Chapter Leadership Brief 8.13.2020

By Craig H. Shelley, CFRE, Chapter Treasurer & Managing Director, Orr Group

Fundraising is a difficult job.  It’s a lonely job.  It’s a misunderstood job (I’m pretty sure my Mom thinks I sell candy bars on the subway).  A lot has been written about why there’s so much turnover in our field and why there’s not enough talent to meet the need.  The problem is largely rooted in this simple fact - there are easier and more glamorous ways to make a living.  Which is why it is important for organizations to invest in their fundraisers.  Help them, help you, to paraphrase Jerry Maguire.

Pay fundraisers fairly.  Provide them the resources they ask for.  Listen to their advice.  Treat them as equals in importance alongside their program and operations focused peers.  Invest in their professional development.  Appreciate their remarkable efforts.

Nonprofits that do those six things attract and retain great fundraising talent.

I recognize I’m largely preaching to the proverbial choir here as our readership is mostly fundraisers.  But maybe you can share this with your executive director or CEO and help make the case on your behalf?  While you’re talking to them, a great place to start investing in you is to register you for access to Fundraising Day in New York.  This is the largest library of fundraising knowledge I’ve ever seen assembled and our need to uniquely deliver it virtually this year means you and your teams can access it anytime, anywhere, as often as you’d like wherever you’d like.

By Michele Hall, AFP-NYC Secretary 
President & CEO enCourage Kids Foundation 

As we eagerly await the next “Phase” of reopening and hope to see an end to the uncertainty that we face as a nation and as an industry, it is important to be prepared. Prepared for what you might ask? Anything and everything.

This is not the time to throw up our hands in despair – we need to take action. We must continue to reach out to our donors, volunteers, colleagues, and board members. While these are indeed challenging times, I have been regaled with stories of how the pandemic has revealed opportunity and opened doors that were once closed. I have seen colleagues boldly step into new job opportunities while others have stepped up to bravely acquire new skills and take on greater responsibility. We all miss our in-person meetings, lunches, and conferences. However, we have also found joy in not having to navigate the subway or a crowded restaurant in lieu of getting dressed from the waist up and attending meetings in the comfort of our very own home; complete with unexpected visits from pets, kids, spouses, roommates and parents. In other words, we have found a way to find the normal in the not so normal.

We must also continue to invest in ourselves professionally. I urge you all to remain plugged in to the offerings that the chapter has created just for you. Our most recent Professional Advancement session on navigating virtual fundraising was timely and well attended.  And there is much more in store. And if you haven’t already, take a look at what our Fundraising Day sessions have to offer. Many of our colleagues are registering their teams and hosting watch parties together then scheduling discussions after those sessions. This is an excellent way to ideate with your team and use what you’ve learned to benefit yourself and your organization.

So, let’s virtually gather as we did in-person at the Marriott Marquis last year, listen and learn from some of the best in the business, and then discuss what we’ve learned together in the virtual hallway. I’ll see you there!

Chapter Leadership Brief 7.17.2020

In my May 2020 article, I spoke about IDEA, which is a global initiative and priority of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. IDEA stands for: Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access. I have the honor of serving on our local committee.

The world has turned on its head as people are struggling and facing an uncertain future.  Crises like the ones we are experiencing right now change the world forever.  History tells us this. 

We have already seen far too many incidents of racism, scapegoating and stigmatizing.    We have also seen some positive outcomes of people stepping forward and stepping up in remarkable ways. During times of crisis, conflict and challenge, change is inevitable.  Ask yourself what change you would like to see in the world.

As professional fundraisers—and those who provide services to fundraisers—we have a unique opportunity to advance the change we want to see in the world as we connect those who want to make a difference with the missions we champion.  It is hard for me to imagine a time when the world has needed us more.

And yet…who is “us?”  Who are the fundraisers working in our development shops? Who is sitting at the leadership table in our departments and firms? Who is sitting at the leadership table in our professional associations?   Are we representative of the deep diversity of the people in our communities? 

We are asking ourselves these very questions on the board and on our committees at the New York City chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. 

The fact is that segments of our population are under-represented in our workplaces and at our leadership tables.  This means we are missing key voices in our profession.  We are missing key people who are able to lead and make the impact that we as fundraisers have the opportunity to make.  We will be stronger when the deep diversity of our communities is represented.

AFP-NYC is committed to leading the fundraising sector in achieving the goals of IDEA.  IDEA provides the guiding principles and framework to help guide our actions on the AFP-NYC board and on our committees.  It is helping us hold each other accountable. 

Let’s go back to the unique moment in time in which we are living—a time of great change.  Ask yourself what change you would like to see in the world and what your role should be, can be. 

If not, now, when?

Remember that we all have the opportunity to make a difference.  Making a difference is not just about big ideas and gestures.  It is also about the everyday interactions we have with the person in front of us (or with whom we engage on zoom). It is often about what we call “the small stuff,” which we know is not so small at all. 

If you are not already engaged in AFP-NYC, I want to encourage you to get involved and add your voice to the conversation. 

Thank you for your leadership and commitment to professional fundraising.

With gratitude

Jill

Chapter Leadership Brief 7.03.2020

By Steve Jacobson, AFP-NYC President and CEO, JCA, Inc. 

Like some of you out there, I am a self-professed data nerd.  Whether it’s poring over the box score of a baseball game (Major League players reported for “spring” training this week!) or studying the details of unemployment reports, I’m on it.  So, when the Giving Institute recently released its “Giving USA: The Annual Report on Philanthropy,” that analyzes charitable giving for 2019, I couldn’t resist delving into the numbers.

You may be asking what the relevance of giving is in 2019, given that the world in 2020 is a totally different place than what it was just a few months ago.  After all, the unemployment rate was a paltry 3.5% at the end of 2019 versus just over 11% in June.  And the stock market was cruising along in 2019, having risen over 28% during the year.  And now?  The S&P 500 has lost over 8% of its value in the last six months.  Yes, by most financial and economic measures, we are in a very different place.

But the key for me is that we can look at all of these economic and financial measures from 2019 and see that, in general, Americans got richer.  And the top 1% got a lot richer.  But that didn’t really translate into commensurate gains in 2019 giving.  As Giving USA points out, total charitable contributions in 2019 vs. 2018 only increased 2.4% after adjustment for inflation, significantly less than the average increase that Giving USA has measured since their study’s inception in 1979.

So, if we didn’t see large gains in philanthropy in a real boom year, what are we likely to see in 2020, the year of the coronavirus pandemic?

The answer, I’m afraid, is really scary.  While there has been a relative outpouring of support from donor advised funds, those disbursements represent gifts that were already counted in past years’ giving totals.  To date, we’ve seen giving shift dramatically to health and food security and away from the environment, education and the arts.  And, excluding disbursements from DAFs, many organizations have been informally reporting that giving is down significantly this year versus the first half of last year.  It’s a really strong possibility that this weakness will continue throughout the year, and ultimately result in a significantly negative impact on critical year-end giving.

This doesn’t mean that, as fundraisers in this fight, you should throw in the towel.  On the contrary, now is the time to work harder and smarter.  And, that’s where we, the NYC chapter, can help.  Our industry-leading educational content that we present at Fundraising Day in New York, has been packaged up for your online consumption.  Over 40 sessions across 11 fundraising disciplines, including Fundraising Essentials, Corporate and Foundation Giving, Research and Major Gifts, are there to help you succeed in this challenging environment.  Please visit www.frdny.org for more information and to gain access.  Be sure to use the special chapter code “AFPM” to receive your member pricing.

Have a great 4^th of July and be sure to stay safe!

By: David McGoy, CFRE
Founder and President, ASSIST Development Consulting

As if fundraising wasn’t already challenging enough!

Let’s review:

First, a once-in-a-century pandemic swept across the globe.

Then, shelter in place requirements turned the city’s robust spring benefit season to a halt before it ever got started.

After that, racial tensions about overzealous policing reached a boiling point, resulting in massive protests throughout the world.

Now, uncertainty about the economy and the potential for a second wave of COVID-19 in the near future are adding even more guesswork to the already harrowing process of revenue forecasting and fundraising planning.

As we embark into the great unknown of the Age of Socially-Distant Fundraising During a Massive Economic Downturn and Widespread Civil Unrest, fundraisers need each other more than ever. Facing a lot more questions than answers, we need to lean on each other for ideas, strategies, resources, networking, peer learning and support. Most of all, emerging fundraising professionals need mentors who  can help them to navigate the challenges ahead.

Mentoring is a proven way to build skills, promote job retention and professional advancement - all things that are very necessary in the fundraising profession. This is why  the AFP-NYC Mentorship Committee has been working to build its capacity to respond to the demand for mentoring opportunities. Under the leadership of Juliana M. Weissbein, CFRE, an NYC-AFP Board Member and Mentoring Committee Chair, the Mentorship Program is undergoing a formal relaunch process.

Beginning in 2020, the committee conducted a survey of past and current program members and engaged in a listening tour with over twenty other AFP chapters offering mentorship opportunities around the country. After the data was synthesized and analyzed, the committee developed a plan that will enhance the chapter’s mentoring program and provide more meaningful engagements for both mentors and mentees moving forward.  Here are some of the changes that you can look for from the chapter’s mentoring program:

• A structured, cohort model that will recruit and select a fixed number of mentors and mentees each year.
• A formal screening and scoring process to facilitate better mentor-mentee matching.
• A commitment to the chapter’s IDEA principles, to ensure representation  across identities.

“I am thrilled to collaborate with my fellow committee members on the Mentorship Program relaunch. I am confident this recalibration will offer AFP-NYC chapter members an opportunity to develop as professionals and will result in a robust cohort of consummate professionals better prepared to tackle our city’s greatest challenges.” says AFP-NYC Mentorship Program chair, Juliana M. Weissbein, CFRE

Be on the lookout for updates on the relaunch of the chapter’s mentoring program in the fall. In the meantime, if you have questions, would like to sponsor this program, or are interested in getting involved in the committee’s efforts -- as a mentor, mentee or committee member – please contact mentoringnycafp@gmail.com.

Chapter Leadership Brief 6.18.2020

By Craig H. Shelley, CFRE, Chapter Treasurer & Managing Director, Orr Group

That’s it.  That’s the leadership brief for this week.

I’d considered an essay on how the dominant white culture so evident in our major gift pipelines and boards of directors serves as an obstacle to the sector changing systemic racism.  I’d contemplated a call to action for the chapter to play a role in breaking the homogenous nature of our profession.  At its core that homogeneity contributes to philanthropy’s inability to direct capital to organizations most proximate to the challenges we seek to solve.  I can tell you those things are important to me; those words will come and more importantly I commit to do better personally and as a leader in this chapter to ensure not just diversity but racial equity.

But at a time when actions will speak louder than words, there is nothing more eloquent I can add to the dialogue than to echo the sentiments of so many and the rallying cry of a movement whose time is way overdue, black lives matter.

Chapter Leadership Brief

By Michele Hall, AFP-NYC Secretary 
President & CEO, enCourage Kids Foundation 

First and foremost, I hope that each and every one of you are safe and sound. The past several months have been a very difficult time for New York City and the nation. Through it all we have forged even closer bonds with one another. Moving Forward Virtually is the theme of our 2020 Fundraising Day in New York. In these unprecedented times I pray that we continue to find a way forward together, as a profession and as a society.

I want you to know that your AFP-NYC Chapter Leadership has been working diligently to continue uninterrupted support to the membership and fundraising community at large. Through fireside chats, webinars and members-only events, we continue to facilitate the sharing of ideas, offer support, and advance the profession.

Within the next few days, we will officially open our 2020 Fundraising Day in New York. While we cannot be together in person this year, the FRDNY committee has created a powerful lineup packed with dozens of educational sessions to help you move forward in your fundraising career. With your full conference registration, you get access to this content as soon as it’s online—45+ sessions in all! Starting next week, other options will be available to purchasers as well: choose a single session, or 4 sessions from a track of programming.

All purchases include the keynote address by Alicia Guevara, Chief Executive Officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC. Ms. Guevara has rooted her life’s work in pursuit of social justice issues of access and inclusion for young people. In these tumultuous and transformative times, her voice will surely be a welcome one.

So please join us as we kickoff the virtual version of Fundraising Day in New York, the largest single-day conference on philanthropy. Today is your last chance to sign up in advance and get bonus incentives, but don’t worry if you miss it!  For the first time in history Fundraising Day extends way beyond the single day. The educational content will be available for purchase for the rest of 2020. Find all the details at frdny.org.

I hope to “see” you all there!

As a professional association of fundraisers, our members have been on the frontlines during this incredibly difficult time in America. For fundraisers of color, and in particular Black fundraisers, this time has been extremely hard. We must lift up our colleagues now and in the future.
 
We affirm that systemic and institutionalized racism permeates every corner of our society. From discriminatory hiring practices and limited opportunities for advancement to micro and macro-aggressions hurled at our colleagues - unfortunately, our profession is not immune. The pandemic, financial crisis, and murders of Black people across the nation compound all of this. 
 
AFP-NYC is in solidarity with the peaceful demonstrations happening in support of Black communities. We reaffirm our commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity and access, and we continue to make efforts and strides to be the organization we want to be. In 2018, AFP-NYC established the IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access) Committee to recognize inclusion as essential to the vitality, creativity, innovation, strength, and impact of our organization. Furthermore, that inclusion involves respectful environments intentionally open to all, values and welcomes the contributions and equitable participation of every individual, and reflects and represents those they serve. And as a result, we have made changes to the way we program and what we offer to members. We encourage everyone to be a part of this historic and monumental movement and we hope that you will be on the journey with us. 
 
On behalf of the Board and the members of AFP-NYC, we have made donations to the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund (NAACP - LDF) and Black Visions Collective in Minnesota. We hope that you will join us in supporting them and other organizations working to build an equitable future for Black communities.

Chapter Leadership Brief

By Jill Scibilia, CFRE, AFP-NYC President-Elect
Vice President, Development
Phelps Hospital Northwell Health

Last week I had the pleasure of participating in a ZOOM coffee hour with AFP NYC’s IDEA Committee. 

If you don’t yet know what IDEA is -- it stands for: Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access.  It is a key value of AFP International and our New York City Chapter.  I have the honor of serving on our local committee.

The first portion of our ZOOM call was about connection and community.  We did not cover any business during this segment—this was by design.  We were each invited to share how we were coping and managing our current “new normal” of work—and how we are taking care of ourselves.

When it was my turn to share, I had to admit that I was not taking the best care of myself.  I have been laser-focused on my hospital’s response to the crisis, to championing our front-line healthcare heroes and to securing support for them.  It has been a marathon and a sprint all at once.  I am honored to serve my hospital and I love my job.  I also know that to do my best work, I need to take better care of myself.  This community and the connection I felt to them gave me permission to admit this to them and to admit it to myself. Thank you.

Back to IDEA…I am proud to say that the New York City chapter of AFP is committed to leading the fundraising sector in achieving inclusion, diversity, equity and access.  Each AFP-NYC committee is playing a key role in this. If you are not yet serving on one of our committees, I encourage you to become engaged and join our community.     

I believe that the world will be a better place when all of us have the opportunity to engage and realize our full potential. We know this is not the current state of the world, nor is it the current state of the fundraising sector.  However, each one of us has an opportunity (dare I say responsibility) to work towards this ideal. Imagine for a moment how different the world could look when more of us…all of us have the opportunity to reach our full potential. 

So, how am I doing?  Better….I spent last weekend gardening, which is a balm for my soul, and I started planning a victory garden.  I intend to spend most of Memorial Day Weekend doing exactly the same.

Thank you for all you do to make the world a better place.  Wishing you and yours a Happy Memorial Day Weekend.   For all those who have served or who are remembering loved ones who served, thank you for your service and sacrifice.

Chapter Leadership Brief

By Steve Jacobson, AFP-NYC President and CEO, JCA, Inc.

Yesterday, I had the distinct honor and pleasure of participating in a webinar with two other AFP chapter presidents.  Why was this webinar so special, you might be wondering?  After all, webinars are everywhere these days and, yes, I’ve been on a number of them.  Well, it wasn’t just one thing; it was a number of things. 

It started with an invitation from Steve Ragan, the president of the AFP Greater Detroit chapter.  He thought that it would be great to get together the chapter presidents from New York City, Detroit and New Orleans, three of the cities hardest hit by Covid-19.  We could talk about the cities, where we are in recovery and how our fundraisers have adapted to the new normal.  I immediately said to count me in.

As we started our more in-depth planning, we realized that our cities had more in common than just the coronavirus.  Each of our cities had suffered through a catastrophic event.  New Orleans had had Katrina, New York had had 9/11 and Detroit had had a gut-wrenching, wallet-busting bankruptcy just five years ago. We remarked that each event was essentially local, but the support we had all received had been national.

But, this time it’s different.  The catastrophe is national in scope, but the experience is local.  As such, we now share a common bond where we understand each other’s pain from a first-person experiential perspective.  But, we all realize that it’s just a bit different given the varying make-up of our communities, the inherent safety nets we have and the different lifelines available.  The one constant across all three cities is the indomitable, unbreakable spirit of our fundraising family.  Whether it’s being on the front lines with our health care workers, helping to load food onto trucks or opening up our wallets, we share a spirit of selflessness.  No matter how bad things get, we just dig down a bit deeper, drawing on the resolve we’ve steeled from the past catastrophes we’ve each endured.

One of the questions raised on the webinar was: What does the short-term and long-term future look like for fundraisers?  We were quick to answer that, overall, the future is hard to predict, but the one constant that has come out of each catastrophe is that philanthropy will endure.  The spirit of giving that we have seen time and time again here in New York is not based upon some fleeting thoughts.  No, it’s ingrained in each of us.  It’s what we do. It’s what makes our fundraising community strong.  It’s what will carry us through these challenging times and whatever lies ahead on our path forward.

So, remember, as we try to unwind from another frenetic and stressful week, we’re doing purposeful, meaningful work, and that your AFP family in Detroit, New Orleans, New York and elsewhere is right there with you.

Have a good weekend and stay safe!