The Problem Worth Solving:

Most programs are sitting on untapped revenue potential; not because they lack donors, but because they lack a system to engage them. Events get planned in silos. P2P campaigns feel like one-off pushes. And athletes, families, and community members never get connected to a giving journey that lasts beyond a single ask.

What You’ll Learn:

A Deep Dive on the Fundraising Engine

MEET THE GUEST SPEAKER

Dalton Kleinschmidt serves as the Annual Giving & Communications Officer at Dakota State University, where he brings a fresh and creative energy to donor engagement and outreach. With a background that spans higher education, program development, and over 10 years as a collegiate basketball coach, Dalton understands what it takes to build a winning team, and a winning fundraising program.

In his role at Dakota State, Dalton has helped drive campaigns that raised nearly a quarter million dollars, leveraging out-of-the-box events like tailgates and a 96-foot putting contest to turn one-time attendees into long-term donors. His approach blends a psychology-informed understanding of human connection with the strategic mindset of a coach, meeting donors where they are and building relationships that last.

In this session, Dalton will share how creative event experiences can become powerful relationship-building tools, and what annual giving programs of any size can learn from his playbook.

Why It Matters Now

The most successful programs aren’t running harder, they’re running smarter. Session 1 gives you a live, behind-the-scenes look at how the Fundraising platform works, what’s new, and how institutions are using it to build a broader community engagement footprint that fuels everything downstream.