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About the SymposiumThe Development Symposium Carolinas brings together fundraising professionals and nonprofit leaders from across the Carolinas to connect, exchange ideas, and explore current trends, proven strategies, innovative practices, and collaborative opportunities in development. This full-day event is designed to foster meaningful connections and provide actionable insights that strengthen fundraising success. Event DetailsDateThursday, October 15, 2026 Time9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. LocationStill Hopes Episcopal Retirement Community Agenda
SessionsMission, Relationships, and Results: A Conversation on Lasting, Enduring PhilanthropyDiscover what it takes to build strong donor relationships and create meaningful, lasting impact. A panel of philanthropic leaders will share their experiences, insights, and practical strategies for advancing organizational missions, engaging supporters, and strengthening communities. Through an engaging, moderated conversation, participants will hear diverse perspectives and gain actionable ideas to apply within their own organizations. Annie Everleigh, Director of Advancement at SC Baptist Ministries of Aging; Dale Melton, CEO at Covenant Village; Elizabeth Stevens, Vice President for Mission and Communications at Bishop Gadsden; and Michelle Wooley, Executive Director at Deerfield Charitable Foundation Elevating Your Success with a Compelling Foundation BrandLife plan communities often focus on their organization’s brand, leaving their foundation’s brand undeveloped and unclear. This session will offer an alternative that could dramatically elevate your philanthropic success. Presenters will explain how a compelling, well-articulated foundation brand can build donor trust, signal your organization’s competence, and clarify its impact. They will examine how foundation branding influences donor behavior and outline practical steps to align your foundation’s identity with your organization's purpose. You’ll take home strategies to secure larger corporate sponsorships, deepen donor engagement, and encourage more consistent giving by building a foundation brand that reflects your community’s heart and mission. Ezra Hall, Director of Philanthropy & Engagement at The Woodlands at Furman; and Amy Estridge, Director of Account Services at 3rd 3rd Marketing Four Reasons People Don't GiveIn this engaging session, participants will learn the four key reasons people don’t donate to an organization and discover practical strategies for overcoming each barrier. Participants will gain actionable ideas they can use to attract more donors, strengthen donor relationships, and increase the amount donors give. Monroe Free, Leadership Coach at The Leaders Perspective More Human, Not Less: AI for Relationship-Driven DevelopmentPhilanthropy runs on relationships and trust, yet lean development teams cannot personally sustain every connection as they grow. This session reframes AI not as a content machine but as relationship infrastructure, the layer that helps a small team keep hundreds of donor and family relationships genuine, timely, and human. Drawing on real experience building and running AI inside senior living communities, Matt Chronis and Max Kabanuk will show what AI can and cannot do in a community like yours, where the line between human and automated should sit, and how to add an AI-assisted touch that deepens rather than dilutes personal connection. Attendees will leave able to tell real capability from hype and apply it without getting burned. Matthew Chronis and Max Kabanuk, Co-Founders of Evolvia Systems Continuing Education4.0 continuing education credits may be earned for those who attend. Registration
To Register Download the registration form, complete it, and email it to [email protected]. DOWNLOAD REGISTRATION FORM (.pdf) Registration Deadline is Thursday, September 24, 2026 Please email form to [email protected] while payment is being processed to reserve your spot. Make Checks payable to LeadingAge South Carolina and Mail to: LeadingAge South Carolina |
