2011 Foundation Leadership Forum

Sunday, January 23

2:30 - 4:30 pm Board Chair Boot Camp

New board chairs, vice chairs, and chairs elect should plan to attend our Board Chair Boot Camp, which provides an overview of the fundamental responsibilities of foundation board chairs, insights into common operational and governance models, and practical suggestions to enhance board engagement, productivity, and cohesiveness.   

Facilitators:
David Bass, director of foundation programs and research, AGB
James Lanier, AGB senior fellow
 

5:00 - 6:30 pm Opening Keynote  

New Prospects for Public Higher Education

Speaker:
John Casteen, president emeritus, University of Virginia

In his 20 years as the president of the University of Virginia—and earlier while president of the University of Connecticut and as Virginia's Secretary of Education —John Casteen presided over changes of many kinds, not least in developing the financial model that both drives UVA and lets it fulfill its public purpose while competing in the top tier among U.S. and international research universities.  President Casteen opens our conference with a discussion of the ways public institutions may be changing, the sustainability of current funding models, the need to reengage with policy makers and the public while also cultivating strong internal leaders, and a consideration of foundation-institution relationships going forward.

6:30 - 8:30 pm Opening Reception

Monday, January 24

7:00 am Breakfast

8:00 - 9:30 am Opening Plenary 

Post-crisis Approaches to Investment Policy and Management

Facilitator:
Verne O. Sedlacek, president and CEO, Commonfund

Panelists:
David Lafferty, senior vice president, Investment Strategies Group, Natixis Global Associates
Jay Yoder, partner and head of real assets, Altius Associates
Mark Shenkman, president and chief investment officer, Shenkman Capital Management, and chair, University of Connecticut Foundation

The market events of the past two years in, combination with longer-term trends, have changed the context in which investment committees operate.  Where investment committees once oversaw portfolios consisting of fixed income instruments and domestic equities, alternatives now account for half of the average college or university endowment. The complexity of new investment instruments and strategies creates opportunities as well as new risks.  In this session, Commonfund President and CEO Verne O. Sedlacek leads a discussion of the ways boards are adapting their approaches to allocation, risk management, and spending, as well as changing their management and governance practices to reflect the new realities of the post-crisis investment world. 

9:45 - 11:00 am Concurrent Sessions

1. Rethinking Endowment Spending
   Verne Sedlacek, president and CEO, Commonfund 
   
   
2. Planning for and Managing Foundation and Campus Leadership Transitions
   Jamie Ferrare, senior vice president, AGB, and principal, AGB Search
   James Lanier, AGB senior fellow
   
   Sample Executive Search Timeline
3. 10 Current Compliance Issues for Foundation Boards 
   Thomas K. Hyatt, AGB senior fellow, and partner, SNR Denton
4. After the Crash: Emerging Trends in Campaigns and Advancement
   
   David King, president and CEO, Alexander Haas

11:00 am - 12:15 pm Plenary Session

Surveying the Philanthropic Landscape:  New Research on Donors, Wealth, and the Work of Foundation Boards

Facilitator:
Eugene Tempel, president and CEO, Indiana University Foundation

Panelists:
Paul Schervish, professor of sociology and director, Center on Wealth and Philanthropy, Boston College
Una Osili, associate professor of economics and director of research, The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University
Garry Bridgeman, senior vice president and private wealth advisor, Merrill Lynch, and trustee, University of Georgia Foundation

Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2010 Study of High Net Worth Philanthropy
Capacity for Care: Today, Yesterday and Tomorrow
Philanthropy Matters: Giving Insights for Non-Profits
Giving USA: 2010 Executive Summary
Women Give 2010:  New Research about Women and Giving

12:30 - 1:45 pm Luncheon

2:00 - 3:15 pm Peer-to-Peer Discussions for Foundation Chief Executives and Staff 

1. Creating a Winning Workplace 
   
   Dan Saftig, president, Iowa State University Foundation
   
   Building a Best-Place-To-Work Environment: 50 Tips
   Employee Survey
   
   
2. Changing Donor Demographics: A follow up discussion with Paul Schervish, Una Osili, and Garry Bridgeman
   This session serves as a follow-up to the morning's panel discussion on the philanthropic landscape, providing an opportunity for in-depth discussion about current research and emeriging trends as well as the ways foundations are adapting their long-term strategies.
   
   
3. Strategic Approaches to Board Orientations, Assessments and Communications
   
   Dusti Cermak, associate director of donor relations, University of Iowa Foundation
   
   University of Iowa Foundation Board of Directors Self-Evaluation
   University of Iowa Foundation Board of Directors Evaluation Form
   Trusteeship: Board Engagement in Uncertain Times
   Trusteeship: On iPads and Board Books
   2011 AGB Workshop for Board Professionals Agenda
   
   
4. Managing Through Sustained Financial Challenges
   Although it would be nice to believe that the financial challenges of the past few years don't represent a new normal, it's clear that foundations are going to be called on to do more with less for years to come.  This session provides an opportunity to learn how your colleagues are managing costs, adapting their funding models, and mitigating the effects of financial stress and uncertainty.
   
   Brenda Lee, president, University of Toledo Foundation

2:00 - 3:15 pm Peer-to-Peer Discussions for Foundation Board Members 

1. The Board’s Role in Executive Assessment and Compensation Decisions 
   
   Jamie Ferrare, senior vice president, AGB, and managing principal, AGB Search
   Thomas Hyatt, AGB senior fellow, and partner, SNR Denton
   
   
2. Integrating the Work of Committees and the Board as a Whole
   
   Carla Beam, secretary of the board, University of Alaska Foundation
   
   Integrating the Work of Committees and the Board as a Whole
3. Is the Role of Foundations Changing?
   
   Gary Gordon, chair-elect, University of New Mexico Foundation
4. Leading Your Organization Through Financial Challenges
   
   Tina Byford, senior vice president, finance and administration, New Mexico State University Foundation
   Mike Johnson, chair, New Mexico State University Foundation
   
   Institutionally Related Foundations and the Economic Downturn (CASE White Paper)
   2010 Public Institution and University System Financial Conditions Survey (AGB)
   
   

3:30 - 5:00 pm Plenary Session

The Board Chair-Chief Executive Partnership 

Speaker:
Terrence MacTaggart, AGB senior fellow, and former chancellor, University of Maine System 

Panelists:
David Bahlmann, president and CEO, Ball State University Foundation
Stefan Anderson, vice chair, Ball State University Foundation

Elizabeth King, president and CEO, Wichita State University Foundation
John Morse, immediate past board chair, Wichita State University Foundation

Susan Kubik, vice president, institutional advancement, and executive director, Northampton Community College Foundation
Robert Rupel, chair, finance committee, Northampton Community College Foundation and chair, Kutztown University Foundation

What is the secret to a strong, effective relationship between board chair and chief executive?  Terrence MacTaggart facilitates a discussion among teams of foundation board leaders and chief executives on how they have forged an effective partnership and the ways it has enhanced the work of their boards and organizations.

5:30 - 7:00 pm Cocktail Reception 

Tuesday, January 25

7:00 - 8:00 am Breakfast

8:00 - 9:15 am Concurrent Sessions

1. Effective Investment Committees
   Chris Bittman, partner, Perella Weinberg Partners, and former CIO, University of Colorado Foundation
   Catherine Gordon, principal and department head, Vanguard Institutional Advisory Services
   
   Committee Assessment Tool
   Investment Committee Member Matrix
   Where Investment Committees Spend Their Time
   What Matters Most? An Analysis of Investment Committee Hire/Fire Decisions
   Investment Committee Decision-Maker Study
   Group Decsion-Making: Implications for Investment Committees
2. Troubleshooting Real Estate and Other Entrpreneurial Ventures
   
   Bryan Benchoff, president and CEO, University of South Dakota Foundation
   John Carter, president and COO, Georgia Tech Foundation
   
   University of South Dakota Foundation Property Acquisition Policy
   Real Estate Acquisition and Development
   Georgia Tech Foundation Real Estate Committee Operating Procedures
3. Focusing on the Big Idea and Measuring Success of Fundraising Programs
   This session discusses the importance of "the big idea" in securing leadership gifts, effective ways to measure fundraising productivity, and best practices for promoting a proactive teamwork approach to development
   
   Thomas Hiles, president and CEO, Bowling Green State University Foundation
4. A Transformational Model for Enhancing Board Engagement
   This case study demonstrates a transformational approach to engaging a foundation board and re-energizing a university and campaign.  The foundation chair has set the goal of achieving 100 percent participation by the board and will lead a discussion of the process they are undertaking to meet the objective.
   
   Keith Koenig, chair, University of Florida Foundation
   Thomas J. Mitchell, president and CEO, University of Florida Foundation

9:30 - 10:45 am Plenary Session

Implications of the New Global Economy

Facilitator:
Michael Oyster, managing principal, Fund Evaluation Group

Panelists: 
Sam DeRosa-Farag, managing director and portfolio strategist, Morgan Creek Capital Management
Stephen Wood, chief market strategist, Russell Investments

There is a broad consensus that the structure of the global economy is being reshaped as a result of demographic changes, a shift from G7 to emerging economies as centers of growth, disproportionate sovereign debt, and unfamiliar levels of risk and volatility.  In this session, Sam DeRosa-Farag and Stephen Wood identify five surprising effects of the new economic order that should be taken into account when thinking through long-term investment strategy.

Approaches to Investing in a Desynchronized World

11:00 am - 12:15 pm Concurrent Sessions

1. In-house Investment Office, Outside Consultant, or Outsource CIO?
   
   Wayne Hutchens, president and CEO, University of Colorado Foundation
   Raymond Smoot, CEO and secretary-treasurer, Virginia Tech Foundation
   Lisa Eslinger, senior vice president for finance and operations, Iowa State University Fundation
   
   Mission Matters: Outsourcing: Writing Your RFP
   Mission Matters: Outsourced Investment Management: What it Offers the Long-term Investor
   
2. The Hallmarks of an Effective Foundation Board
   This session asks the question "What fundamental qualities and practices best enable foundations to fulfill their mission of supporting public higher education?"  Are there particular governance practices that can enhance board performance regardless of foundation size, degree of independence, and function? Starting from a list of proposed "touchstones," this session will challenge participants to help define the hallmarks of effective foundation boards.
   
   David Bass, director of foundation programs and research, AGB
   Leonard Raley, president and CEO, University System of Maryland Foundation
3. New Approaches to Stewardship
   This session focuses on the attributes of top performing stewardship programs, provides a management tool to evaluate your program, and outlines suggested next steps toward a vision of becoming the best.  The discussion will also showcase a model program for endowment stewardship and reporting.
   
   Cindy Coyle, executuve director and chief financial officer, University of Georgia Foundation
   Thomas Mitchell, president and CEO, University of Florida Foundation
   
   
4. What Questions Should Boards Be Asking About Insurance and Insurable Risk?
   
   Thomas Atkins, principal, Albert Risk Management Consultants

12:30 - 1:45 pm Luncheon

1:00 - 1:45 pm Luncheon Remarks

Why We Raise Money for Public Higher Education

Speaker:
Sally Mason, president, University of Iowa

Sally Mason was the first person in her family to go to college, and she is a shining example of the transformative power of public higher education.  As the 20th president of The University of Iowa and one of the leaders in higher education today, she will reflect on the revitalization of a renewed focus on the public purpose of higher education.  Her remarks will inform why our foundations face an increasingly important role in funding the work of our public universities.

2:00 - 3:15 pm Peer-to-Peer Discussions for Foundation Chief Executives and Staff 

Managing through Tough Times:  How Your Colleagues are Addressing Current Issues and Challenges

1. Chief Executives: less than $25 million in assets
2. Chief Executives: $25-100 million in assets
3. Chief Executives: $100-300 million in assets
4. Chief Executives: greater than $300 million in assets

2:00 - 3:15 pm Peer-to-Peer Discussions for Foundation Board Members

Discussions of Key Issues Board Committees are Facing

1. Issues for the Finance and Budget Committee
2. Issues for the Audit Committee
3. Issues for the Investment Committee
4. Issues for the Development Committee

3:30 - 5:00 pm Closing Plenary

Making the Case for Public Higher Education

Facilitator:
Richard Novak, senior vice president for programs and research, and director, Center for Public Higher Education Governance, AGB

Panelists:

Mike Goodwin, president and CEO, Oregon State University Foundation, and board member, Oregon Higher Education Alliance
Jeff Jonasen, principal, Edge Public Affair LLC, and immediate past president, University of Florida Alumni Association
Karen Zamarripa, assistant vice chancellor for advocacy and state relations, California State University System

AGB's February 2011 State Governance Action Report
Oregon University System Meeting Minutes
Oregon University System Post Secondary Education Governance and Funding Survey
Gators for Higher Education Legislative Advocacy Program

5:00 p.m. Main Conference Program Concludes

Wednesday, January 26

7:30 - 8:30 am Breakfast Town Hall Discussion: How Can AGB Best Support the Work of Your Board in the Coming Year? (open to all conference antendees)

Facilitator: Rick Legon, president, AGB

9:00 am - 12 noon Optional Workshops (additonal registration required)

Workshop 1 - Enterprise Risk Management for Foundations

Presenters:
Wayne King, president and CEO, West Virginia University Foundation
Rick Lawrence, executive vice president and COO, University of Colorado Foundation

Growth in the scope and complexity of foundation operations and assets and heightened standards of accountability have prompted many foundation boards to ask how they can systematically assess and manage risk.  Forward-looking foundations have begun developing enterprise-risk-management processes designed to identify, prioritize, and mitigate risk, while minimizing the proliferation of policies and controls that may inadvertently distract foundation leaders from their fundamental mission of raising and managing support for their institutions.  In this workshop, foundation board members and staff can learn how to develop an enterprise-risk-management program adapted to the specific needs of their organization.

Workshop 2 - Board Self Assessment and Capacity Building 

Presenter:
Terrence MacTaggart, AGB senior fellow and former chancellor, University of Maine System
Genie Snyder Chamberlin, AGB board governance consultan, and trustee, Georgia College and State University Foundation

Strategic approaches to the recruitment and ongoing education of board members is essential to a foundation’s ability to fulfill long-term objectives.  This workshop provides a structured model to help your foundation assess the composition and capacity of your current board, engage the board in self assessment, and develop a process for the ongoing cultivation and recruitment of new board members.  The session will also discuss key drivers of high performance and strategies to enhance board engagement.

Workshop 3 - The Foundation Board’s Role in Fundraising

Presenter:
James L. Lanier, Jr., AGB senior fellow

Foundation board members play a vital role in fundraising, but organizational structures, expectations of volunteer leaders, and other institutional contexts vary enormously.  Drawing on new AGB research, this workshop provides practical insights on the role of volunteer leaders in fundraising while providing board members and foundation chief executives with the opportunity to learn about long-standing and emerging best practice in campaign planning and leadership, major gift cultivation and solicitation, and the development of planned-giving programs.

Workshop 4 - Preparing your Foundation to Play an Active Role in Real Estate, Entrepreneurial Ventures, and Other Strategic Initiatives 

Presenter:
Robert Holmes, CEO, University of Central Florida Foundation

As a result of ongoing state budget shortfalls, foundations are being called upon to help institutions acquire and develop real estate, support the commercialization of faculty research, and play a more active role in a range of other entrepreneurial activities.  Real estate programs can be a drain on foundation resources and distract staff and volunteers from other vital aspects of their mission.  The University of Central Florida has, however, turned its real estate program into an importnant source of operating revenue. This workshop provides foundation staff and board members an opportunity to learn how foundations can support the strategic priorities of their institutions while ensuring that they don’t put foundation assets at risk or compromise their ability to fulfill their primary missions.


2011 Foundation Leadership Forum adjourns at 12 noon