Association of Fundraising Professionals

Recently, the Indiana Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals sponsored a "Speed Networking With an Experienced Fundraiser" event. This concept matched 22 senior-level professionals with a combined 600 years experience with 22 younger professionals.

While we won’t solve all the problems volunteers face in 2014, there are things we can all do — for volunteers at our organization or if we want to volunteer — to make the experience more fulfilling for the volunteer and more beneficial for the organization. While there are many good resources available for learning the secrets of volunteer management, following are just a few that have been most elusive in my own experience.

Celebrate any opportunity that allows people to experience the joy and life-changing benefits of giving and to help meet vital needs! And let’s be sure to focus on nurturing giving as a way of life, not just an event!

At the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Philadelphia Chapter's National Philanthropy Day Awards luncheon, three fundraising pros discussed making the dreams of donors and volunteers come true.

At the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Philadelphia Chapter's National Philanthropy Day Awards luncheon, three fundraising pros discussed making the dreams of donors and volunteers come true.

Tweets from the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Toronto Chapter's Congress 2013 (#afpcongress).

As you create your New Year's resolution for 2014, ask yourself if you are certified. If you are not — isn't it time to improve your career?

Following is some information you need to know when considering using an outside resource for fundraising assistance, fundraising service providers. (And, no, this isn’t an argument that one method is better than another.)

Whatever your career level, I encourage you to promote the profession through involvement within the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Recently, the New York chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals hosted a terrific event focusing on the younger donor pipeline. Each of the three panelists bared all of the details of their young patrons' programs — from strategies, budgets (very low!) and staffing to the databases and e-mail systems they use. Here are a few takeaways: Younger donor programs are a long-range strategy. While each of the three organizations featured have specific income and membership targets for their young donor programs, they are a fraction of the organization’s overall operating budget.