The 2025 Future of Fund Management Conference brought together hundreds of advancement professionals for two days of cutting-edge insights, candid conversations, and practical strategies for driving operational excellence.
From unlocking the potential of underutilized funds to navigating the evolving expectations around donor reporting, this virtual gathering was a masterclass in what it takes to lead fund stewardship into the future.
Whether you joined us live or are catching up now, here are the top 10 takeaways that sparked the biggest conversations—and what they mean for the road ahead.
Speakers: Chelsea Lamego (FundMiner) & Jenny Cooke Smith (CASE)
Fund management is no longer a back-office concern, it’s moving to the forefront of institutional strategy. However, most schools are still early in their journey, with few having formal policies, dedicated teams, or clearly defined accountability. This gap presents both a risk and an opportunity: institutions that invest now in structure, staffing, and standards will be better positioned to meet rising donor expectations and compliance needs.
Fragmented Systems Are Undermining Oversight:
A major barrier to effective fund management is the lack of integration between critical systems—such as CRMs, accounting platforms, and scholarship databases. Participants shared widespread frustration with manual processes and data silos, which limit visibility and responsiveness. Institutions that prioritize cross-functional access, data hygiene, and unified tools will gain the agility and accuracy needed for scalable stewardship.
Donors Want More Than Financials—They Want Impact:
While endowment reporting is common, there’s increasing pressure to expand communications to other fund types and to center storytelling over spreadsheets. Donors expect clear, compelling evidence of how their gifts are making a difference. Institutions that build robust impact reporting practices—supported by narratives, segmentation, and feedback loops—will improve donor trust, retention, and long-term engagement.
Gift Agreements That Stand the Test of Time
Speaker: Matthew Cotty, CFRE (Northeastern University) and Holden Walker (University of Colorado – Boulder)
Three Major Takeaways:
Build for Adaptability and Longevity:
Gift agreements should be resilient—balancing donor intent with institutional flexibility. They must allow for pivoting as institutional priorities or external circumstances change, while maintaining the original spirit of the gift.
Precision in Purpose and Administration Matters:
Clearly define fund purpose, allowable expenses, and selection criteria. This ensures the gift is used effectively and aligns with policy and donor expectations over time.
Changes in Circumstances:
Strong agreements proactively address what happens if the fund doesn’t activate, if its purpose becomes outdated, or if donors can’t be consulted. This avoids legal and operational bottlenecks and protects both donor intent and institutional viability.
Resources: Template of Gift Agreement that was shared in the chat
Fund Management Metrics
Speaker: Josh Greenbaum (Emory University)
Three Major Takeaways:
Strategic focus on Endowment Utilization:
Emory is prioritizing the utilization of endowment funds—especially for student and faculty support—by developing clear metrics like the Fund Balance Multiple Factor (a.k.a. accumulation ratio) to identify underutilized funds. High fund balance multiples (e.g., >1.5) and large dollar amounts signal potential issues and drive prioritization efforts.
Data-Informed Prioritization & Cross-Unit Collaboration:
Fund management at Emory is structured to be data-driven, beginning with the largest colleges and identifying high-risk projects. The Fund Management Priority Group and partnerships with units across campus help contextualize findings with local knowledge, which is essential for validating risks and making informed decisions.
Next Challenge: Creating a Usable Framework for Operating Funds:
While endowment funds have a clear heuristic, operating funds lack a standardized measure. Emory is exploring metrics like spend rate over time and cash burn rate to evaluate fund usage, treating fund cash balances like inventory to determine turnover and inform future strategy.
A Forever Changing Environment: Fund Clean Up and Remedies
Speaker: Lynne Wester (Donor Relations Group)
Proactive Fund Auditing:
Regular audits are essential to identify and rectify inactive or misaligned funds. By systematically reviewing fund statuses, institutions can ensure resources are utilized as intended and prevent potential compliance issues.
Cross-Functional Collaboration:
Addressing fund management challenges necessitates collaboration between departments such as finance, advancement, and legal. Unified efforts ensure comprehensive understanding and resolution of fund-related issues.
Transparent Communication with Donors:
Maintaining open lines of communication with donors is crucial. When adjustments to fund allocations or purposes are needed, engaging donors in the conversation fosters trust and reinforces commitment to donor intent.
Resource: Build a Stronger Donor Pyramid with these 5 Effective Fund Management Principles
Moving Mountains: Navigating Organizational Change
Speaker: Jim Langley (Langley Innovations)
Three Major Takeaways:
Internal Cohesion is the Cornerstone of Change:
Organizational change can’t succeed without shared ownership. Langley emphasizes that institutions must build a culture where every individual sees navigating change as their responsibility—not just the task of leadership. Without a sense of “we,” efforts to adapt will fracture under pressure, and no department or strategic plan can overcome that divide alone.
Communication Must Be Ground-Level and Constant:
Effective change management isn’t driven by memos—it’s driven by people. Trust is built through peer-to-peer communication, listening loops, and field intelligence gathered from students, faculty, donors, and frontline staff. Institutions that prioritize open dialogue, frequent feedback, and internal listening will be more agile and responsive in times of change.
Rebuild Community Before Chasing Capital:
Langley cautions against placing financial outcomes above institutional unity. When organizations focus solely on raising money without cultivating belonging and purpose, they risk eroding the very community that sustains philanthropy. The future will favor institutions that root fundraising in shared mission and invest in community as their most enduring asset.
Building Trust and Collaboration: Engaging Stakeholders for Effective Fund Management
Speaker: Angela Altamore (BWF)
Three Major Takeaways:
Trust is the Foundation of Effective Fund Management:
Open and honest communication with stakeholders, including donors, staff, and beneficiaries, is crucial. By sharing both successes and challenges, institutions can build credibility and foster a sense of shared purpose.
Stakeholder Engagement Aligns Goals:
Actively involving stakeholders in decision-making processes ensures that diverse perspectives are considered. This collaborative approach helps align donor intentions with the institution's mission, leading to more effective fund utilization.
Continuous Feedback Drives Improvement:
Establishing mechanisms for regular feedback from stakeholders allows institutions to adapt and refine their fund management strategies. This iterative process promotes responsiveness and continuous improvement.
Fund Management: It's a Rewarding Journey
Speaker:
Three Major Takeaways:
Fund Management is a Long-Term, Iterative Journey:
Both Nebraska and Ohio State emphasized that fund management maturity is not achieved overnight. It begins with identifying issues—often surfaced by audits or donor questions—and evolves through continuous improvement, cross-departmental coordination, and technology adoption. You don’t need to have it all figured out; just start taking steps.
Underutilization is a Symptom of Broader Systemic Gaps:
High rates of underutilized funds often reflect deeper institutional issues: siloed functions, outdated fund purposes, poor documentation, lack of spending authority, and fragmented systems. Addressing underutilization requires structural changes, policy development, system integrations, and a shift in organizational mindset from reactive to proactive.
Organizational Buy-In and the Right People in the Right Roles are Critical:
Progress depends on aligning the right people around shared goals. Nebraska’s creation of dedicated roles and interdepartmental workgroups, and Ohio State’s integration of fund management into finance and audit functions, highlight the importance of leadership support, cross-functional collaboration, and investing in specialized talent to move the needle.
We’re In This Together: How Finance and Advancement Collaborate to Generate Cash Flow
Speaker:
Three Major Takeaways:
Integrated Financial Planning:
The session highlighted the necessity for finance and advancement teams to engage in joint financial planning. By aligning budgetary goals and cash flow projections, institutions can ensure that donor funds are allocated efficiently and in accordance with donor intent.
Transparent Communication Channels:
Establishing clear and consistent communication between departments was identified as a key factor in successful fund management. Regular meetings and shared reporting tools can facilitate transparency, reduce misunderstandings, and promote a unified approach to financial stewardship.
Shared Accountability for Outcomes:
The session underscored the importance of both finance and advancement teams taking collective responsibility for the outcomes of fund utilization. This shared accountability fosters a culture of collaboration and ensures that both departments are aligned in their commitment to the institution's mission and donor expectations.
Future-ready Panel: Perspectives on the Technology Landscape
Speaker:
Three Major Takeaways:
Leveraging Technology for Enhanced Transparency:
The panelists discussed how adopting advanced fund management platforms can provide real-time insights into fund performance and allocation. This transparency not only streamlines internal processes but also builds greater trust with donors by showcasing the impact of their contributions.
Personalized Donor Engagement through Digital Tools:
Utilizing data analytics and CRM systems allows institutions to tailor communications and engagement strategies to individual donor preferences. This personalized approach fosters deeper relationships and encourages sustained giving.
Collaborative Innovation Across Departments:
The session underscored the importance of cross-departmental collaboration in implementing new technologies. By involving stakeholders from finance, advancement, and IT, institutions can ensure that technological solutions align with organizational goals and enhance overall fund management effectiveness.
Closing Remarks: Imagine if?
Speaker:
Impact is the New Bottom Line
The sector is shifting away from tracking dollars raised as the primary success metric and toward measuring actual impact. This evolution reflects a deeper understanding that philanthropic value isn’t just financial—it’s in what the funding enables. Teams that align systems, processes, and outcomes around impact will be the ones driving institutional relevance and long-term donor confidence.
Trust Will Be Built Through Transparency, Not Transactions:
The next era of fund management will be defined by transparency, consistency, and shared responsibility. Annual PDFs and reactive communication won’t be enough—ongoing visibility, cross-functional accountability, and proactive stewardship will become the standard. When organizations demonstrate trustworthiness at every level, they not only reduce risk but also strengthen their philanthropic culture.
Operations Are the Engine of Innovation:
Advancement services and fund management teams are no longer behind-the-scenes support—they are emerging as strategic drivers of innovation. From intelligent insights to automated storytelling, the future lies in using operations to unlock agility, scale personalization, and connect every gift to meaningful outcomes. Empowering fund managers as storytellers and decision-makers will transform how institutions engage with donors and deploy resources.
Resource: Want to learn how you can successfully navigate the future of fund management? Click here to schedule a free consultation.