June 2006 President's Message
Patricia Moran
Dear Colleagues:
 As you may know, the Greater New York Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals is the “founding” chapter for our professional organization. Yet, our chapter is not the largest chapter in the organization. We currently have a membership roll of slightly less than 1,000 members and we have not been able to break through the 1,000 mark for some time. Our fellow AFP chapters in Chicago, Washington D.C. and Toronto out-number us with chapter memberships greater than 1,000.
As the founding chapter and the host of the largest one-day fundraising conference in the world, our “less than 1,000” membership tally is simply unacceptable. I hope you agree with me that we need to do something about increasing membership and not just for the sake of numbers. Membership in AFP insures that fundraisers in the Greater New York area and throughout the United States and Canada are following the code of ethics of our profession. An additional benefit of AFP membership is the high quality educational programs that are offered almost on a daily basis in the Greater New York Chapter.
Many non AFP members take advantage of our networking and educational programs without joining the organization. As much as I want to encourage networking and expanding knowledge and skills in our profession, I also think it is every fundraisers’ responsibility to improve and grow our profession. By joining AFP and being a card carrying member, you are helping to establish our profession as a worthy career choice and a highly ethical occupation. In addition, funding from dues allows us to provide educational programs, networking services, resume review clinics, and conferences such as Fund Raising Day in New York 2006. If you are not registered yet, please go to http://www.frdny.org - don’t miss out on the best conference in philanthropy!
I thank our readers who are AFP members for supporting our organization and profession. For those who are not members, sign up today! There are many benefits to being a member. I have listed some examples of member benefits that you might not know exist.
AFP’s 2006 Compensation and Benefits Study
The full report of AFP’s 2006 Compensation and Benefits Study is available online on the association’s website and provides valuable data about the characteristics of individual fundraisers and paints a picture of the current state of the profession. The study summarizes fundraisers’ backgrounds, employers, professional activities, compensation, use of technology, and opinions on professional issues. A summary of the study will appear in the July/August 2006 issue of Advancing Philanthropy. The complete study is available free to AFP members in the Member Gateway section of the website.
The AFP Resource Center
AFP maintains a collection of over 3,200 reference works plus past and present issues of periodicals relating to fundraising and the development process. The Resource Center staff is available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time each business day to answer your questions. No matter where you are, no matter what size your budget—AFP membership gives you access to one of the most complete reference centers for development professionals.
Upon request, the AFP staff will begin the research and mail the relevant material to you. All of the information in the AFP collection is indexed on a computerized database, and extensive bibliographies can be mailed upon request. This is of particular benefit in situations where copyright laws prevent duplication. All AFP Resource Center services are available to members free of charge.
Sample Strategic/Fundraising Plans Available on AFP Website
Two sample strategic and fundraising plans are available on the AFP website. A five-year strategic plan from the Indian River Hospital Foundation in Vero Beach, Florida, and a draft resource development plan from the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility in New York are in PDF format and available as attachments on the website.
AFP Fund Development Series
The Development Series provides fund development professionals and volunteers, including board members (and others interested in the nonprofit sector), with top-quality publications that help advance philanthropy as voluntary action for the public good. AFP and Wiley are partners in this effort and the books can be purchased on line at the AFP website. Check out the IAFP website: http://www.afpnet.org and the Greater New York Chapter website: http://www.nycafp.org to learn more about becoming a member. The Greater New York Chapter, in collaboration with our international headquarters, is conducting a special membership drive campaign. If you are not an AFP member, please join today. If you are a member, encourage your colleagues to join! Let’s make sure that the founding chapter is also the largest chapter in our international organization.
Patricia A. Moran, CFRE
Fordham University
This message is part of this month’s newsletter, which is available online. Please click here to read Fundraising News.
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