Announcement

The disaster caused by Hurricane Helene can make it challenging to fundraise for your institution. At this time, you are likely figuring out how to reconcile your desire to help with the need to fund your organization and its mission. Your mission is still valid and important to the community, but depending on where you sit in the larger relief effort, it may take a back seat temporarily to other priorities. If you have paused fundraising and prioritized your supporters' well-being, you’ve taken an important step in building trust and empathy with your donors, and you are laying a foundation for [...]

On September 26, I sat down to write this monthly article, planning to make light of the “spooky season” and question if candy corn was in fact candy or just flavored wax. Now, several days later, I’m penning a very different message.Many have likened Hurricane Helene to be Asheville’s Katrina, and I can see the parallels. Lives have been lost, homes have been destroyed, and many parts of this region have been devastated. But it's in these moments that I realize just how strong we are. Just how resilient we are. This is when we come together to do what needs [...]

Last month, eight of us drove from Asheville to represent the AFP WNC chapter at the NC Philanthropy Conference in Winston-Salem. Hosted by the AFP Triad chapter, upwards of 400 attendees from across the state gathered to connect, network, and learn. One session I attended focused on community-centered leadership and asset mapping – focusing on what you already have instead of what you lack. By leaning into possibilities instead of needs, you can find synergy in creating forward movement that is actually driven by the community you seek to serve. To paraphrase the movie Field of Dreams, with community-centered leadership, it’s [...]