About

Our Retreat

BTFRI brings together select leaders in higher education development for a three-day immersive retreat experience in beautiful Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. With traditions founded upon sharing successes and thinking critically through challenges, the BTRFI forum remains a unique and powerful learning opportunity for those doing philanthropic work in the academic space.  

Each year, BTFRI welcomes forty development leaders to share professional trends and challenges among their esteemed peers, in a productive and stimulating retreat setting.  

BTFRI alumni, nearly 2,000 to date, include 50 faculty alumni currently serving in leadership roles nationwide.  

Our Faculty 

BTFRI relies on its professional volunteers who serve selflessly as BTFRI faculty members (five) and a BTFRI dean. Each dean serves at least a 3-year term.  

These exceptionally talented senior leaders volunteer their time, creativity, and advancement proficiencies to create an incredible annual forum for higher education development leaders.  

BTFRI faculty, in connection with their volunteer dean, develop program themes, and build curricula and programming for the annual Conference. BTFRI volunteer leadership manage the application and registration process to ensure an equitable, inclusive conference experience.  

Additionally, BTFRI leadership volunteers provide invaluable mentorship within the advancement sector.  

Sample Schedule  

Explore the 2024 schedule of events to find what kinds of presentations are available.