Yearly Archives: 2024

Happy July AFP Friends. I’m excited to jump in on this month’s newsletter as AFP-WNC’s Treasurer and resident Advancement Services professional. During June’s professional development topic Beyond CRM Data, our presenter Philip King asked an interesting question, “Who are pre-donors?” or put another way, “What are the actions a person takes before they make their first donation to your organization?” I wanted to share the resources that Philip outlined and provide some database tips and tricks for capturing pre-donors. Here is my first tip. Ask yourself if there are data sources that you can add to your database. For example, event [...]

School’s out for summer! If you embraced your inner nerd like me during your formative years, then diving into your class’s summer reading list was a highlight of the summer. Whether you prefer podcasts, audiobooks, Kindle editions, or paperbacks, you can find a wealth of resources for nonprofit professionals who want to sharpen their skills. I’m currently reading "The Happy Healthy Nonprofit: Strategies for Impact without Burnout" by Beth Kanter and Aliza Sherman. It’s a timely reminder, especially for those of us Type A personalities deeply passionate about our work, offering practical assessments to navigate away from the cycle of burnout and towards [...]

Happy May, AFP friends! I am excited to jump in on this month’s newsletter as the new IDEA (Inclusion Diversity Equity and Access) Chair for the AFP WNC Board. Earlier in April, I had the opportunity to attend AFP ICON 2024 in Toronto - this year’s global fundraising conference really focused in on rich conversations around how IDEA values show up in philanthropy and fundraising. The experience got me thinking about one of my favorite quotes by Lilla Watson* that I have posted on the whiteboard in front of my desk in West Asheville. “If you have come to help me, [...]