AFP

The Association of Fundraising Professionals launched an online survey tool that allows fundraisers to assess their individual ethical performance and strengthen ethical practice. The AFP Ethics Assessment Inventory™ (EAI) allows association members to examine the alignment between their personal ethical performance, that of the organizations in which they work and their peers within AFP. Ultimately, this will help assure that a fundraiser is treating donors with utmost respect and care, building and fostering strong relationships and maximizing the effectiveness of donations.

As the fourth quarter of 2011 begins, fewer than half of surveyed nonprofits reported fundraising increases during the first half of 2011 compared with the same period in 2010.

According to a report released by the Nonprofit Research Collaborative (NRC), of 813 responding nonprofits surveyed in July:

• 44 percent reported increases in charitable contributions received through June, compared with the same period in 2010;
• 25 percent reported giving remained level; and
• 30 percent reported charitable contributions have declined so far this year.
• 1 percent did not know.

Nonprofit organizations in the U.S. were better at retaining donors and shored up their net losses in donations in 2010, according to the latest report of the Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP). The FEP, a report of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and the Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy at the Urban Institute, compares gains and losses of donors and donation amounts. The FEP indicates year over year growth by comparing how many new donors are acquired with how many stopped giving, and the donation levels of each.

Recent tweets from folks you should be following.

There are thousands of good offers in fundraising. What makes yours the best?

Jason Mitchell and Barbara Talisman facilitated this workshop at the 2011 Bridge Conference in July.  Kevin Sturtevant, CFRE, Vice President for Development from Public Justice, joined them and shared his on-the-ground experience.

Four fundraisers have earned the highest professional certification, the Advanced Certified Fundraising Executive (ACFRE), from the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

The newest ACFRE recipients are Sharon Gleason of Washington, D.C., director of development for the Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital, R. Scott Fortnum of Newmarket, Ontario, chief development officer for Saint Elizabeth Foundation, James K. Phelps of Vancouver, Wash., development director at the ACLU of Oregon, and Cecilia N. Soriano of Mission Viejo, Calif., who was most recently executive director of gift planning for University of California, Riverside.

Blackbaud announced the opening of an office in Mexico City, a new local team, and a reseller agreement with EXITE.TI to support the growing Latin American philanthropic sector.

Blackbaud has been investing in the region since the introduction of eTapestry Español, its first Spanish-language software, in 2010. With this new partnership, EXITE.TI will handle the sales and support of Blackbaud products in Mexico, including eTapestry Español, a web-delivered Spanish-language fundraising and CRM solution designed for small to mid-sized nonprofits to help them fundraise and manage relationships with their constituents.

Recent tweets from people you should be following.

Three out of four fundraisers predict that donations to their organizations will drop if the White House’s FY2012 budget proposal to limit the charitable deduction is enacted into law, according to an online poll by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). More than half said that the proposal would have a significant impact on giving.