2010 Foundation Leadership Forum

Date:

January 24, 2010 - January 27, 2010

We look forward to seeing you at the AGB Foundation Leadership Forum, January 24-27, 2010 at the Arizona Biltmore Resort in Phoenix, Arizona.

Download a printable version of the final program and faculty biographies here.

As boards lead their foundations through a period of unprecedented challenges, strategic governance is essential to the future of the institution. AGB's Foundation Leadership Forum provides an opportunity for foundation board members and CEOs to take time together to learn about issues affecting college and university foundations, share insights and best practices with colleagues from across the country, and think through plans for the leadership of their foundations throughout the coming year.

Plenary Sessions

Sunday, January 24, 2010

5:00-6:30pm

Accountability and the Academy
W. Hodding Carter III

Nonprofits and the boards that govern them must be accountable to the donors who support them, the constituents they serve, and the larger public that confers tax-exempt status. Too often, however, charities find themselves in adversarial relationships with institutional partners, disgruntled donors, and skeptical media. Hodding Carter opens our Forum with insights on accountability and the academy drawn from his distinguished careers in journalism, politics, public administration, and academia, including service as assistant secretary of state in the Carter administration, president of the Knight Foundation, and University Professor of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Monday, January 25, 2010

8:45 - 10:15am

The Compact Between States and Public Higher Education
Facilitator: Helen Aguirre Ferre, Board Chair, Miami Dade College and Opinion Page Editor, Diario Las Americas
Panelists: Scott Pattison, Executive Director of the National Association of State Budget Officers; Stephen M. Jordan, President, Metropolitan State College of Denver; Jack Jewett, President and CEO, Flinn Foundation, former vice president for university advancement at California State University-Monterey Bay, and former president of the Arizona Board of Regents

Acute budgetary challenges, shift in regional, U.S., and global economies, and student demographics are already changing the missions and financial models of public institutions. This distinguished panel discusses the ways the fundamental compact between states and public higher education is evolving and consider how this will inform the role of institutionally-related foundations and the work of their governing boards.

12:15 - 1:45pm

Higher Education's National Agenda
Michael Crow, President, Arizona State University

3:30 - 5:00pm

The Endowment Model Going Forward: Spending, Allocation, and Diversification in the Wake of 2008
Facilitator: Christopher L. Bittman, partner, Perella Weinbeg Partners and former CIO, University of Colorado Foundation
Panelists: Mark Yusko, President and CIO, Morgan Creek Capital Management; Catherine Zaharis, University of Iowa Foundation Investment Committee Chair; Guy L. Patton, President, University of Oklahoma Foundation, Inc.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

10:15 - 11:30am

The Value of Volunteers: How Board Leaders Advance Public Higher Education
Facilitator: Richard D. Legon, President, Association of Governing Boards

Panelists: Paul Lorenzini, Board Chair, Oregon State University Foundation; Curtis Barnette, Board Chair Emeritus, West Virginia University Foundation; Barry Weinman, Chairman, University of Hawaii Foundation

All foundation board members play a vital role as fiduciaries, guides in organizational policy making, fundraisers, advocates, and donors; but certain board members affect change in ways that transform the culture of their organizations and entail truly extraordinary contributions to the institutions they support. To conclude the main portion of the Forum, AGB president Richard D. Legon facilitates a conversation among a group of such volunteers, discussing their motivations, challenges faced, and insights on board leadership.

Sessions

Monday, January 25, 2010

10:45am-12:00 pm
Concurrent Sessions

Session I: Assessing Foundation Board Effectiveness, Foundation Fundraising, and Financial Health - John Martin, President, University of Connecticut Foundation
Session II: Are the Interests, Expectations, and Giving Patterns of Higher Education Donors Changing? - Brenda Wilson-Hale, Executive Director, Washington State University Foundation
Session III: Spending and Accounting for Endowments under UPMIFA - William Jarvis, Managing Director, Commonfund Institute and David Bahlmann, President and CEO, Ball State University Foundation
Session IV: The Role of the Foundation Board in Stewarding both Donor and Institution Interests - Sidney Micek, President, University of Illinois Foundation

2:00-3:15 pm
Peer-to-Peer Sessions

Board Members:
Managing Relationships During Tough Times: HowBoard Members Support Communication, Collaboration, and Transparency - Warren Prestolo, Past Chair, University of South Dakota Foundation
How Boards Can Help Emerging Foundations Build Capacity - Arthur Smith, Board Chair, Owens Community College Foundation
Executive Compensation and Evaluation - Gail Freeman, President, and Derek Bellin, Senior Consultant, Freeman Philanthropic Services, LLC

Chief Executives:
HR Issues: Managing Human Resources when Financial Resources are Scarce - Lynette Marshall, President and CEO, University of Iowa Foundation
Managing Cash Flows, Liquidity, and Reserves - John Carter, President and COO, Georgia Tech Foundation, Inc.
The Role of Planned Giving Supporting Higher Education - Ken Ramsay, President and CEO, Legacy Leaders, LLC

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

8:45-10:00 am
Case Studies

Case Study I: Restructuring a Foundation to Play a Leadership Role in Foundation - Molly Williams, Vice Presidnet for Institutional Advancement, Colorado School of Mines
Case Study II: The Board's Role in Strategic Planning - Hazem Chehabi, MD, Trustee, University of California Irvine Foundation
Case Study III: Developing a Sustainable Funding Model - Marla Franklin, Vice Chair, Iowa State University Foundation

Workshops

Optional Workshops and Seminar: Separate registration required

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

The Endowment Management Seminar provides an opportunity for in-depth discussion of the factors and practices essential to prudent and effective endowment management. Leading investment professionals and investment committee members from top performing foundations share new research and insights as well as long-standing experience on best practices for investment committees, emerging financial trends, and specific challenges and opportunities currently facing investment committees.

12:00-12:45 pm
Luncheon

12:45-1:30 pm
Plenary Session

How Do We Respond to the Sustainable Spending Challenge: Is 5% Real Spending Sustainable?
Robert D. Arnott, Chairman, Research Affiliates, LLC
Robert Arnott launches the Endowment Management Seminar with a provocative discussion of one of the most vital questions investment committees must address: are long-standing return expectations and spending practices sustainable? Drawing on his long experience as an entrepreneur, investor, and highly respected financial analyst, Arnott suggests that investment committees need to pay greater attention to the concept of sustainable spending and the risks associated with reaching for outsized returns.

1:45-2:45 pm
Concurrent Sessions

Concurrent I: Assessing the Role of Alternatives
Harry Merriken, Senior Vice President, Gateway Investment Advisers

Concurrent II: Group Decision-Making: Implications for Investment Committees
Dr. Gary R. Mottola, Senior Research Analyst, Vanguard

Concurrent III: Clean Technology: Investment Opportunities and Its Role in the Portfolio
Michael J. Oyster, Managing Principal, Fund Evaluation Group

3:00-4:00 pm
Concurrent Sessions (Concurrents I, II and III repeat)

4:15-5:30 pm
Closing Plenary

The Investment Committee's Agenda: A Look Ahead at the Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities Investment Committees Will Be Addressing in 2010

Facilitator - Christopher S. Carabell, Managing Director, Retirement and Philanthropic Services, Bank of America Merrill Lynch

The Endowment Management Seminar wraps up with a discussion among investment committee chairs of the issues that are on the top of their agendas. The presenters will synthesize ideas addressed earlier in the conference, share insights on effective committee leadership, and encourage foundation board leaders and staff to think about how they will address current challenges and opportunities with their investment committees in the coming year.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

7:30-9:00 am
Breakfast for Workshop Participants

9:00 am-Noon
Optional Workshops

Workshop I -- Foundation Finance: An Overview of Essential Issues and Best Practices for Foundation Boards and Executives
Lisa M. Eslinger, Vice President for Finance and Operations, Iowa State University Foundation
Judith (Judy) H. Van Gorden, Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer, Arizona State University Foundation

This workshop provides a comprehensive overview of the essentials of foundation finance, including: foundation funding sources, budgeting, cash management, and debt financing, as well as consideration of special topics related to entrepreneurial ventures, campaign funding, and coping with financial distress.

Workshop II-- Strategically Planning Your Way to a New Normal
Thomas J. Mitchell, Vice Chancellor, University Advancement, University of California, Irvine

Foundations are operating in an environment characterized by fewer resources, expanded missions, higher levels of accountability and transparency, and greater compliance requirements. Strategic planning can help prepare foundations to meet current and future challenges. Taking a cue from Walt Disney's model of success, this workshop outlines an innovative strategic planning process to prepare your foundation for a "new normal" through the "principles of dreaming, believing, daring and doing."

Workshop III -- Campaigns: The Board's Role in Planning, Execution, and Post-Campaign Transition

James L. Lanier, AGB Senior Fellow and Robert L. Turner, Jr., Vice President for Development and University Relations, Virginia State University, and Executive Director, Virginia State University Foundation

Campaigns can create new opportunities for student access, fund new programs, and enable institutions to succeed in an increasingly competitive educational market. Campaigns can also help to create a new culture of giving among institution constituents and enhance an institution's capacity for future growth. Without proper planning and follow through, however, the long-term potential of a campaign can go unrealized. This workshop focuses on the role of foundation board members in planning, execution, and post-campaign follow through.

Travel and Accommodations

Travel:

The Arizona Biltmore is five and a half miles from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). Information on taxis, shuttles, and limousine service is available on the airport's website.

The Arizona Biltmore recommends ExecuCar town car service which can accommodate up to four guests per car for $33. For this service, contact ExecuCar at (602) 232-4600.

For other hotel and travel information, please contact the Biltmore's Resort Services desk at (602) 955-6600 ext.7000.

Accommodations:

The Foundation Leadership Forum will be held at the historic Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa.

The Biltmore, with its Frank Lloyd Wright-influenced architecture, spectacular gardens, and award-winning restaurants, has been named one of the Top 50 U.S. resorts by CondÃ© Nast Traveler and featured in 1000 Places to See Before You Die.

Conference attendees qualify for a special discounted rate of $289 per night, single or double occupancy. The deadline for the discounted rate is December 18, 2009. A limited number of rooms are available at this rate so please make your reservations as soon as possible.

Reservations can be made by calling the hotel directly at (800) 950-0086 or via the Arizona Biltmore's reservation site. Be sure to enter AGB in the Group/Convention Code section of the reservations screen to receive the special discounted rate. All rooms must be guaranteed by a two night deposit which is fully refundable up to 14 days prior to arrival.

*The resort fee at the Biltmore has been waived for AGB Forum participants, but please note that a daily gratuity charge will be added to your final bill.

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2010 Foundation Leadership Forum

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Monday, January 25, 2010

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Monday, January 25, 2010

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

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