March 2008 President's Message
John W. Hicks
 Dear Colleagues,
In the aftermath of a self-correcting market, it appears that the press has been flirting with the vaunted “R” word on a daily-basis over recent weeks. And, no surprise, so many of our colleagues have been telling us that their phone begins to ring the minute the board chair scans the front page of the Wall Street Journal!
This year, I celebrate my 20th year in the fundraising profession (I like to think I was 14 when I began). So, I have experienced the turbulence of a couple recessionary periods. When I am asked by colleagues and clients to somehow predict exactly what all of this will mean in terms of expected contributions for 2008, I turn back to some pretty sage advice that I heard an industry leader share with a conference group once: “I cannot predict with even a 1% certainty how much you will raise this year, but I can predict with 100% accuracy how much you won’t raise this year if you give up and stop asking for money.”
While it is very difficult to change expectations of those who depend on our skills, experience and expertise to chart the right course in difficult times, we can change the conversation from “are we raising money?” to “are we doing the right things that will, ultimately, help us raise the most money we possibly can?”
Recently, I was pleased to come across some articles in the trade press about how to evaluate fundraisers. Industry leaders are encouraging nonprofit CEOs and Board members not to grade performance solely on whether or not your development team “shows you the money” but rather to look at relationship building: potential donors contacted, donors visited, donor calls and communications.
I’d like to think that our industry sector – thanks in good measure to the efforts of AFP – is moving to embrace this change in conversation. And at the end of the day, we and the organizations we support and whose mission and work is so vital to the life of our city will truly benefit most.
Collegially yours, 
John W. Hicks
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