2025 Bridge Conference Call for Papers - Submission Deadline: October 18, 2024

POWERING PROGRESS – Unleashing the Potential of Integrated Marketing & Fundraising

Are you a dynamic professional in the field of fundraising or marketing? Do you have innovative strategies, tactics, and success stories to share with your peers? If so, we invite you to be a part of the 2025 Bridge Conference!

“Powering Progress” reflects the ever-evolving landscape of integrated marketing and fundraising. In an era of continuous change and rapid technological advancement, it’s essential to experiment and adapt to stay ahead. We’re seeking presentations that embody this spirit of innovation and progress.

Paper submissions for the 2025 Bridge Conference are now open across seven distinct Educational Divisions:

1. Fundraising and Marketing Breakout Session Tracks (Thursday & Friday, Jul 31 - August 1, respectively)
Attention all trailblazers and visionaries! Your unique insights and experiences can inspire and educate others in our community. We are seeking original content and compelling case studies that showcase remarkable strategies and offer fresh perspectives on key fundraising and marketing topics, including:

• Making your digital message stand out in a crowded digital landscape.
• Innovative strategies for integrating direct mail with digital and social campaigns.
• Success stories in donor retention and improved retention rates.
• Meeting the challenges of donor acquisition.
• Breakthroughs in major gifts fundraising and planned giving.
• Harnessing new technologies and platforms like AI and machine learning
• The critical role of data & analytics.
• Strategies for gaining buy-in from your board and CEO for new initiatives.
• Bridging the gap between "direct marketing" and "fundraising development" for enhanced revenue.
• Sharing valuable lessons learned from your fundraising experiences.
• New recommendations about creative packages, copywriting, graphics, and colors.

These are just a few of the exciting topics that we believe you, as an expert in your field, can shed light on.

2. Advanced Executive Track (Thursday & Friday, July 31 - August 1, respectively)
This track is for those in fundraising with ten or more years of experience. As a leader, are you following your organization’s strategic plan? Do you have a relevant strategic plan for today and the future? Are you keeping up with the best practices to ensure the sustainability of your organization? How well are your development departments and marketing departments communicating? What tools are being used to build the culture in your organization? Share your leadership experience!

3. Pre-Conference Workshops (Wednesday, July 30)
Unlock your potential as a workshop leader at our full-day Pre-Conference Workshop! Running from 10 am to 4 pm on Wednesday, July 30, our workshops cover a diverse range of all-day topics, including but not limited to Digital Strategies, Fundraising Fundamentals (Fundraising 101), Strategic Planning, Sustainer Program Mastery, Grant Writing, and Major Gifts Excellence. If you're passionate about any of these subjects and have expertise to share, we encourage you to submit your workshop proposal. Becoming a workshop leader offers a unique platform to showcase your knowledge and make a lasting impact on our attendees. Join us in shaping an exceptional all-day learning experience—submit your proposal now!

4. BridgeTECH (Wednesday, July 30 dedicated conference and Thursday & Friday, July 31 - August 1, respectively)
Dedicated to technologists who play a crucial role in the world of fundraising and marketing, BridgeTECH is a full-day conference (Wednesday, July 30) with continuing sessions on Thursday and Friday. We understand that fundraisers and marketers rely on technology experts to make their digital fundraising efforts successful. Here's your chance to showcase your technologies, strategies, and insights regarding the latest technological advancements. Share how these innovations can support nonprofit organizations in their fundraising endeavors and enhance their donor outreach initiatives. Join us in highlighting this vital tech aspect of fundraising!

5. Faith & Fundraising (Wednesday, July 30 dedicated conference and Thursday & Friday, July 31 - August 1, respectively)
On Wednesday (July 30), the 3rd annual Faith & Fundraising Forum, dedicated to faith-based fundraisers will be held. It will continue with sessions in the Faith & Fundraising track on Thursday and Friday –giving faith-based fundraisers a comprehensive, intense series of dedicated sessions. Faith-based fundraisers raise more each year than all other sectors, with nearly $130 billion in donations from U.S. donors. Yet, religious organizations face unique challenges, from cancellation of crucial in-person connections to aligning missions and messaging in the face of complex social injustices. Share your thinking and approaches coming from the world of faith-based philanthropy. Enlighten us with your techniques, insights, and inspiration.

6. Political/Advocacy Track (Thursday & Friday, July 31 - August 1, respectively)
Embrace the opportunity to be a part of the political discourse at our conference! We're inviting passionate individuals with a keen interest in the intersection of politics and fundraising to submit their papers for consideration. Share your insights, research, and experiences in the political or advocacy fundraising arena. Whether you've uncovered innovative strategies, tackled challenges head-on, or have compelling case studies to present, your contribution can shape the political/advocacy track of our conference. Help us explore the dynamic world of political fundraising, engage with fellow experts, and inspire meaningful conversations.

7. International (Thursday & Friday, July 31 - August 1, respectively)
The International Track offers a unique opportunity to delve into global strategies and trends shaping marketing and fundraising. Attendees will gain valuable insights into successful international campaigns, cross-border challenges, and cutting-edge digital innovations that enhance donor engagement across diverse regions. Experts will present case studies on adapting messaging for cultural relevance, navigating international regulations, and leveraging global networks for impactful fundraising. This track provides a phenomenal chance to learn from international counterparts, discover strategies applicable domestically, and equip U.S. nonprofit professionals with the tools to expand their global reach and foster meaningful connections in the worldwide nonprofit and marketing landscape.

u>Additional Guidance:
Before you embark on the submission process, please have the following required information ready:

• A clear and concise title for your presentation.
• A 300-word or less description of your engaging content suitable for a 45-to-60-minute session, ensuring alignment between the title, description, and presentation content to be presented. Craft your description such that it will engage the reviewers – if it doesn’t engage them, it’s unlikely that it would engage the potential attendee. What is compelling about what you want to present? Think of it this way… why would 100-plus Bridge attendees be eager to attend your session.
• Three (3) actionable insights or takeaways that attendees will gain from your presentation.
• To ensure a focused and impactful session, we recommend a maximum of three (3) speakers per session, plus the moderator, allowing for a maximum of (4) contributors. The 60-minute duration of each presentation has been carefully considered, and we believe that exceeding four speakers may compromise the opportunity for each participant to make a meaningful contribution. Kindly be prepared to provide contact information for all speakers to facilitate seamless coordination.

A few additional notes:
To ensure a diverse and dynamic conference program, agencies and consultants are encouraged to submit a maximum of five (5) papers, featuring no more than four (4) presenters from a single firm throughout the event. To promote a wide range of perspectives, no company should be featured in more than four (4) sessions. Should a company wish to contribute beyond the initial five submissions, an additional fee of $250 per paper over the limit will apply. It's important to note that this fee does not guarantee the selection of the additional submissions, as the selection process remains competitive.

At least one nonprofit representatives is required to present with a for-profit agency The Bridge Conference embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion. We encourage submissions from people of all backgrounds, including people of color, bilingual and bicultural individuals, women, men, people with disabilities, veterans, and LGBTQI individuals. We value the richness that diverse perspectives bring to our sector.

Submit Your Paper
To initiate the submission process, click "JOIN NOW" to create an account and begin your first submission. You will be guided through the steps. Should you require any assistance, please reach out to support@gocadmium.com or call 410-638-9239, Monday through Friday, between 9 am and 9 pm EST, for immediate assistance.