Evaluation Criteria

Blackbaud will review and evaluate each session proposal using the following criteria:

• Overall quality of content
• Relevance to conference audience
• Timeliness
• Practical application

Topics of Interest (conference tracks)

• Analytics
• Arts & Cultural
• Companies
• Faith Communities
• Financial Management
• Focus on Tech Innovation
• Foundations
• Fundraising & Relationship Management
• Higher Education
• Healthcare
• K-12 Schools
• Marketing & Engagement
• Nonprofits
• Peer-to-Peer Fundraising
• Sector Leadership & Trends

Presentation Format Each conference session will be 45 or 60 minutes long. Please keep these lively and engaging; PowerPoints should be easy to follow (it’s not a script!).

Successful Submissions: Due to the significant number of submissions we receive each year, not every submission can be selected. Strong speaker submissions feature:

• Actionable takeaways for attendees. What is the tangible impact of your talk on attendees and their teams?
• Clear focus on attendees of a specific role
• Understanding of who would benefit the most from your presentation
• Clearly articulated proficiency level so attendees can easily digest your presentation
• Unique or non-obvious application of technology/solutions
• Engaging, inspiring, and a fun delivery

Speaker Registration and Travel All presenters are expected to register for the conference. There are three different options for registering:

• Discounted full registration of $400*
• Presenter scholarship: limited number available for nonprofit organizations

* If you are a consultant, no more than one person from your company will receive the discounted registration rate for speaking.

Important Dates

• Call for speakers ends March 15, 2019 at 11:59 PM ET.

Please note: All submissions are subject to edits or changes as deemed appropriate by conference organizers.

Questions? Please contact speakers@blackbaud.com.