Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2026 Time: 11 am – 12 pm central Live Webinar
Women are a powerful force in advancement, shaping fundraising programs, building philanthropic relationships, leading teams, and influencing institutional leadership. Yet as many women move into positions of greater responsibility and visibility, they may encounter barriers that are not always visible: unequal access to sponsorship and opportunity, the expectations of relational and emotional labor, navigating authority and influence, competing demands on time and energy, and organizational cultures that can make long-term leadership difficult to sustain.
For advancement shops, this is more than an individual career issue. How we recruit, develop, recognize, promote, and retain women leaders directly affects the strength and sustainability of our profession and our organizations.
Join us for this insightful one-hour webinar as we explore the realities, opportunities, and challenges facing women in advancement today. Through practical strategies, real-world examples, and meaningful discussion, we will examine how women can build influence and capacity, how mentorship and sponsorship can expand access to opportunity, and how organizations can create cultures in which talented women are supported not simply to advance, but to thrive and lead for the long-term.
Whether you are an emerging leader, an experienced manager, a senior executive, or someone responsible for developing talent, this session will provide actionable ideas for strengthening leadership pipelines, supporting women’s advancement, and creating more sustainable and inclusive advancement organizations.
Topics we will cover include:
- Mentorship, sponsorship, and the power of networks
- Building leadership capacity across teams
- Retention, wellbeing, and career sustainability
- Organizational responsibility
Participants will:
- Identify common barriers women encounter as they move into positions of greater leadership and influence in advancement
- Understand the difference between mentorship, sponsorship, and professional networks and how each contributes to career progression.
- Consider how visibility, access, advocacy, and opportunity shape women’s advancement
- Learn approaches for supporting wellbeing and career sustainability while strengthening organizational performance
- Identify ways leaders can create more intentional and equitable pathways for women to lead
The fee is $295 per institution, which allows your entire team the opportunity to participate in this professional development at the same time. If you are a current client of Gonser Gerber Advancement Consulting, that fee is just $145. You will also receive a copy of the presentation and a recording of the webinar with your registration.
This program is designed for:
- Chief Advancement Officers and Vice Presidents for Advancement
- Development and fundraising professionals
- Alumni relations and engagement leaders
- Advancement services and operations leaders
- Academic and institutional leaders responsible for talent development
- Human resources and organizational development professionals
- Emerging and aspiring women leaders in advancement
- Managers and supervisors committed to building strong, inclusive leadership cultures
This webinar is presented by Meredith N. Brunen, Ed.D., senior consultant, and Krista Bofill, senior consultant.
