Former Fuller Theological Seminary president's rules for fundraising offer prudent and timeless advice.

Can you tell a story in three sentences? If you can, you have a chance to attract more people to your institution and its mission. Here's how you can do it.

David Heetland, an experienced leader in theological education, is a well-regarded fundraiser with a track record of success and is now focused on legacy or planned giving.

Brenda Bailey-Hainer led ATLA's staff from a big office in Chicago to a distributed workforce with people in several different states. She offers great insights and wisdom that can help any organization.

Click here for a few resources to help your institution work through the grant writing and sustainability process

An expert on distributed learning, Dr. Mary Hess provides thoughts for faculty members, administrators, and board members on the future of theological education.

As most institutional leaders have been dealing with immediate challenges — moving classes online and the complexities of transitioning staff, faculty, and students into new spaces — the focus has been on leading during a crisis. But how do you lead during a crisis and simultaneously lead out of one?A new post from the Harvard Business Review offers some guidelines and cautions.

Understanding enrollment and student retention is essential for any institution to thrive, but not knowing the basics of enrollment management is a common problem.

A recent issue of Trusteeship magazine features an article by Peter Smithtitled "How Should Boards Respond to Disruption." The article was written primarily for boards of universities and colleges, but itgoes right to the heart of what it will take to lead a seminary through the next 30 or 40 years.

If your school is in transition now, or if you've recently completed a leadership change – or even if you are not even considering one – the issue of leadership transition ought to be a part of regular board discussions. Organizationalsuccession planning is the board's work.

Succession planning isn't just for a school's presiding officer. Having a plan for transitionand succession that applies to the entire institution can reduce stress and avert ad hoc emergency decision making when change inevitably occurs.

The number of college-age young people is predicted to fall by more than 15 percent within the next decade. The potential effects on theological education are obvious — and daunting.

Presenter Donna Alexander, President & CEO of Advoxum Global Strategies, offers best practices for navigating conflict and crisis. She examines the crucial elements of defining conflict and crisis, identifying, and prioritizing affected stakeholders, utilizing effective communication strategies, and ultimately, executing a plan of action.

Webinar 1 of a two-part series provides a change management framework to include best practice for leading change initiatives and common pitfalls to avoid. This session includes a consideration of institutional readiness for change, especially around the use of a strategic finance lens.

The In Trust Center is pleased to announce a new webinar series focused on change management models. These webinars are presented by rpk GROUP, a national leader in helping institutions create sustainable business models that reflect both mission and market. This series includes two webinars. Webinar 1 provides a change management framework to include best practice for leading change initiatives and common pitfalls to avoid. This session will include a consideration of institutional readiness for change, especially around the use of a strategic finance lens.

This webinar series addresses the basics of change management and adaptive leadership needed to navigate change.

This webinar, led by Donna K. Alexander, President and CEO of Advoxum Global Strategies, will help lower the perceived hurdles to hiring a consultant so you can achieve strategic goals, improve the bottom line, and yield excellent results for your institution.

Join Josh Peskin from Millwork Strategies as he talks about strategic communications plans.

Dr. David Rowe, creator of TransformingCollege.com and former interim president of Lancaster Theological Seminary, will lead this series, helping participants turn mental models that explain how theological education is being disrupted into frameworks for overcoming that disruption.

Join faith-based fundraising expert, Dr. Lori Guenther Reesor, as she shows how to create bold, clear communications of a school's values and ministry goals.

Dr. David Rowe of AGB Consulting will introduce a new area of sustainability each week, leading discussions on strategic transformation and financial sustainability in theological schools.

Join keynote speaker, consultant, and founder of FundJoy, LLC, Kristal Frazier, as she provides proven strategies to help you connect with key prospects.

This webinar will address how seminaries can own their destiny by being responsible and "finishing well," rather than closing in crisis.

Join fundraising expert Carla Maxwell Ray, Senior Generosity Strategist at Generis, as she breaks down data from The Giving Institute at the Indiana University Lilly School of Philanthropy and provides insights into what the research shows.

Five years ago, the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab at Brandies University opened to explore and support the role of chaplaincy. With a changing religious landscape, the role of chaplains can be a benefit. Theological schools, in their work to train chaplains, can benefit as well. Dr. Wendy Cadge, founder and director, of the lab, and Dr. Michael Skaggs, co-founder and director of programs, discuss the role of chaplaincy in shaping the church.

After taking over as the president of Hartford Seminary, Joel Lohr, Ph.D., undertook a new strategic plan, which seemed routine. But after bringing in Rick Staisloff of rpk GROUP, he saw an opportunity and charted a course that ended with a revitalized mission and a new name: Hartford International University of Religion and Peace.

While serving as an interim president of Lancaster Theological Seminary, Dr. David Rowe was challenged with how to merge the school and preserve its mission. Rowe and Elizabeth Palmer Bennett, former CFO at Lancaster, discuss how the development of the merger came about, their observations, and the lessons they learned in the process.

Helen Blier, Ph.D., director of continuing education at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and president of ALLLM, presents compelling reasons why theological schools should consider lifelong learning and continuing education programs as viable entry points into theological schools and essential bridges for ministers actively engaged in the field.

The Rev. Dr. Steven Moore, CEO emeritus of the M. J. Murdock Trust, says leaders in theological education should consider how they focus on stewardship. Drawing on 40 years of leadership in nonprofit groups and theological and higher education, Moore outlines what good leaders need, how boards can frame the work, and how leaders can stay fresh.

In this episode of the Good Governance podcast, Rev. Dr. Frank Yamada, the executive director of the Association of Theological Schools, discusses what it means for theological education and what skills boards and leaders need to navigate these times.

Rev. Dr. Scott Sunquist, the seventh president of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, joins the podcast to talk about the school’s “pivot”

In this episode, Dr. Allen talks about some of the principles that led to the change as outlined in his new book Turnaround: The Remarkable Story of an Institutional Transformation and the 10 Essential Principles and Practices that Made it Happen. 

Dr. David Rowe answers questions about why the educational model needs change and offers practical advice for theological school leaders.

Dorian Persaud, a seasoned employment attorney who works with theological schools, helps organizations anticipate and understand key crisis issues before they happen.

Price Harding, chairman of the executive search firm CarterBaldwin, joins Amy Kardash on the podcast to talk about the essentials of hiring a leader.

In today’s episode, we speak with Rev. Dr. William (Bill) Nelsen, senior consultant with The Registry