and non- profit organizations both nationally and internationally. His teaching and research interests include financial management of non-profit and education organizations, strategic planning, organizational performance measurement and management issues, and higher education administration. He is the author or co-author of several publications, including: "Monitoring Institutional Performance," for the Association of Governing Boards of Colleges and Universities; "New Yardsticks for Measuring Financial Distress," (with Kent Chabotar) for the American Association for Higher Education; "How Might Data Be Used?" (with Cathy Trower); “Building Strategic Accountability Systems for International NGOs (with L. David Brown and Mark H. Moore); Scaling Up Success: Lessons Learned from Technology-Based Educational Improvement (co-edited with Chris Dede and Laurence Peters); "The U.S. Academic Profession: Key Policy Challenges" (with Damtew Teferra) in Higher Education; Using Cases in Higher Education: A Guide for Faculty and Administrators (with Cheryl Sternman Rule), Casebook I: Faculty Employment Policies (co- edited with Cheryl Sternman Rule), and Teaching Notes to Casebook I: Faculty Employment Policies (with Cheryl Sternman Rule). He received the Fussa Distinguished Teaching Award from the Harvard University Extension School in 1995. He was an Associate Director of HGSE's Programs in Professional Education and served as Institutional Research Coordinator in the Office of Budgets at Harvard University and Project Analyst in Harvard's University Financial Aid Office. His duties included preparing analytic reports on tuition and financial aid, faculty salaries, sponsored research, and other issues for the Harvard Corporation (President and Fellows), one of Harvard's governing boards. He has also been a research assistant at the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) Clearinghouse on Higher Education in Washington, D.C. and served as Director of Institutional Research and Planning and Executive Assistant to the President at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of Marist College (NY) and the National Association of Independent Schools (Washington, DC). He served previously as a trustee of Buckingham Browne and Nichols School (MA), Fitchburg State College (MA), Dana Hall School (MA), ERB (Educational Records Bureau (NY) (Board Chair), LASPAU – Academic and Professional Programs for the Americas at Harvard University, and the Plan For Social Excellence (NY), a private foundation. He has also served as Treasurer of the Board of Directors of the Child Care Resource Center, Inc., a non-profit regional child care resource and referral agency in Cambridge, MA. He holds a B.A. from Marist College (NY), an M.A. and Ed.S. in Higher Education from George Washington University (DC), and an Ed.M. and Ed.D. in Administration, Planning, and Social Policy from Harvard University.
Hotel and Parking Information
Hyatt Regency Miami
400 SE 2nd Ave., Miami, FL 33131
HOTEL RESERVATIONS:
All guest room reservations should be made directly with the Hyatt Regency Miami. Room rate is $199, single or double, plus applicable taxes. The easiest way to make your reservation is to use this weblink: HYATT RESERVATIONS. This weblink was designed especially for FCIS attendees and includes the Convention rate of $199, plus applicable taxes. You may also call the hotel and make your reservations by phone. The hotel reservation number is: 305-358-1234. You will need to identify yourself as an FCIS member and ask for the special rate.
The deadline for the guaranteed Convention rate is October 9, 2023, based on availability. Once the room block is sold out, there may not be rooms available at the group rate.
Check in time: 4:00 PM
Check out time: 11:00 AM
Check out time: 11:00 AM
Please note that FCIS is not using a housing bureau for hotel reservations. You will not receive a call from FCIS or the hotel asking you to make reservations over the phone. If you receive this type of phone call, it is likely a scam. Please make your reservations online or by calling the hotel directly.
Self-Parking:
Though there is no official hotel self-parking, Hyatt guests may elect to self-park at designated off-property locations and enjoy discounted rates with no in-and-out privileges. The nearby Miami Tower offers self-parking for $20 per 24-hour period and does not include in-and-out privileges. Self-parking is payable to the city-managed parking garage by cash or credit card and may not be charged to a guestroom.
As events in the city warrant, parking costs at non-Hyatt facilities are subject to change without notice.
Nursing Mothers:
On the third floor of the convention center, the Stanford room is a private space for nursing mothers. Check the Whova app for a map.
Hyatt Regency Miami
400 SE 2nd Ave., Miami, FL 33131
Keynote Speakers
THURSDAY | NOVEMBER 2 | 8:30AM
Making Change Quickly
Dan Heath
Best-Selling Author
Best-Selling Author
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Dan Heath is the co-author, along with his brother Chip, of four long-running bestsellers: Made to Stick, Switch, Decisive, and The Power of Moments. The Heath Brothers’ books have sold over three million copies worldwide and been translated into 33 languages. Dan’s new book Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen was an instant Wall Street Journal bestseller, and it was included on “best books” lists from Apple, Amazon, the Financial Times, and others. Dan is a Senior Fellow at Duke University’s CASE center, which supports entrepreneurs who fight for social good. He is an entrepreneur himself, having founded Thinkwell, an innovative education company that next year will celebrate its 25th anniversary. Dan was named in 2013 to the Thinkers 50, a ranking of the world’s 50 most influential management thinkers, and also to Fast Company magazine’s list of the Most Creative People in Business. He has spoken to teachers, police chiefs, U.S. senators, interior designers, Navy admirals, health care leaders, marketers, ministers, and countless executive teams, across 26 countries on 6 continents. (He’s still waiting for that invitation from Antarctica.) Dan has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from the Plan II Honors Program at the University of Texas at Austin. One proud geeky moment for Dan was his victory in the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest, beating out 13,000 other entrants. He lives in Durham, NC.
FRIDAY | NOVEMBER 3 | 8:30AM
Embracing the Future with Perseverance: Cultivating Safe Spaces, Empathy, and Connections in Education
Reggie Ford
Best-Selling Author
Best-Selling Author
Join us for an empowering keynote speech by Reggie D. Ford, renowned motivational speaker and bestselling author of "Perseverance Through Severe Dysfunction," as he takes you on a transformative journey of embracing the future with unwavering perseverance. In his powerful keynote speech, "Embracing the Future with Perseverance: Cultivating Safe Spaces, Empathy, and Connections in Education," Reggie shares his captivating personal story of turning pain into peace through the power of perseverance.
Drawing from his own experiences as a former independent school student, a first-generation college graduate, and a D1 football player turned yogi, Reggie brings a unique perspective to the stage. With exceptional wisdom and contagious enthusiasm, he inspires positive change and motivates his audience to overcome challenges in the field of education.
In this keynote, Reggie explores the essential elements needed to create safe spaces in the classroom. By focusing on physical, emotional, and cultural safety, teachers can nurture the individualities of each unique student and foster an environment where growth and learning flourish. He emphasizes the importance of never making assumptions and becoming aware of preconceptions, urging educators to recognize that their best students may face struggles, and that there is no such thing as a "bad" student.
Moreover, Reggie highlights the power of making genuine connections with students. By showing up for them and understanding their backgrounds, teachers can establish meaningful relationships that empower students to thrive academically and personally. He reminds us all that our children are the future, and it is the educators who spend an extraordinary amount of time shaping them.
With his tailored approach and infectious passion, Reggie D. Ford leaves a lasting impression on his audiences. His transformative message resonates with educators, reminding them of their incredible impact and inspiring them to maintain passion and joy in their classrooms. Join us as we embrace the future with perseverance, cultivating safe spaces, empathy, and connections in education. Together, we can overcome the current struggles and shape a brighter future for our students.
Drawing from his own experiences as a former independent school student, a first-generation college graduate, and a D1 football player turned yogi, Reggie brings a unique perspective to the stage. With exceptional wisdom and contagious enthusiasm, he inspires positive change and motivates his audience to overcome challenges in the field of education.
In this keynote, Reggie explores the essential elements needed to create safe spaces in the classroom. By focusing on physical, emotional, and cultural safety, teachers can nurture the individualities of each unique student and foster an environment where growth and learning flourish. He emphasizes the importance of never making assumptions and becoming aware of preconceptions, urging educators to recognize that their best students may face struggles, and that there is no such thing as a "bad" student.
Moreover, Reggie highlights the power of making genuine connections with students. By showing up for them and understanding their backgrounds, teachers can establish meaningful relationships that empower students to thrive academically and personally. He reminds us all that our children are the future, and it is the educators who spend an extraordinary amount of time shaping them.
With his tailored approach and infectious passion, Reggie D. Ford leaves a lasting impression on his audiences. His transformative message resonates with educators, reminding them of their incredible impact and inspiring them to maintain passion and joy in their classrooms. Join us as we embrace the future with perseverance, cultivating safe spaces, empathy, and connections in education. Together, we can overcome the current struggles and shape a brighter future for our students.
Read More
Reggie D. Ford is a sought-after motivational speaker and bestselling author of Perseverance Through Severe Dysfunction. By sharing his captivating journey of turning pain into peace through the process of perseverance, Reggie motivates positive change in all those he encounters. He tailors a unique approach for each audience, complemented by exceptional wisdom and contagious enthusiasm, ensuring a lasting impression.
Through his work, Reggie help organizations embrace vulnerability and persevere through pain points impeding their success.
A first-generation college graduate and former D1 football player at Vanderbilt University, Reggie brings a diverse perspective to his roles as entrepreneur, philanthropist, mental health advocate, and social activist.
In addition to speaking, Reggie is a certified yoga instructor and runs RoseCrete Wealth Management. He lives in Nashville, TN with his wife Katie and their Rottweiler, Rosie.
Luncheon Speakers
THURSDAY | NOVEMBER 2 | 12:10PM
Frame Your Future
Dr. Brett Jacobsen
CEO
Mount Vernon School
The Year is 2039. The Setting is Commencement. Current preschool students (age 2) will graduate from our schools. We will be proud. We will be in awe. We will be ready to follow their lead. Like any other generation before them, these young, energetic learners will run, skip, and even charge into their preschool classrooms with intense excitement, bold naivete, and pure joy, ready to take on the world. Unlike alumni before them, the pathways, experiences, and classroom settings enroute to 2039 will probably be less familiar, not as linear, more ambiguous, yet even more of a purpose-driven adventure filled with creative possibility and exciting opportunities. Navigating a complex world, how will they be ready? How will an intricate network of educators, parents, industry experts, non-profit leaders, and civic officials adapt to support the journey for future generations of our students to discover their purpose and make their own impact? While we cannot predict the future, the rapidly changing contexts in the world will require something different from the learner, from the teacher, from the parent, and from the community. We must ask new questions. We must create new insights. We must design new ideas with integrity and quality. Wherever you might find yourself on the journey, join Dr. Jacobsen to learn more about how to frame the future around your school’s position, people, protection, practice, and programs. Developing a realigned picture of future opportunities will set the conditions for continuous improvement, transformation, and sustainability.
Read More
Dr. Jacobsen is CEO of The Mount Vernon School, MVOnline – The Global Online Campus, and Mount Vernon Ventures. Leading Mount Vernon through a transformational period since 2009, the School has gained a national reputation for innovation in education, including launching a research and strategy lab known as Mount Vernon Ventures. In August 2022, MVOnline, Mount Vernon's online high school, welcomed its first cohort of students to the School. He frequently shares his journey of innovation and entrepreneurial impact at national and international conferences. Dr. Jacobsen was recognized by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as one of the 2017 Most admired CEOs in the education category. He is also a proud member of Leadership Atlanta, Class of 2013.
FRIDAY | NOVEMBER 3 | 1:00PM
Unlocking Learner Agency
Meghan Cureton
Principal Consultant
Cureton Consulting, LLC
What it means to ensure our students are “future-ready” is a moving target. Whatever the future holds it’s our ability to adapt and respond which is central to supporting the next generation to thrive through uncertain times. So what is the role of the teacher in this paradigm? Get inspired with real stories from schools across the country that are activating agency in all learners. You’ll leave lunch inspired and equipped with strategies to unlock learner agency.
Read More
Meghan Cureton believes in the power of agile teaming and entrepreneurial thinking. With over fifteen years of professional experience in education, she is a strategy consultant and a learning experience designer. She began her career as an English teacher, has taught grades 5 - 12, in both private and public schools, and has served in a variety of leadership and administrative roles.
Most recently, she served as the Upper School Head of Learning and Innovation at The Mount Vernon School. In her role as an administrator, she collaboratively led the transformation process for the Upper School to adopt learner-centered approaches. Meghan is well-versed in design thinking, project-based learning, competency-based learning (or mastery learning), equitable assessment design, faculty, and instructional coaching, but more importantly, she regularly uses a variety of tools and frameworks to create lasting cultural change within organizations. A huge fan of making thinking visible and empowering leaders within their own organizations, she has collaborated on multiple toolkits and playbooks on topics such as design thinking, trust in the workplace, and leading learner-centered change.
Agenda and Sessions
Convention Advertisements
Please support the Convention and those who have dedicated so much time and effort by placing an electronic ad in the ad slideshow. During the Convention, this slideshow will be displayed at the Welcome & Keynote and at the Luncheon.
AD Information:
- DEADLINE TO SUBMIT AD: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2023
- PRICE: $195 per ad
- To submit your ad: Use the button below to submit all ad artwork as a high-resolution JPG or PNG file. We will be using standard digital presentation slides, 1024 x 768, landscape orientation. If using an image prepared for print, resolution should be at least 300 dpi. Once received, the file will be sized to fill one slide of a PowerPoint slideshow.
- Payment must be received with ad submission in order to have the ad in the presentation.
CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR AD
If you have any questions regarding the ads, please contact Cindy Addison at caddison@fcis.org.
Payment must be received no later than Friday, October 13, 2023, in order for your ad to appear.
Refunds: All refund requests must be made in writing and emailed to kdanger@fcis.org. There is a $50 per ad processing fee through Friday, October 6, 2023, with no refunds after this date.
Thank you for placing an electronic advertisement to run during the 2023 FCIS Convention.
We appreciate your support!
Web and Mobile Apps: Whova
To get the most out of this year's Convention and navigate all of the information about the program, schedule, speakers, sponsors, exhibitors, and logistics, access the Convention web app or download the mobile app: Whova.
* Sessions are subject to change. Check the mobile and web apps closer to the Convention for the most updated information. *
For feature details, visit Whova
Mobile App: Whova
Download the free FCIS CONVENTION MOBILE APP for the most up-to-date information!
• Access the event agenda.
• Explore the professional profiles of event speakers and attendees.
• Send in-app messages and exchange contact info.
• Network and find attendees with common affiliations.
• Receive update notifications from FCIS.
Download Convention App: Whova
Click here for the event app user tutorial with instructions for downloading the app and a guide for using the app and exploring its features.
Check out the Whova FAQ Page if you have any questions.
Also, make sure you read and agree on Whova's terms of use and privacy policy before creating an account on Whova Apps.
Click on Sign Up/Sign In.
Remember to use the email address used to register for the Convention.
Remember to use the email address used to register for the Convention.
Website Version: Whova
Click here to go to the WEBSITE VERSION of the FCIS Convention app: Whova.
Click here (and scroll down to the middle of the page) for a more detailed attendee user guide with instructions for using the web app and exploring its features.
Check out the Whova FAQ Page if you have any questions.
Make sure you read and agree on Whova's terms of use and privacy policy before creating an account on Whova Apps.
Convention FAQs
CONVENTION FAQ's
- Whova Web and Mobile Apps | Attendee User Guide
- What do I do if I forget my username or password to access the Whova mobile and web apps?
- Do I need an invitation code to log into the Whova web and mobile apps
- Can I access the exhibitor's profile page after the Convention?
- What is the Convention Cancellation Policy?
Whova Web and Mobile Apps | Attendee User Guide
What do I do if I forget my username or password to access the Whova mobile and web apps?
Do I need an invitation code to log into the Whova web and mobile apps
Can I access the exhibitor's profile page after the Convention?
What is the Convention Cancellation Policy?
Sponsors
Exhibitors
Hyatt Regency Miami
400 SE 2nd Ave., Miami, FL 33131