Paulette's Point of View

Big Changes in the Windy City

2011-02-22T19:36:00.002-05:00

Fundraising no longer comes in cycles or campaigns so much. There’s no down time. If one campaign is over, then a new one is just about to begin. Which means you have limited time for things like continuing education.

I know all of you still find the time for professional advancement, and that’s indicative of your dedication to the profession. But your limited time means that your continuing education opportunities have to be top-notch. It has to cover the issues that are important to you and provide not only the latest, most innovative techniques, but also broad themes and inspiration you can take back for yourself, your staff and your donors.

The AFP International Conference is the largest gathering of fundraising professionals in the world, and has to represent the full spectrum of the profession while still being all about you and your particular needs. To that end, we’ve made a lot of changes this year to the conference—and all of them based on your feedback and comments.

We’ve created a more compact conference, with no more sessions on Wednesday and much more programming throughout the day on Sunday. Our general sessions are shorter and streamlined, focusing on broad themes and featuring multi-media presentations throughout, culminating with our big speakers such as President Clinton, Queen Latifah and Blake Mycoskie. Our educational sessions have been themed and refocused to emphasize the changes in the profession while still acknowledging time-tested and proven techniques.

We’ve also made it easier to connect with your colleagues at the conference and keep track of everything that is happening. Our new conference mobile website (which will debut in early March) allows attendees to access everything they need to optimize their AFP 2011 Conference experience, right on their smartphone! You can search the conference schedule and create a personalized daily schedule, look for specific speakers and exhibitors, read our conference daily digests and get the important links to additional conference information and materials.

In addition, there’s also afpnet.org/Chicago, our conference website, which will have all the updates regarding changes at the conference, as well as photos from the various events and a running feed from our conference Twitter hashtag, #afpmeet. Anytime you tweet while at the conference, or anything conference-related, be sure to include that hashtag in your message, and everyone following #afpmeet can keep in touch! We’ll also have Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube pages going on so you won’t miss anything that’s happening at the conference.

As our conference theme indicates this year, fundraising is all about perspectives. We want to provide you with as many different perspectives as possible, while still keeping your perspective at the forefront. We think the changes to the conference do just that, and we hope to see you in Chicago for what should be one of the most exciting and dynamic continuing education opportunities ever—the AFP International Conference on Fundraising!

Plans and Transitions

2011-02-02T14:43:00.002-05:00

I hope you’re recovering from the year-end fundraising craziness that tends to envelope most charities. Studies continue to show that December is the busiest month for fundraising, and I hope your 2010 overall giving totals continue the slight upward trend we saw throughout the year.

Like many of you, AFP used January as an important time to plan for the coming year. Part of that planning is our leadership transitions this year. As you know, I’ll be stepping down as president and CEO after our International Conference on Fundraising in Chicago in March. Our search team has narrowed down the list quite extensively. When a final candidate is identified, we will make an official announcement.

We also have a new chair for AFP in 2011. Robbe Healey did an extraordinary job of leading our association for the past two years, especially during some very difficult economic times, and we are indebted to her. Thank you, Robbe, and I know you’ll do a great job as immediate past chair and leading up the Committee on Directorship.

We now welcome Andrea McManus, our first chair outside of the United States. Andrea is from Calgary and has served AFP in a variety of volunteer roles. She’ll be a great leader, and you’ll get to see and meet Andrea in Chicago.

Andrea was instrumental in developing our new Strategic Plan 2011-2013. Many of the goals and outcomes in the 2011 -2013 plan are comparable to ones found in our previous plan, though they have been modified to reflect changes in the association and the external environment over the past several years.

The biggest change is a new goal to address the need to recruit and develop young fundraising professionals, which has long been one of my passions. Planning sessions with chapter presidents revealed that one of the top issues facing fundraisers is the lack of succession plans and the limited pool of talented, trained individuals to replace current leaders in future years. The seven goals are:

• AFP will develop skilled, knowledgeable and ethical professionals worldwide.
• AFP will advance effective, ethical and accountable fundraising standards as an essential component of global philanthropy.
• AFP will aggressively promote and defend public policy that encourages philanthropy, supporting principles important to AFP and the fundraising profession.
• AFP will deliver optimal value to members.
• AFP will create a community of inclusion by seeking, embracing and engaging diverse individuals, groups and organizations with a broad representation of experiences, perspectives, thoughts and cultures within the fundraising profession.
• AFP will provide strong leadership in promoting and supporting the fundraising community worldwide.
• AFP will engage young professionals and youth exploring philanthropy and building their fundraising careers.

It’s a comprehensive and ambitious plan, but thanks to Robbe and Andrea’s work, we’re well-positioned to accomplish all of the goals. With the new year, Bob Carter, our new chair-elect, assumes the chairmanship of the Strategic Planning Oversight Committee and will be monitoring our progress.

We began our work on the plan in earnest last weekend as we held our New Board Member Orientation at the AFP International Headquarters. It’s a new event we’ve held over the past several years to introduce our new board members to our strategic plans and priorities and the staff who will be helping them carry out the plan.

I hope your own organizational planning is going well, and I look forward to seeing you at our conference in Chicago!

Hemispheric Congress Virtually a Success!

2010-12-16T11:32:00.001-05:00

I have just returned from Monterrey, Mexico, where I attended the sixth Hemispheric Congress–Latin America and the first virtual congress AFP has ever held. I admit that I had been somewhat skeptical of a virtual congress, but the tremendous success of the event proved me wrong!

Our partner in the event was Tecnológico de Monterrey, and sponsors included FUNDAMEX, Massociedad, Microsoft, FEMSA and Banorte. More than 300 people participated in the congress overall. We had more than 150 on-site attendees on the Monterrey campus and there were 20 other participating Tec campuses throughout Mexico, with each site having between one and 50 attendees. In addition, people throughout Latin America were able to participate online.

The day was full of excellent speakers, including:

• Marcelo Iñarra Iraegui, CEO, Marceloiniarra.com
• Rubén D. Sánchez, education lead, Microsoft Colombia
• José María Anton, secretary general, Virtual Educa
• Martha Smith de Rangel, executive president, FUNDEMEX
• Deborah San Román, director, Fundación ABC
• María Elena Noriega, president and founder, Office of Consultants in Strategic Planning, Organization of Financial Campaigns and Obtaining of Self-sufficient Resources, Noriega Malo and Associates, S.C.
• Alma Delia Ábrego, representative from the AFP Tijuana Chapter
• Rocío Álvarez Máynez, representative from the AFP Monterrey Chapter
• Elvira Van Daele, officer of operations, International Financial Corporation
• Alejandro Ferraez O., independent consultant and member of the AFP Mexico City Chapter

What was really fascinating was how the technology was set up so that virtual attendees could really feel like they were there. In some cases, speakers could see each virtual participant, and there was a lot of great conversation among attendees, both physical and virtual. I think the Congress is a great model for future virtual gatherings and something that AFP will be exploring more in the future.

For more information, go to the Hemispheric Congress website. And you can also find pictures here.

This was my last Hemispheric Congress as president and CEO of AFP, and I am so proud of the work the association has done to grow the fundraising profession in Latin America. Many thanks to all of my colleagues and friends in Latin America who have helped us along the way. It’s been so wonderful getting to know you all. Latin America has so much to offer the fundraising profession, and this year’s virtual Congress proves it.

Things Are Looking Up...Mostly!

2010-12-02T16:03:00.003-05:00

I’ve been working in the charitable sector for a long time, but even I’ve been stunned by the number of surveys that have been released recently about fundraising and giving—giving up, giving down, optimism up, major gifts down, number of total gifts up, average gift amount down. It’s a bit overwhelming, and at some point, too much information leads to overload.

That’s one of the reasons why AFP has partnered with five other leading philanthropic organizations to create the Nonprofit Research Collaborative. As I wrote in one of my November posts, by combining our research, we’ve created the most comprehensive and accurate survey of fundraising ever, with responses coming from every type and size of charity. That’s important, because you know the data is solid and representative of the whole community.

And even more critical, the data actually have some good news. We’re seeing an increase in the number of organizations raising more funds than last year. Of course, we have to be measured in our enthusiasm. These increases aren’t huge, and we’re still nowhere near the level of giving we saw in 2007 before the recession. And demand for services continues to grow far beyond the increases in giving.

But at least we do have some good news. And a lot of guarded optimism. And perhaps a sense that we’ve seen the worst of it.

More good news came with the release of a report by Convio that explored a previously unaddressed aspect of philanthropy so far this year: holiday giving. The report estimates that U.S. giving will total at least $48 billion between Thanksgiving and the end of the year, with online giving growing by 30 percent to more than $6 billion. The report has a lot of great information about giving by different groups of donors and is well worth a read.

I was in New York City at the end of November working with two leaders from Convio, meeting with members of the media to give my perspective on the current charitable environment and commenting on Convio’s research. I also had the great honor of being part of the NASDAQ Closing Bell Ceremony and was able to get this great picture from Times Square. Thank you, Vinay and Gene, for setting that up. What fun, and a unique way to increase the profile of AFP and the fundraising profession.

Let me know how your fundraising is going so far during this holiday season, if it mirrors these reports and what you expect to see by the end of the year. I wish you the best of luck in inspiring donors to great heights!

Photo Caption: From left: Vinay Baghat, founder of Convio; Paulette Maehara, president and CEO of AFP; and Gene Austen, President and CEO of Convio at the NASDAQ Closing Bell Ceremony.

Celebrating National Philanthropy Day®

2010-11-15T11:44:00.001-05:00

Our lives and our world are defined by community.

We are, in many ways, the sum of the communities to which we belong. On the most basic level, this means that geography: countries, provinces, cities, towns, as well as our jobs, schools, profession—to name just a few—help to define who we are.

But our community includes much more, such as our friends, family, neighbors and acquaintances. And with the rise of the Internet, geography no longer limits our communities, as we can form online relationships with others who share our interests.

Why are communities so important? Because we need each other, not only to survive, but to thrive. No woman or man is an island—we all depend on one another. Only by working together can we prosper and improve the quality of life for everyone.

Philanthropy is that idea in action—a community in action—working together to better the whole. Through giving, volunteering and participating, communities are accomplishing amazing things every day – feeding the hungry, healing the sick, educating children, providing training for workers, among countless other tasks and responsibilities.

And that’s what we celebrate on National Philanthropy Day®. Each of us. And our community. Working together. Though charities and other efforts. Through that work, we are changing the world in a very real and positive way by directly affecting the lives of everyone around us.

This year we celebrate the 25th anniversary of National Philanthropy Day. For 25 years, we’ve been celebrating the extraordinary impact that philanthropy makes around the world. For 25 years, we’ve recognized and honored those individuals and organizations that make a difference every day.

To learn more about National Philanthropy Day® and obtain information about giving and volunteering, go to the official website or mobile website.

Whether you’re a fundraiser, donor, volunteer, nonprofit manager or in any way involved in philanthropy, thank you for your dedication and selflessness. Together, in communities large and small, we are—slowly but surely—changing the world and improving the quality of life for all people.

The Importance of Benchmarking

2010-11-01T16:21:00.001-04:00

When I’m out visiting chapters, one of the most popular questions I get is, “how is my organization’s fundraising doing compared to the rest of [insert region, state, province, country, world?]”

It’s a natural and logical inquiry. We all want to see how we’re doing compared to others and determine if we need to be doing better, and if so, in what areas. But to be able to tell you how your organization is faring, fundraisers and nonprofits need as accurate and as precise data as possible—as soon as possible.

That’s where the new 2010 Nonprofit Fundraising Survey comes in. It’s a joint project by AFP, the National Center for Charitable Statistics, Guidestar, the Indiana University Center on Philanthropy, The Foundation Center and Blackbaud. Now those are some pretty heavy hitters in the nonprofit world, and almost all of us have done separate surveys in the past about the state of the sector, state of fundraising and how giving and volunteering are faring each year.
But in the interest of compiling the most complete, detailed and accurate date ever, we’ve decided to partner together and essentially create a united, comprehensive report. And even better, instead of one big survey at the end of the year, the project involves three surveys conducted throughout the year, which means that you’ll be receiving data more frequently. Each survey will be asking different questions and focusing on different aspects of fundraising, philanthropy and nonprofit operations.

But even as good as the new survey is—and I think it it’s a big step forward for the whole sector—it’s not going to be helpful without YOUR participation. The best, easiest and most thoughtful questions are not much good if no one answers them.

So, please, I hope you’ll take part in the first survey and others surveys that will be conducted in 2011. The current survey should take about five minutes to complete and covers changes in giving you’ve seen over the past year or two. While you will be asked to identify your organization, your specific figures will be kept anonymous, and all data will be reported in the aggregate.

Accurate benchmarking is the starting point for nearly any plan—strategic, fundraising or otherwise—especially as it’s unclear just how much the economy and fundraising are improving in 2010. You’ve got to have good data to figure out where you are in the scheme of things and what you need to improve. The new Nonprofit Fundraising Survey will help, and I urge you to participate!

Keeping Perspective on Fundraising Costs

2010-09-28T16:34:00.003-04:00

The issue of fundraising costs is always a tough one for the profession. It’s a very emotional issue, as we’re talking about dollars that donors have given away freely of their own will with the expectation that they’re supporting a charitable cause.

It’s also a very nuanced issue. As the old saying goes, it takes money to make money, and that adage is proven time and time again in charitable fundraising. Given all of the various factors that affect fundraising, it’s impossible to devise one universal, set-in-stone fundraising cost limit that would apply to all organizations.

Fortunately, governments are starting to realize this. For example, the Canada Revenue Agency, in its fundraising cost guidelines that were developed last year, specifically acknowledges that fundraising costs can vary dramatically annually and that organizations with higher costs aren’t necessarily unworthy organizations.

Unfortunately, some media outlets still don’t do the research or simply don’t have the interest to understand the nuances of fundraising costs. A good example is a recent article by the CBC on fundraising contracts by for-profit solicitors, or as the article terms them, third-party fundraisers.

There’s SO much to not like about this article—inaccurate comparisons between costs and funds raised, complete misunderstanding of the difference between fundraisers and solicitors, lack of discussion about telemarketing fundraising costs, and key information about the scope of telemarketing by solicitors buried in the middle of the article. AFP responded to the CBC with this letter, and has also developed some talking points that fundraisers can use for their own responses or when speaking with donors and members of the public.

High fundraising costs are definitely an issue, and I have no problem with the CBC investigating them. In fact, I think it would be interesting to find out how many of these high-cost contracts involved percentage-based compensation, which AFP finds unethical. But it would also be nice to have some discussion of the role of telemarketing and the costs associated with it.

AFP is committed to educating the media, governments and the public about all aspects of fundraising, and especially fundraising costs. Our pro-active work has helped result in positive regulations like the CRA fundraising cost guidelines that acknowledge variations in costs. But we must also continue to respond aggressively to articles like the CBC’s that paint an inaccurate and misleading picture of the fundraising environment.

Thank You

2010-08-11T22:07:00.002-04:00

By now, you’ve probably heard that I’ll be retiring as president and CEO of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) in March 2011 after our International Conference on Fundraising in Chicago.

From a professional standpoint, there’s never really a good time to retire. There are always new challenges and opportunities just on the horizon, and if you love your job, you relish those.
And I can assure you, I have loved every moment of this job. (Okay, well, almost every moment!) In fact, it’s hard to describe how much joy I’ve received from being able to serve the profession that I love so much.

As you all know, it’s incredibly inspiring to be able to serve a particular cause and inspire donors. I’ve experienced that feeling at places where I’ve worked, and especially the American Red Cross where I spent the first 14 years of my career for a cause that I still hold dear in my heart. But there is something equally satisfying about being able to give back to the profession, knowing that through the work of AFP, we’re helping each of you be able to reach those moments with your own donors.

I’m so proud of everything that AFP has accomplished over the past 12-plus years. We’ve changed our name, our offices and our governance structures. We’ve grown tremendously, both in North America and around the world. We’ve achieved extraordinary successes in education, government relations, public affairs, diversity and many other areas.

I feel like I’ve achieved the goals I’ve set for myself and this community, and it’s time to pass the torch to the next leader. In truth, I had originally planned to make this announcement last year, but felt that with the economic situation then, such a move wouldn’t be fair to the association. Now that the environment has improved, I think the timing is perfect.

I’m confident that AFP will continue to grow strongly and enjoy a bright future. Part of that is due to a very talented staff that has the knowledge and experience to work well during a transition. Another key ingredient is our board. AFP is led by some of the most remarkable and dedicated volunteer leaders I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.

But most importantly, AFP has you—our members—the heart and soul of our community. My favorite moments with AFP inevitably involve the trips I’ve made to visit our chapters and the one-on-one conversations I have with fundraising professionals. The stories that I hear—the incredible work that has been done, from the largest multi-national institutions to the smallest grassroots organizations, often against incredible challenges—are truly inspiring. You are what makes this job so wonderful. You are what makes this profession so important and so great. And what makes me very confident about the future of fundraising and AFP.

Thank you for the wonderful memories and for the opportunity to serve you. And we’re not done yet! I promise that over the next eight months, I and the rest of the staff will continue to work hard for the profession. We have lots of new ideas and programs to unveil, so stay tuned.

International Fundraising Summit

2010-07-19T21:24:00.002-04:00

We spend so much time focusing on our little world of fundraising—our organizations, our donors and the community we serve—that it’s hard sometimes to see the bigger picture and the amazing things that are happening around the world.

That’s one of the reasons I’m always excited to attend the International Fundraising Summit, which was held for the sixth time in London in early July. AFP, along with the Institute of Fundraising (UK) and the Fundraising Institute Australia (FIA), served as the convening associations for the event, which brought together 12 different fundraising organizations from around the world.

One of the big discussions we had was on the International Statement of Ethical Principles, which is essentially the first universally-recognized set of standards for the fundraising profession. The Statement has brought the fundraising profession together in a way never before possible. It is the beginning of having a recognized, global profession where practitioners and donors all have the same expectations, regardless of country or culture. And as technology increases, and the reach of our solicitations can increase, this synchronization of standards and expectations becomes very important.

It was great to hear the Statement, which has been approved by organizations in 24 different countries, is being used by new and developing fundraising associations in countries such as Poland and the Ukraine. In addition, FIA recently used the statement as the guiding document during its comprehensive review of its own codes of practice. Seeing this kind of progress in other countries is exciting.

Even more exciting were conversations about the feasibility of a global credential and accreditation process. A lot of organizations, including AFP, IoF, CFRE International and the European Fundraising Association, are doing work in this area. We agreed at the summit to create a task force that will cross-map the fundraising competencies of each existing training program to identify similarities and differences.

The ideal outcome would be the creation of a global set of fundraising competencies that could be used as a guide for associations in their accreditation efforts, much like the International Statement of Ethical Principles has been used since its inception. It’s another important way to bring the profession together that could have far-reaching implications as the world gets smaller and our reach grows.

The Gates-Buffett Billionaire Challenge

2010-06-17T14:03:00.007-04:00

So Bill and Melinda Gates, along with Warren Buffett, are going to challenge America’s billionaires to contribute half of their net worth to charity, either in their lifetimes or in a bequest.

Two things come to mind. First, congratulations to the Gates’ and Mr. Buffett for such an ambitious plan, which they call The Giving Pledge. If they pull this off, or are even a quarter successful, the face of philanthropy will change dramatically. After all, as the article above notes, we’re talking, at a minimum, $600 billion if everyone on the Forbes 400 Richest List participates. Given that estimates of annual U.S. giving are currently at the $300 billion range, we’re talking about a seismic shift in giving. And if it’s successful, we might as well give Bill the unofficial title of Best Philanthropist Ever, because he’ll have reached charitable heights NO ONE has ever dreamed of, and not just in total giving either.

Two, this challenge underscores (and validates, though I’m not sure the profession really needs anymore validation) the principles we use every day in fundraising. Challenging donors to give more than they had ever imagined before. Using giving clubs to encourage donations—and this challenge may represent the most exclusive giving club ever—because we know that sometime peer pressure works, and that donors may give more or at an equal level if they know what a friend or colleague has given. And finally, using donors and volunteers to raise funds so “the ask” comes from a trusted colleague as opposed to just another solicitation from the organization.

Part of me wants to say “it’s about time,” but really, we haven’t had the right factors to make such a challenge possible until now: immense amounts of wealth that can truly make an impact, huge needs amplified by the global recession, charismatic leaders (the Gates) and a respected convert, so to speak (Mr. Buffett), not to mention the growth of philanthropy to be able to adequately handle these huge amounts of money and technology to make the campaign work. It seems more like the next step in the logical evolution of philanthropy than a radical step.
Of course, the big question is, will it be successful? Ultimately, I think it will be, though perhaps not as quickly as we might hope. I wonder if having the challenge in public (where we know what the level of giving is and who is being asked) changes the dynamics of “the ask.” Will there be resentment by some potential donors knowing that people might be able to check on whether they’ve given or not?

But I’m buoyed by the reports I’m hearing about the one-on-one conversations that are taking place. Because as we know, it’s often in these kinds of personal discussions where the light bulb suddenly turns on, and the donor identifies what he or she truly wants to do and realizes that the gift is possible. If the Gates’, Mr. Buffett and others can continue to have close, personal conversations with these donors, an extraordinary amount of giving is possible over the next few years and well into the future.

Philanthropic Decisions at the Bakery

2010-05-27T16:52:00.004-04:00

You may have seen the news that Panera, a U.S.-based bakery and restaurant chain, has launched a new nonprofit store in St. Louis that will operate in exactly the same way as its other stores will. EXCEPT, it doesn’t offer any prices. Customers are told to donate whatever they want for their meal. It could be one cent, or ten dollars or 100 dollars. The company hopes to open additional nonprofit, pay-what-you-like restaurants if this one succeeds.

Now, there are community kitchens that have been run like this before, and certainly this idea has been gathering a little steam in the nonprofit sector. But this is the first time that a well-known chain has attempted to develop this kind of business model.

I’m very curious to see how this succeeds because it raises a number of issues related to philanthropy and fundraising. For starters, donors often need to be challenged in their giving. Ask a donor what they can give, and often times they won’t know. They won’t have a sense of what needs to be done and what of money it will take, or how much they can truly afford. Which is why we as fundraisers set out guidelines for them, such as giving options and giving clubs, or we inspire and challenge them to make a major gift that will have a significant impact on the cause. While donating money for your lunch is set more in the for-profit realm, I wonder how the restaurant will do without any sort of guidelines or “challenges” with regards to pricing.

On the other hand, the interplay between customers as they’re paying will be interesting to see as well. Knowledge of what others have given can affect a donor’s gift and will often result in an equivalent or larger gift. Similarly, if one customer sees another customer paying more, will he or she be inspired to pay more as well, or less?

There’s another issue too: how customers feel about what they’re doing. While this model is nonprofit, initial revenues will go to keeping the restaurant going. Any profits will be ultimately given to charity—at least that seems to be implied by what I’ve read. So will customers think it’s for-profit or nonprofit? If they pay more for the meal than what it might usually cost, will they think of that cost as charitable or philanthropic? Will they feel like they’ve been philanthropic? Or will they feel a bit confused and perhaps cautious about how Panera will use their money?

It’s an interesting business model that has many questions. I wish Panera the best with it. Perhaps it’s a model for future for-profit/nonprofit collaborations. What do you think?

More Good News

2010-05-19T18:12:00.002-04:00

Back in February, I talked about optimism for 2010 and how our Holiday Giving Survey showed an uptick in giving over the last quarter of 2000 with increased optimism for the New Year.

The resurgence seems to continue. Our 2009 State of Fundraising Survey showed the strongest sense of optimism for fundraisers in three years. During the first quarter of this year, our job banks featured double the number of postings compared to the first quarter of 2009. And now there’s a new survey from The Chronicle of Philanthropy which shows that charitable giving grew by a median of 11 percent in the first three months of 2010, compared with 2009.

This is all great news, of course, but as I also said in February, we have to balance this optimism in reality. We’re not out of the economic woods by any means, so we’re going to have plan accordingly, focus on what we do best and continue to make strong connections with our donors. But success is DEFINITELY possible, and that’s a far departure from the mood of the last two years.

This was probably nowhere more evident than at our International Conference on Fundraising in Baltimore in April. I’ve been to many good conferences, but I’ve never felt the same kind of positive feeling and vibe as I got in Baltimore. I’m sure part of it is simply getting past the last two years, which have been extremely difficult, but I was overwhelmed at how upbeat and energized attendees were—and not just about their own prospects for the year either. A number of people came up to me and thanked AFP for our work over the past couple of years and the sacrifice we’ve made as well to keep programs and services going.

I was surprised (and pleased) to hear that, so thank you. We have made it our goal to maintain the same level of services to members despite the economy. But I have to say, it’s really AFP who should be thanking all of you. Because you are the ones who’ve truly made sacrifices—to maintain your programs that serve people who need them the most.

I’m in awe of the work that fundraisers have done over the past couple of years. Keeping organizations going. Inspiring donors in tough times. And in a lot of cases, still managing to increase fundraising and implement new programs. And it’s going to get better! There’s lot of good news yet to come, so let’s keep working together to find success for our organizations.

Preventing Exploitation and Putting Donors First

2010-03-15T15:00:00.000-04:00

One of the issues I’ve seen arise from time to time, and on several occasions over the past few weeks, is controversies of contributions and donor intent when gifts are made by elderly and/or sick donors.

The situation is understandable. After all, many people wait to put their estates and wills in order until they feel it necessary because of old age or ill-health. Unfortunately, this situation can also lead to instances of donor exploitation and manipulation. Especially if a donor is in a weakened or limited condition, even the slightest nudge or suggestion can push the fundraiser across the ethical line.

Exploitation is a critical and sensitive issue for development officers when working with the elderly or infirmed. For fundraisers in this position, I highly recommend that you review the AFP Guidelines to the Code of Ethical Principles and Standards, which can be found here on the AFP website. The Guidelines are very helpful in that they highlight the underlying principles for each standard and provide examples of ethical and unethical behavior.

The guidelines to Standard 4 provide clear guidance to the development officer when working with elderly or infirmed donors. In particular, fundraisers should encourage a donor or prospect to seek independent professional advice when considering a gift. In addition, they should urge a donor or prospect to inform his or her family of their intent to make a gift.

It’s easy to see sometimes how controversies occur. Fundraising competition is fierce, and a fundraiser may realize that the donor doesn’t have much time left. Stress builds, and with funding tight, a few individuals might do something that they normally wouldn’t. We can’t let that happen, and we have to ensure that we always abide by the highest ethical standards.

Such situations underscore one of the most important principles in ethical fundraising: development professionals have a responsibility to put the interests of the donor ahead of their organizations and themselves.

Fundraising Down Under and Automatic Gift Upgrades

2010-02-26T14:23:00.003-05:00

I had the opportunity recently to attend the Fundraising Institute of Australia’s (FIA) Terra Rossa (Red Earth) Fundraising Conference. FIA is a great and important partner with AFP, and we’ve worked with them on many projects. Chris McMillan, president and CEO of FIA, and her staff team were terrific. This was Chris' first FIA Conference, and we welcome her to the global fundraising community.

The educational program featured over 350 fundraising professionals from Australia, New Zealand and the U.S. Guy Mallabone and Ted Hart both presented Master class programs, and Ted gave a great opening plenary based on his book, A Nonprofit’s Guide to Going Green.

Dr. Wendy Scaife, with the Center of Philanthropy & Nonprofit Studies at Queensland University of Technology, presented her latest research, which she conducted with major donors in Australia. There were many similarities between Dr. Scaife's findings and what I hear from fundraising professionals across the globe—key messages such as the importance of transparency and continuing to ask. Sound familiar? I find it comforting (and even a bit inspiring) that we find so many similarities among donors around the world. We are truly a universal profession, and donors everywhere are motivated by and concerned about the same types of issues.

I participated on an ethics panel with Margaret Scott, a past FIA chair, who facilitated a dialogue about three different ethical situations. The one that garnered the most interest from both participants and panel members was on automatic upgrades for monthly giving programs.

Each of the panel members was asked to respond to the case. I responded that AFP's Code of Ethical Principles and Standards is clear and referenced Standard 16 on this matter: Donors must be given notice and the opportunity to opt-out of such programs. Another FIA panel member offered a different perspective, noting the cost of doing this type of notice and opt-out and asking attendees if the cost-efficiency factor would outweigh the donor's rights.

Other perspectives were that the organization's reputation and donor relationships were more important than the expense of the notice. Most came down on the side of providing donors with notice and the ability to opt-out of automatic upgrades. Someone in the audience made an excellent point that we should not think that just because a donor doesn’t complain means that we are “home free.” Our organizations could lose much more from an unhappy donor who posts his/her complaints in a video on YouTube. Food for thought for those of you considering automatic upgrades for monthly donors, or for any aspect of your fundraising program for that matter.

I hope your fundraising is going well!

2010: Balancing Optimism with Reality

2010-02-09T20:04:00.001-05:00

The promise of a new year is always reason for optimism, especially given the tough times fundraisers and charities have experienced over the past couple of years. This year, though, there may be some good reason for optimism.

In AFP’s latest Holiday Giving Survey, conducted mid-December 2009, we asked participants to compare their giving totals for the last three months of the year in 2009 to the same time period in 2008. Just 34 percent of fundraisers said they were raising more money—a very low figure compared with past surveys. However, compare that number to holiday giving in 2008, when just 23 percent of organizations were raising more money that year than compared to 2007.

Most signs indicate that 2009 was, in general, a better year for fundraising than 2008—even if by just a little bit. It certainly wasn’t a great year by any stretch. But the survey confirmed what we have been hearing from members throughout 2009. Slowly—very slowly—but surely, giving is coming back.

These little increases have led to strong increases in fundraising optimism. When asked about estimated 2010 fundraising results, 59 percent expected their organizations to raise more funds in 2010 than in 2009. That’s the highest level of optimism among fundraisers in two years.

I’ve traveled to a few chapters so far this year, and I’m sensing this optimism from just about everywhere. Members are seeing donors who six months ago said they couldn’t give but are now returning with contributions. I’ve talked with members who lost their jobs because of the economy, and to a person, most are very confident about finding a job in the near future. The optimism Is infectious, and that’s a good thing—for the most part.

We’re all excited about the prospect of better times, but we have to balance that optimism with reality. The recovery is going to happen, but it is going to occur very slowly. The rebuilding economy isn’t going to affect everyone the same way, and we may well see more decreases before giving starts to really grow again in the latter half of the year.

We’re going to have to plan appropriately, and be bullish on the future, while acknowledging the transitory nature of this time. We have to continue to work with donors to develop giving plans that work for their unique situations while still trying to challenge them. As I’ve said before, generosity still exists in abundance; it simply has to be channeled in the right manner.

I’m going to post more in the near future about strategies for 2010, but want to hear what you think. Are you optimistic about 2010? When did you foresee giving really coming back in force—later this year? Not until 2011?

Fundraising and Haiti

2010-01-14T21:29:00.005-05:00

I was all prepared to post my Happy New Year/Fundraising in 2010 thoughts when the massive earthquake in Haiti hit on Tuesday. That post can wait; time to focus on more important matters. My thoughts and prayers, as well as those of our entire staff, are with the people of Haiti. The death toll is expected to be staggering and hard to forget, yet it remains the stories of survivors and the possibility of hope that stick with me the most. I’ve been riveted to the screen, reading and watching all sorts of amazing, as well as heartbreaking, news develop.

Like many of you, I’ve been so pleased to see the extraordinary responses to the earthquake from people around the world. AFP will be making a contribution to relief efforts, and we’re encouraging members to do the same. We’ve put together a small list of organizations to which people can give, and if your organization isn’t there, please email us (webmaster@afpnet.org) and we’ll post it.

We’ve also been asked by a few members for fundraising advice and guidance with regards to disasters and other events. While many organizations involved in relief efforts are well-versed and prepared for such an event, there is always a need for new ideas from experienced colleagues. If you have any advice, thoughts and experiences you’d like to share with our members, please send them to paffairs@afpnet.org. We’re putting together a toolkit, news blog and other information about the Haitian relief efforts, so be sure to check this special section of our website. We’ve also distributed a press release encouraging people to give and providing advice on wise giving and avoiding fraudulent organizations.

AFP has been asked a lot over the past couple of days about the overall impact of these types of relief efforts on overall giving. Are we going to see a lot of new donors getting involved with philanthropy? Will there be an overall increase in giving because of the Haitian relief efforts?

My answer is probably not. Even after 9/11, we didn’t see any bump in overall giving for 2001. The overall economy is so large of a factor in the level of giving that most disasters, even major ones, are just a small blip on that map.

But these types of events can act as catalysts for changing how people give and introducing them to new methods of giving. After 9/11, website giving grew phenomenally as many people made contributions online for the first time and got used to it. This time, with Haitian relief efforts, it may well be text giving via cell phones that comes of age. We are already seeing a sharp increase in these kinds of texting contributions. When even the U.S. federal government offers a way to support relief efforts via texting, you know something has become popular. It will be interesting to see final giving numbers from these efforts.

Fundraising always has to shine during the most difficult of times. To all fundraisers who are working on disaster relief efforts, my deepest thanks and appreciation for the work you do. I know it’s challenging now, but your efforts are making a difference, and all of us at AFP applaud you.

Remembering Milton

2009-12-14T21:17:00.002-05:00

Wednesday, December 9, was a very—very—sad day as Milton Murray passed away in Loma Linda, California.

Putting into words what Milton Murray has meant to the fundraising profession and to AFP is a difficult task under any circumstances, so let me just list a few things about Milton:

• He is the only fundraiser ever to have received all of these three honors: the AFP Outstanding Fundraising Professional Award (in 1991), the AHP Si Seymour Award (in 1980) and the Henry A. Rosso Award from the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University (in 1992).

• He spent 27 years leading the campaign to have the United States Postal Service issue a stamp in honor of philanthropy (which it finally did in 1998).

• His life and career are the subject of a 1992 book, The Makings of a Philanthropic Fund Raiser: the Instructive Example of Milton Murray, by Ronald Alan Knott.

Those kinds of accolades and accomplishments are the mark of a very special person with a very special spirit, and Milton Murray was one of a kind. A devout Seventh-Day Adventist, Milton served for more than two decades as the director of Philanthropic Services for Institutions (PSI) at the Seventh-day Adventist world headquarters in Washington, D.C. It was with PSI that he helped nurture philanthropic endeavors among more than 100 Adventist institutions internationally.

In fact, it was his work with hospitals, universities and secondary schools in the 1950s and 60s that helped found the profession of fundraising. His work in cultivating alumni and using tools such as feasibility studies were groundbreaking, concepts that few charities had any notion of back then. His efforts extended to Mexico, helping numerous institutions there, and he was pivotal in the growth of AFP into Mexico and all of Latin America.

And even those incredible achievements don’t truly tell you what sort of person Milton was. Milton knew everyone! And everyone wanted to know Milton. He just had that kind of personality and magnetism. He was sincere, unflappable and most of all, determined. He would never give up—as the United States Postal Service found out over the years. I can say confidently that the philanthropy stamp would NEVER have occurred without Milton Murray.

Most of all, he was a great friend. I will miss him greatly, and I know fundraisers the world over will miss him too. He was a mentor to so many of us, and his words of wisdom and grace will not be forgotten.

I’m currently in California now with Milton’s wife, Jeanne, who was such a bright part of Milton’s life and gave him so much contentment and joy. We are presently making plans for a memorial service that is slated to take place on the evening of January 2, 2010, at 6:00 p.m. in the University Church of Seventh-day Adventists in Loma Linda, the church he attended for much of his life.

In lieu of flowers, a contribution to one of two special organizations Milton was fond of and contributed to would be a most appropriate gesture instead:

• Milton Murray Foundation for Philanthropy; PO Box 521; College Place, WA 99324

• La Sierra University; Office of University Advancement; 4500 Riverwalk Parkway; Riverside, CA 92515 (for the Center for Philanthropy)

Words like “giant” or “pioneer” or “traiIblazer” just simply don’t do justice to the legacy of Milton Murray. I will remember him fondly, and I know all of you will too.

NPD in Guadalajara

2009-11-18T12:50:00.002-05:00

There’s nothing more inspiring than attending a National Philanthropy Day® (NPD) event and hearing the incredible and moving stories of donors and volunteers. I hope you were able to attend your chapter’s NPD celebration and be reminded of the impact of our work.

I had the great honor of attending our Guadalajara chapter’s NPD event. It was a wonderful celebration of philanthropy, and 100 people heard presentations from numerous experts on fundraising. I gave a presentation titled “Weaving Ethics into Your Fundraising Program.” Many thanks to the chapter leadership for their kind hospitality. Luis Gonzalez is the chapter president, and he has a terrific and committed board.

The event was held at the Guadalajara campus of Tec de Monterrey, and we were graciously welcomed by Dr. Martin Velazquez. AFP has a partnership with Tec de Monterrey (Monterrey campus) to deliver an online fundraising course as part of their Social Leaders program. Tec has been a wonderful partner for AFP in Latin America.

Mexico is currently undergoing a national dialogue about its legal structure and tax incentives, a debate that more and more countries are having. At the same time, fundraising is growing tremendously in the country, and the search for fundraising expertise is becoming more intense. The Guadalajara chapter is young, but is already playing a key role in providing the knowledge and resources that charities in the community so desperately need.

I also had a very unique experience while in Guadalajara. I visited Trompo Magico (Magic Top), the Jalisco (State) Children's Museum. It’s a great museum, and I was able to experience an exhibit that started in Germany and is being used in children’s museums around the world called “In the Darkness.”

This exhibit takes the participant through a series of everyday experiences in complete dark, emulating how a visually-impaired person lives his or her everyday life. It was fascinating and forces participants to rely on other senses. Graciela de la Vega is the director of Trompo Magico and a member of AFP, and Ana Luisa Ramirez is the museum’s development director. They graciously hosted Julio Ochoa and me. If you have a chance to experience this special exhibition, I highly recommend it.

It’s these kinds of moments that remind me of the extraordinary things that philanthropy and fundraising accomplish every day. It reminds us why we all got into fundraising in the first place, and why every moment—from the challenges to the successes, the lows to the highs—is worth it.

I hope you enjoyed your local National Philanthropy Day celebration, and thank you for the inspiration and extraordinary contributions you make to your community every day.

Greetings from Brazil!

2009-11-11T13:50:00.002-05:00

I’m writing from Sao Paulo, Brazil, where the 5th Hemispheric Congress on Fundraising just concluded. The Congress is one of the premier fundraising conferences in Latin America, and it was a wonderful experience. Judging from the initial feedback we’ve received, our attendees felt the same way. Faculdades Integradas Rio Branco did a great job of hosting the event, and I was so delighted we were able to partner with them.

There was an incredible feeling of passion and camaraderie at the Congress. Fundraising is growing by leaps and bounds in Latin America, but there’s a wide level of disparity in the experience and sophistication of different charities’ development offices. However, instead of that disparity keeping people apart, attendees came together, helping each other out, sharing experiences and brainstorming ideas and proposals. There is a freshness and a sense that everything is on the table—the sky’s the limit!—and it made for some great back and forth.

Three hundred people from 11 different Latin American counties were able to attend, and our speakers included some of the finest fundraising minds from Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Canada and the U.S., including Bernard Ross, Norma Galafassi, Vivian Smith, Laura Ruiz Peres, Bob Crandall, Daryl Upsall, and Marcelo Iniarra Iraegui, to name just a few. Robbe Healey, AFP’s chair, delivered a plenary session on how to build a development program from scratch that was very well received.

The closing plenary was given by Steve Hildebrand, deputy national campaign manager for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, and it was the perfect ending to the Congress. Steve spoke to the importance of creating a case for support and a solid fundraising plan that is inclusive, empowering and inspiring. He talked about the importance of messaging and branding and the use of new technologies. He ended his remarks by stressing the importance of saying thank you. Very inspiring stuff, and it was appreciated by all the attendees.

I have to say thank you to Custudio Pereira, director general of Rio Branco, for his dynamic leadership. Without him the Congress would not have been such a success. We are also very grateful for the support of the Rotary Foundation of Sao Paulo, eTapestry and the U.S. Consulate. I also want to thank all of our speakers for their time and expertise that they shared so willingly with the participants.

I am always inspired by the Congress, and AFP learns as much from these experiences as we give. I am proud of AFP's involvement in this event and of our small contribution to advancing ethical and effective fundraising worldwide.

If you are interested in seeing the presentation or wish to download please visit the Congress website.

Philanthropy on Television: The Good and Bad

2009-11-02T15:16:00.001-05:00

A good sign that something is popular is if television begins to cover it, develop shows about it, and most of all, lampoon it. This is exactly what is happening with philanthropy; first with the debut of two new shows about philanthropy and then a whole week of plotlines that feature giving and volunteerism.

The Philanthropist debuted over the summer in the U.S. and generally showed philanthropy in a positive light. While the show implied that the “normal” methods of philanthropy work too slowly and without enough impact, the protagonist tried to do good work and was heroic in his intent. You could have worse role models.

The Foundation, which debuted in Canada a few weeks ago, is different. It’s a dark comedy and spotlights the worst examples found in philanthropy: rare cases of fraud and wrongdoing. The protagonist uses his foundation nefariously in whatever manner necessary to get ahead.

Sure, it’s not a great portrait of charity. But just like the Philanthropist, it’s over the top. WAY over the top. Nothing in it bears any resemblance to a real organization, fundraiser or donor. Criticizing The Foundation for its portrayal of charity is like criticizing The Office for its portrayal of office behavior and relationships. They’re both meant to lampoon aspects of our society.

Philanthropy and fundraising are big time now, and that brings both negatives—like the Foundation—and positives, such as the recent iparticipate initiative from the Entertainment Industry Foundation. During the week of Oct. 19-25, more than 60 primetime television shows featured giving and volunteerism in their plotlines. That’s an exciting development given that philanthropy isn’t exactly a staple of mainstream television.

So we’re going to have to take the bad with the good, and honestly, the plotlines in the Foundation don’t even compare to some of the controversies we’ve seen in real life. The sector has a long list of ethical traditions and safeguards, beginning with AFP’s Code of Ethical Principles and Standards. We don’t need to be defensive about anything.

So let’s appreciate the attention philanthropy is getting and enjoy (if you can) what shows like the Foundation are meant to be: spoofs.

Taxing the Charitable Deduction—A Bad Idea

2009-10-01T16:59:00.002-04:00

There’s no bigger issue right now than healthcare, and charities have been right in the middle of it. In particular, AFP has been following a proposal to reduce the value of the charitable deduction (basically, delinking it from the tax rate) to raise additional revenue.

AFP has been outspoken in its opposition to this idea. In fact, this week we’re asking you to contact Congress and urge them to protect the charitable deduction. I hope you will participate in this campaign—it’s really important!

I know some of you have questions about AFP’s position, and there’s been some criticism from a few media pundits about why the sector is generally opposed to this idea. So I wanted to let you know how we came to this position and why AFP is taking this action.

In my mind, there are three main reasons. First is the issue of the deduction and its impact on giving. It’s true that people give for all sorts of reasons, and tax deductions usually are not a key factor. However, research shows that deductions do play a role in the SIZE of gifts, especially as the gift range gets larger. That cause alone is enough to make us concerned.

But even more alarming is that while the current change is seemingly small, delinking the deduction from the tax rate sets a very bad precedent. Congress is ALWAYS looking for additional revenue. Once it has a foot in the door, there are numerous examples of Congress going back to the same well for more money in the future. Delinking the deduction would make it a political football, and the deduction would no longer have any basis or foundation as to what it should be, just the whim of Congress.

Third, taxing charities, or in this case the charitable deduction—which would impact charities—simply doesn’t make sense to help pay for healthcare. A lot of charities are already involved in healthcare delivery. Many others exist to increase the quality of life and overall health of people and communities. This sort of tax on charitable deductions is a bit like robbing Peter to pay Paul, and is especially harmful in the current economic environment.

Our opposition has nothing to do with AFP’s take on healthcare reform or President Obama. Our issues revolve around fundraising. We have to be solely focused on fundraising, or else we’re not fulfilling our mission or serving members in the best way possible. We remain nonpartisan and approach every issue based on how it will affect our profession.

You may not agree with our position, and that happens on many issues we have to address. But we have heard a strong message from a significant number of our members who have urged AFP to oppose this proposal—more so than with any other public policy issue in recent memory. Our U.S. Government Relations Committee, made up of member volunteers that drive our policy positions, has discussed and debated this issue for many months. After much deliberation, the committee decided this was the best position for the association. And I believe it’s the best course of action for the profession.

Fundraising Giant Bill Hanrahan Passes Away

2009-08-19T13:37:00.001-04:00

William B. (Bill) Hanrahan, one of the fundraising profession’s true pioneers and statesmen, passed away late Monday, Aug. 17.

There’s so much I could say about Bill. He was such a force in the profession and was committed to the ideals of philanthropy and ethical fundraising. I know those kinds of words get used a lot, but in Bill’s case, it’s the truth. When you have a relatively young profession like fundraising, there are people who have literally created the profession and helped develop the key touchstones of our work. Bill was one of those people.

He served in the profession for more than 40 years. He actually joined Community Counselling Service (now known as CCS) as an office clerk and worked up the ladder of the firm to become one of the principal owners in the 1970s. He helped CCS become one of the biggest and most experienced firms in the profession. His work guided some of the largest and most well-known charities in the world.

Despite all that work though, Bill always had time to mentor people, and I think that’s probably the lasting image I will have of him. If you’ve looked at CCS staff over the years, Bill was never afraid to hire good, smart young people, mentor them and let them spread their wings. It was no surprise to me that Bill and CCS jumped at the chance to sponsor AFP’s Outstanding Fundraising Professional award because he always wanted to highlight the great work of others.

I first met Bill when he served as fundraising counsel to the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) over 15 years ago. We became friends from that time on, and my respect and admiration for Bill, and his commitment to the profession, has only grown. I had the great opportunity to work closely with him during his 8 years on the board of the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy Board.

During this time, I witnessed Bill’s enormous passion and commitment to AFP and the fundraising profession. He took on many challenges during his year as chairman of the foundation, and through his influence and statesmanship many changes were made that have served AFP well over the years.

Bill was to receive the AFP Founders’ Medallion in October at our Leadership Academy, and I will be eternally sad that I will never be able to present it to him in person. No one was more deserving.

If you’d like to remember Bill, the family is asking you consider a donation to the Little Sisters of the Poor, an organization that will receive donations in his honor. Please mark "In memory of William B. Hanrahan" and mail to: Little Sisters of the Poor, 110-30 221st Street, Queens Village, NY 11420; or Little Sisters of the Poor, 2999 Schurz Avenue, Bronx, NY 10465. You can also make a contribution in his memory to the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy.

I was always honored to count Bill as a friend and colleague, and my thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. He offered me advice and counsel when I needed it, and sometimes even a shoulder to lean on. He was not just as a great fundraiser, but also a great mentor and person. We’ll miss you, Bill!

Oh, Canada!

2009-08-11T17:57:00.001-04:00

What do the Olympics, kissing a halibut and new fundraising regulations have in common? Why, the AFP Canadian Leadership Retreat, of course!

I just got back from the retreat in Victoria, British Columbia, where some 50 chapter leaders from across the country came together to plot AFP’s course in Canada over the next 12 months. I was joined by our chair, Robbe Healey, our chair-elect, Andrea McManus (who will be our first Canadian chair ever) and several of our staff.

Canada hasn’t been affected by the recession in general as much as the United States, although certain areas have been hit hard. Overall, there was a stronger sense of optimism than what I’ve experienced at U.S. AFP chapters recently, but that may just be the typical Canadian spirit as well!

I love these sorts of smaller, intensive planning events where you can really get to know your colleagues and have some in-depth and detailed discussions on issues. Hats off to Mark Climie-Elliott, the chair of the Canada Council, for leading and facilitating the discussion. (Incidentally Mark and Tania Little, the secretary of the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy-Canada, are obsessive about Facebook, so I’m sure you can find minute-by-minute details of the entire retreat on their pages !)

The theme of the event was “What if, what else and what’s possible,” and these ideas tied into all of our discussions. We had some great conversations about government relations, especially the Canada Revenue Agency’s fundraising costs guidelines. We’re planning on developing a major education initiative so that members are prepared and understand what these new regulations do—and don’t do! We also focused on media relations and how chapters can increase their work and awareness in this area, and there is a new goal coalescing around the need for create more collegiate chapters in Canada.

It wasn’t all work! Tying into the spirit of the Winter Olympics coming to Vancouver in 2010, Mark led an opening dinner session where each chapter brought up three accomplishments or best practices (gold, silver and bronze) it had achieved over the past year, in addition to silly and fun gifts for everyone. Ottawa took the cake with its little plastic bags filled with” hot air from Parliament.” In addition, an impromptu fundraising session during another dinner—with members offering money so yours truly, other staff and our chair Robbe Healey would kiss a halibut!—generated nearly $1,000 dollars for the foundation.

All in all, a great and energizing event, and many thanks to all of the chapter leaders that participated from across Canada. We’ve got a busy 12 months ahead of us!

In Memorial: Leslie Brown

2009-07-30T15:07:00.001-04:00

Very sad news, as I found out earlier this week that Leslie Brown, CFRE, an AFP member for more than 30 years, passed away on July 28. She served for six years on the board of the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy and chaired both its Committee on Directorship and the Chapter Fundraising Committee.

Leslie was a founding member of the AFP Fort Lauderdale/Broward Chapter and received the chapter’s Outstanding Fundraising Executive award in 1996. She helped spearhead the chapter’s Fundamentals of Fundraising Course, and to honor her extraordinary service, the chapter has voted to rename that program the Leslie Brown, CFRE, Fundamentals of Fundraising Course.

Leslie was a tremendous fundraiser and a huge supporter of AFP both locally and on the international level. On behalf of the boards of AFP and the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy, I send my condolences to her family and her friends and colleagues at the Fort Lauderdale/Broward Chapter.

Share Your Insights and Advice!

2009-07-28T15:53:00.003-04:00

Today I want to highlight a new project which AFP has recently started that is already showing some great results. We’re calling it the AFP Information Exchange, whereby members and organizations can submit short, practical, how-to pieces, toolkits, samples and policies to share with other fundraisers and charities.

One of the most important benefits of belonging to a professional association is being able to draw on the collective knowledge, experience and wisdom of fellow practitioners. Many of our members now have twenty, thirty or more years of experience in the field and are proven expert s in their particular specialties. Some of them have literally "written the book" on how to raise funds.

A terrific way to access your colleagues’ insights is through our open discussion forums, but that kind of structure is best for shorter questions and advice. The Information Exchange allows for more details and greater depth of knowledge to be shared, but in a format that isn’t too long (documents are 2,000 words or less).

The project is a tremendous way to hear the unique voice of each member and learn what’s working (and what isn’t) in a fundraiser’s own words. The spontaneity, perspective and specialization of each paper are what set these types of documents apart from a short email or a long book or manual.

The papers are available free of charge for members only on the AFP website, and writers get visibility for their submission as we’ll be highlighting the exchange throughout the year. We’ve already received some very good pieces so far, such as this very interesting guide on using social media by ThePort™ Network (we have made this one public as an example, so you don't have to sign in first to see it). I’m looking forward to expanding this area of the website in the near future with a variety of papers on all aspects of fundraising and philanthropy.

We’d love to hear the kinds of advice and tips that only you can provide given your experience and work background. Learn more about the initiative here and the guidelines for submitting a document.

Calling All Fundraising Leaders

2009-07-21T17:40:00.003-04:00

Leadership is a big issue with the nonprofit sector, what with a significant gap in nonprofit leaders expected in the future. Add in the current economy, and it’s critical to have effective and efficient leaders who understand your organization and can make the tough decisions.

That’s the type of leaders that AFP and the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy are looking for right now to serve on the 2010 board of directors. Any member or chapter of AFP can nominate a qualified candidate to serve on the board for a seat as a district director or as an at-large director.

The evaluation criteria used by the committee to select officers and directors includes:

Demonstrated leadership ability
Service to AFP, philanthropy and the community locally and/or nationally
Particular leadership needs of the Association at the time candidates are being considered
Certification (Not applicable for candidates outside Canada and US)
Education/training
Geography
Diversity (all inclusive)
Type of professional practice
Support of the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy
District Representative and Chapter size
Membership is current and in good standing (has signed the Code of Ethical Principles and Standards)

Nominations for both boards are DUE JULY 31, and information about serving on the board of AFP and the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy are available on the website.

We want our board to be representative of the finest leaders in the profession, and we need your input to make that happen! Nominate someone you know to be a board member! Now, more than ever, we need the collective knowledge and expertise of the best of the profession.

Donor Communications Overload?

2009-07-14T13:30:00.004-04:00

The refrain that "we’re getting too much stuff from charities" is one that we hear from the public a lot these days, at least in media stories. But how true is it really?

A new survey was released at the Institute of Fundraising (IoF) National Convention in London a few days ago which shows that most charitable supporters here in the U.K. are happy with the amount of communications they're receiving from charities.

From 150 in-depth interviews conducted by TW CAT (a direct response firm in the U.K.), just 17 percent said that charities communicated too much, while 72 percent said the level of communications was "just right" and 11 percent said communications were "too rare."

Other interesting tidbits:

On average, it took eight communications to a donor to receive at least two gifts
61 percent of interviewees said they were LESS likely to give to a new charity now because of the economy
There is a big drop in donor retention—from 86 percent to 59 percent—between the second and third year of a supporter’s relationship with a charity

Two thoughts. One, I think there's a big difference between what he hear from our supporters and the general public. The "too much stuff from charities" refrain is, I believe, something that's an automatic response from the general public without too much nuance. We all get frustrated at the amount of stuff in our mailbox from time to time. But drill down and ask each person about specific charities they support, and I imagine your responses will be similar to the survey’s data.

I think these responses also speak to the number of people now less likely to give to new causes. This says to me that while we can't completely bunker down, focusing on and communicating well with current and previous donors is the way to go. I know many organizations are taking this approach right now.

Two, don't believe for a second that just because the survey was conducted in the U.K. that it doesn't have applications in North America. While many believe that the global recession hasn't struck the U.K. as dramatically as other parts of the world (though it may well soon), I'm struck by the similarity between the conversations at the IoF convention and the ones that occurred at AFP's International Conference on Fundraising in March. It's very interesting and refreshing to hear how different countries are addressing today's challenges.

What's your sense of donor communications these days? Are you sending more or less communications? More targeted and segmented approaches?

LAST NOTE: Did you know that you can be a member of IoF by simply opting-in on the AFP website at no cost? If you are raising money in Europe, I would urge you to join IoF. As a sister organization to AFP, IoF is a great resource and offers legal, governmental and fundraising information. IoF members can also opt-in for AFP membership at no cost.

Don’t Get Caught Being Negative

2009-07-07T12:58:00.002-04:00

I recently attended a Fellows meeting of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), a great organization of which I was honored to serve as chair a few years ago. Associations are experiencing many of the same challenges that charities are, and most of the conversations centered on the impact of the economy.

We had a great facilitator (Patti Digh) who focused on the importance of staying positive and cautioned how easy it is for individuals and organizations to fall into the trap of being negative even when they don’t realize it. For example, she asked how many of us use the "Yes, but" approach (very negative) as opposed to the "Yes, and" approach (much more positive and encouraging additional communications).

We also did an interesting exercise where we made both a list of challenges and a list of how to make those challenges worse. Then we reviewed the lists to see if we were actually performing any of the activities on the second list, and more often than not, we found that we were doing a few of them.

I think both of these ideas and exercises can easily be applied to fundraising, and it makes me wonder that if we all took a step back from our daily responsibilities, would we be able to identify a few things our organizations are doing that are actually hurting, not helping, us in the long term.

How are you staying positive in this difficult environment? Feel free to post any ideas or processes you are implementing to help your organization and staff focus on the positive!

The President's Back and Forth on Nonprofits

2009-06-30T17:58:00.004-04:00

I was pleased to see President Obama hold a special event at the White House to spotlight nonprofits engaged in innovative and effective programs. Earlier this year, the president created a White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation, which is now working with a $50 million Innovation Fund that will, in the president’s words, "discover and evaluate the very best programs in our communities."

I was intrigued by his talk of "rigorously evaluating their outcomes" and "invest[ing] in those with the best results." We've heard this kind of general talk before so I'm hoping the end result is something substantive that can truly guide nonprofits and inspire people to get involved.

But what I'm really hoping for from the president is some consistency in his positions. Despite the event, the White House continues to press forward on its proposal to reduce the charitable tax deduction for taxpayers earning $200,000 or more annually.

AFP's eWire this week covers both the White House proposal and an alternate proposal being considered, but the bottom line is this: both will hurt fundraising during the most difficult giving environment the sector has experienced in decades. Demand for charitable services has increased exponentially as giving has gone down. It simply doesn't make sense to enact what amounts to a tax on charitable giving, even if it would apply until 2011.

AFP has issued a call to action, and I encourage everyone to contact their members of Congress and urge them to vote against these proposals. While we're excited about many of the president's ideas on philanthropy, these proposals are detrimental, and he needs to know where charities and fundraisers stand!

Action! Adventure! Philanthropy!

2009-06-25T13:11:00.002-04:00

The Philanthropist—a new show about, in NBC's words, a "billionaire playboy-turned-vigilante philanthropist," debuted last night.

I didn't get to see it all of it, but in talking with AFP staff who did, we agreed that the show featured more Indiana Jones than Bill Gates. The lead character was shot at, bitten by a snake and arrested by both the local police and drug enforcement agents, all for trying to get a vaccine to a remote Nigerian village.

It was fun to watch at least. I enjoyed the lead actor, who puts enough gusto into being a playboy while having just enough acting chops to make his philanthropic motivations believable.

Nevertheless, it was so over the top that, on one hand, I can't believe many people would believe this was any sort of realistic depiction of philanthropists and how philanthropy works.

On the other hand, it would be great if the show at least referenced or spotlighted the actual strategic work and planning that goes into most philanthropy. But that probably wouldn't make for good television now, would it?

What do you think? Did you see the show? Much ado about nothing, or something to be concerned about?

On the Road

2009-06-23T17:19:00.002-04:00

I enjoyed some great meetings with AFP chapters in Tampa and Orlando last week. The primary topic of discussion was, of course, the economy and how organizations are faring.

It was a mixed bag: some members reported that their organizations are undergoing difficult budget reductions, while others, surprisingly, don't seem to be affected. And in the job market, there are definitely people seeking positions but for most of them, I didn't get the sense that they had been laid off from their jobs. Most were looking for change. Several attendees indicated that they owed their careers to AFP, which was really nice to hear. Both chapters have done some great work in Florida, and I salute the chapter leadership there.

I gave an ethics presentation in Orlando, which I always enjoy. I typically see some eye-rolling when I first start talking about ethics, but once you get into ethical dilemmas and topics such as donor intent, attendees become very intense and engaged.

As always, the most popular issue was percentage-based compensation. The AFP Ethics Committee gets more questions about compensation than all other issues combined. Our guidelines to the code contain some great examples of what is considered ethical and unethical in certain situations (compensation covers Standards 21-25), and remember that the Ethics Committee is always available to answer questions (Ethics FAQ) confidentially.

One idea I like to leave with members is that ethics is part of each of our organizations' story. In fundraising, we refer to telling our story. We want to let donors know who we are, what we've done and how we're going to help the community. But we often leave out a key component—the story that begins when money is given and ends when the money is spent on a program. What happens in that time between—how we steward the funds our donors give us—is a story of ethics. Adherence to ethics is a part of our organization's story that needs to be told, and the public is looking to us to tell it.

Must-Reads!

2009-06-12T15:30:00.002-04:00

I found what I think are a couple of must-reads given the current giving environment.

First, following up on my last post about community, I found this real gem. It's a blog post from last year, but the advice is still right-on about investing in yourself. I suppose I could quibble with his use of terms and argue that it’s more important to invest in yourself than your "job" (as opposed to "career"), but the general sentiment is perfect. I've looked through some other posts on The Simple Dollar, and they look very interesting and quite apropos, so hats off to Trent, the author.

Second, I strongly encourage you to read this article by Susan Raymond, Ph.D., about the latest Giving USA numbers. Susan is the executive vice president of Changing Our World Inc. (note for transparency sake: Changing Our World sponsors AFP's Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy awards) Her analysis about what’s ahead for giving, especially the relationship between personal giving and employment levels, gives us all a lot to think about. Her advice at the end is especially cogent.

I hope you enjoy these, and let me know what you think. I'm off to Florida next week to speak at our Suncoast (Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg) and Central (Orange, Seminole and other counties) chapters, then Central Ohio (Columbus) the following week. The topics are ethics, trends and how to succeed in an uncertain world. I'll let you know how it goes. Until then, good luck with your cultivation and stewardship.

Community

2009-06-10T17:49:00.005-04:00

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about the value of professional associations and how to communicate that value to members and non-members alike.

Having read that, you're probably thinking two things. One, I need to get a hobby. And two, oh great, a marketing piece for AFP.

Let me just say that you're right. On both counts. Sort of. Bear with me a moment.

I probably do need a hobby apart from fundraising. And for obvious reasons, yes, I'm always interested in increasing the value proposition of AFP to the fundraising community.

But apart from that, I've been struck by the reaction of some fundraisers to the economic challenges that charities are facing. There seems to be this "batten down the hatches" philosophy that says if we can just focus on our jobs even more intensely and go back through every minute detail over and over again, we will get through this.

The problem with this strategy is that we tend to isolate ourselves. Success doesn't happen in a vacuum. Inspiration doesn't come from doing the same routine time and time again. Long-term success comes from learning new skills, keeping updated on trends and talking with colleagues about what's working (and what's not).

In short, success and inspiration come from—yep, here's the marketing aspect of my post—your professional community! But still, I can’t shake the feeling that this ISN'T just marketing. The bottom line truth is, challenging times are when you need to improve the most—precisely so you can overcome these challenges. Challenging times are when you need your professional association the most.

As president and CEO of AFP, I hope you'll make our association your community. But regardless, understand that now is not the time to isolate yourself in your job. We all will find individual success, but it will only ever be achieved through others, working with other staff, volunteers, supporters—and in many cases, a professional community that provides training, interaction and perspective when you need it the most.

What do you think? Where do you find your inspiration? Do you think AFP is providing you what you need to succeed? Let me know!

A Way of Life

2009-05-27T10:39:00.004-04:00

I’ve always considered fundraising to be not just a profession, but a way of life. Some cynics may scoff at that or consider it a snide way to elevate fundraising at the expense of other professions, but I think there’s a lot of truth to it. After all, with most jobs, when you leave work, the last thing you want to think about is anything associated with your work.

But not so with fundraising. I know that many members are very much involved with philanthropy in their personal lives—donating, volunteering, getting involved and giving back to their communities and organizations they believe in. We clock in long hours at our professional organizations and then turn right around and wear a different hat—volunteer, donor or adviser—with other charitable organizations, often offering our fundraising expertise and experience.

That’s one of the unique aspects of our profession, and one of the most uplifting. I get a lot of great emails from around the world about the tremendous volunteer and charity work that AFP members perform outside of their professional lives. But I received one recently from Sharon LeeMaster, CFRE, in our San Diego Chapter, that I feel compelled to share with you.

Christina (Christy) Wilson, a member of the chapter, sent an email to about 20 of her colleagues saying that her husband, Jeff, had not been able to find a kidney donor and asked if they knew of any individual who might be a candidate.

Three days later, Karny Stefan, CFRE, a member of the San Diego Chapter board and executive director of Waldon Family Services, called Christy. She didn’t have a candidate. Instead, she said she wanted to be considered. It turned out Karny was a match, and the surgery was performed successfully.

Christy and Jeff later wrote in an email: "From Jeff’s perspective, he finds himself understanding the enormity of the gift that Karny has given him—a chance for renewed life and health. We can honestly say that life is a gift—whether you come to understand this because you have just received an organ from a donor, experienced the miracle of childbirth, or just enjoyed a walk on the beach with a loved one or friend. Take time to remember this, savor a moment in time just for the sake of doing so and take time to live, love and laugh!"

What a wonderful story. I'm so pleased for Christy and Jeff, and Karny, you epitomize what it means to be a professional fundraiser.

I'm not about to suggest that fundraisers are more philanthropic than any other professionals. The great thing about philanthropy is that it knows no borders or boundaries. But it is uplifting to be part of a profession where you can hear about these types of extraordinary stories all the time, and even on occasion, be a part of them.

Have a story to tell about a colleague’s unique gift or volunteer effort? I won’t be able to highlight every one of them, but I'd love to hear them.

2009 and the Economy

2009-05-19T14:14:00.007-04:00

It’s almost a cliché to say now that we are living in "challenging" times and that the economy is affecting everyone. Except that clichés are based in truth, and the truth is, the economy IS affecting everyone, including the fundraising profession and the nonprofit sector.

Not only is the demand for services rising as individuals and families struggle with the economic downturn, but charities find themselves with depleted resources as government and individual contributions are, for most organizations, declining.

In AFP's most recent State of Fundraising Survey, just 46 percent of respondents raised more money in 2008 than they did in 2007, the lowest figure ever in the history of the survey. At the same time, 40 percent raised less, which is the highest figure we've ever seen in that category. Anecdotally, I've heard from some members that this is the toughest fundraising environment they've ever experienced.

AFP has been affected as well. Over the last six months, we have cut approximately $1.7 million from our original 2009 budget of $12 million. We've managed to do that in a way that has had a relatively small impact on our ability to deliver core programs: by freezing vacant positions and salary increases for vice president level staff and above; suspending staff retirement contributions; subleasing additional office space and reducing meeting and travel expenses, as well as other expenses in all areas of operations.

The most difficult reduction was the elimination of six staff positions. I want to stress that all of these decisions, including the staff positions, were made with extensive and frequent evaluation and discussion. We took a hard look at all staff and chose areas where we could most easily cross-train staff or transfer responsibilities to similar positions.

This is probably a familiar scenario you have seen played out at your own organization or one of your colleagues'. All of us are doing more with less, and despite this, charities are still seeing success. As I look back again at our State of Fundraising numbers, it’s remarkable considering this environment that 54 percent of organizations still managed to raise the same or more funds in 2008 than in 2007. As we review media stories from across North America, I'm still amazed at the number of mentions of charity campaigns meeting (or exceeding their goals). True, there aren't as many as in past years, but success IS possible. (Access some of the free resources AFP has put together.)

One of the reasons that charities are successful in this environment is that the economy is forcing them to focus their fundraising on what they do best. In a similar manner, AFP has protected its budgets and programs related to ethics, education and training. These areas encompass our core missions, and we are committed to providing the same level of high-quality programming as we have in past years. In fact, if anything, we're delivering more services and many of them for free.

Is the economy turning the corner? We are seeing signs of improvement and hopefully these signs will become stronger and more apparent in the coming months but we are likely to see a continuing challenge to our fundraising efforts.

So here's the point I'd like to leave with you. Despite everything that has happened, remember that you are still in control of your own destiny. The decisions made by you and your charity have more influence on your future success than anything the economy might do. You have a significant amount of control over your fundraising fortunes. Good strategic and tactical decisions, made through due diligence and consultation with colleagues, volunteers and supporters, will most often result in positive numbers over the long term.

So stay positive. Yes, the economy is affecting everyone. Yes, you have to do more with less. But wealth is still being created, and people's generosity continues unabated. Focus on your core strengths, and you can get the job done.

Let me know your thoughts: what do you predict awaits us in the near future in terms of the economy and giving? And if you want, tell me how your organization is doing! I look forward to hearing from you.

Hello and Welcome!

2009-05-14T23:37:00.004-04:00

Hi, everyone, and welcome to my blog. I haven’t blogged before, but have enjoyed reading others and thought that it would be good to have this communications outlet to our members and others interested in AFP and the fundraising profession.

So what do I hope to accomplish with all this? Well, one of the things I love—LOVE—about my job is being able to talk with members around the world. Of course I can’t speak with every one of you directly, so a blog like this is another way we can share with each other.

Also, there are so many things AFP does to advance fundraising that it is probably hard to keep track of them all. After all, you’re busy with your professional career, and the typical practitioner is besieged with more and more responsibility (and pressure). There’s a lot going on, and you may not always hear about AFP activities or what’s happening in the profession. So what I hope to do is provide you a little insight into some of the things AFP does that don’t always get the limelight: programs of which you might not be aware, projects that are being developed and ways we’re helping the profession.

I think it goes without saying that I hope you’re a member or are considering joining, and that you’ll remain a member for years. I might on occasion point to a program we’re offering if it makes sense in the context of what I’m discussing, but I really want this blog to be an open communication between you and me.

Some of my posts may cover serious issues affecting the whole profession; others might be a little more light-hearted or personal. Regardless, I hope you stop back often and feel free to share your own point of view.

Oh, and if you do respond and want to leave your name, please give your chapter name (if a member) or just general geography. I always like to know where people are.

My best to you on your fundraising… and happy reading!