October 2004 President's Message
Sheila Stanford
Dear Colleagues,
 Do you have the “school year calendar” mindset that I do? Every September, I feel as if I get a fresh start—just as I did when school reopened. I just don’t get all those new notebooks, pens and binders I used to plague my mother with for every year at this time! New teachers, new classmates, new books—they almost made up for the ending of my favorite season, summer.
As a fundraiser, I really appreciate that I’ve retained a little of this “school year calendar” mentality because I automatically gear up for the fall fundraising season. This year promises to be especially challenging, with the presidential election taking center stage (and diverting a lot of philanthropic giving!), not to mention the devastating effect on both donors and nonprofits of the recent hurricanes. I just read that fundraising in Florida especially will be challenged this year because donors not affected directly by the disasters will be hardpressed to respond to the many appeals they will receive on behalf of those who were. Fundraising for local nonprofits not involved in disaster relief is likely to be negatively affected as contributions are diverted to helping rebuild communities struck by Charley, Frances, Ivan, or Jeanne.
In other words, for many of us this fall, it may be even more difficult to accurately plan or evaluate our efforts. But here’s some good news (get ready for a commercial!): The Greater New York Chapter of AFP will keep you informed—through vehicles such as this enewsletter—and educated—through workshops and brown bags—not to mention offering you a wonderful opportunity to honor a valuable supporter—through National Philanthropy Day. I hope to see you there!
With best regards,
Sheila Stanford
The Stanford Group, Inc.
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