Yearly Archives: 2025

Mark Goldstein, CFRE, GPC, is the President and CEO of Communication Mark, offering a full range of grant writing services for the past 25 years. Mark has raised more than $100 million in grants for organizations of all types and sizes, particularly for health, human service, community development and technology needs. He is the past President of the Grant Professionals Association North Carolina Chapter and an active member of AFPWNC, recognized as the region's Outstanding Fund Raising Executive in 2019. Mark has provided training sessions through WNC Nonprofit Pathways, the Duke University Continuing Studies Nonprofit Management program, and Alliance for Better [...]

The Western North Carolina (WNC) chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) has released a report analyzing the impact of Hurricane Helene and its impact on the region’s nonprofit sector. Based on a survey of more than 60 WNC nonprofit organizations in January 2025, this infographic report provides critical insights into operational challenges and fundraising disruptions experienced in the aftermath of the disaster. The survey, conducted by AFP WNC, gathered data from a diverse range of nonprofit organizations to assess how the storm affected their ability to deliver services, secure funding, and maintain donor and volunteer engagement. Findings highlight significant [...]

Alex Comfort, CFRE, is a well-known nonprofit consultant in Western North Carolina. He has been a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals since 1989 and has served as a board member and president of AFPWNC chapter. He was recognized as the region's Outstanding Fund Raising Executive in 2010. Alex is giving us a sneak peak of his planned giving article that will appear in AFP's Advancing Philanthropy magazine in July 2025. When I go to a seminar or read a paper on a new fundraising idea, I hate it when the new idea comes at the very last.  So here [...]