AFP Announces Partnership With DonorSearch To Support Charitable Fundraisers Around the World

(Arlington, Va.)  Today, the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), the largest community of fundraising professionals in the world, and DonorSearch, a leading prospect research provider that empowers nonprofits of every size and sector to digitally transform and strengthen a nonprofit’s financial capacity, announced a strategic partnership to support and train charitable fundraisers around the world through education and content provision.

DonorSearch will be a Development Partner with AFP and support the association’s mission to uphold and advance ethical and effective fundraising. DonorSearch will provide educational content to AFP members, including webinars, sessions, and videos, so they can better reach out to and connect with donors, volunteers and other supporters, an important process for charities that has grown more complicated with the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing.

“We’ve always known that technology is going to play an increasingly bigger role in fundraising and donor cultivation, but the pandemic has underscored just how critical it is for charities to use and understand technology,” said Mike Geiger, MBA, CPA, president and CEO of AFP. “I am so excited about this partnership because DonorSearch has been a leader and innovator in using data and technology to help charities raise funds more effectively and efficiently. They bring a wealth of expertise, resources and thought leadership that will benefit all of our members in this challenging environment. Fundraising is the impact profession, and DonorSearch also has an impressive background in supporting the fundraising profession in creating that impact. This collaboration is going to benefit our members immensely and help generate more support for charities around the world.”

AFP’s recent Fundraising Confidence Surveys have found that fundraisers are slowly growing more confident in their optimism about future efforts, but many have commented about fatigue and concerns over another difficult year. They are searching for new ideas, innovation and inspiration to help identify, reach out to and connect with donors and supporters.

“AFP is an organization that has been vital to my career and professional development in the nonprofit sector,” said Sarah TeDesco, executive vice president of DonorSearch. “It has always been a reliable and fundamental organization educating leaders of all expertise, as well as mission-driven individuals. This perfectly aligns with our DonorSearch values, and it makes me so proud that DonorSearch is not only able to partner with AFP, but also bring critical and innovative technology advancements to the industry. Now more than ever, we need solutions and tools that advance our fundraising efforts even during the most challenging times. Together, we look forward to accomplishing these goals and working toward a brighter future.”

“Innovation, collaboration and making education available to everyone in our nonprofit industry are some of the core values I hold dear,” added Bill TeDesco, founder and CEO of DonorSearch. “It is a natural fit that DonorSearch would partner with AFP to educate and help promote solutions to some of the most important issues charities work to solve. Our world is changing at a rapid pace, and I feel it is not only our responsibility but also our obligation to ensure we leave it better than how we found it. Together, through collaboration of great leadership, advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and a willingness to do better, we can improve our world.”

The AFP Partners Program provides participating organizations with year-round opportunities to engage the fundraising community and pursue corporate social responsibility through tangential support of the causes for which they work. Through thought leadership, marketing, content and professional development channels, AFP Partners position themselves as industry leaders committed to advancing philanthropy and ethical fundraising worldwide. Their financial and programmatic support also enables AFP to develop highly competent fundraisers and educate the public on the industry’s ability to fuel societal change in critical arenas like education, healthcare, community development, and equity and inclusion. For more information about the AFP Partners Program, contact Chris Amos, senior director, business development, at Chris.Amos@afpglobal.org.

About AFP

Since 1960, the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) has been the standard-bearer for professionalism in fundraising. The association works to advance effective and ethical philanthropy by providing advocacy, research, education, mentoring, collaboration and technology opportunities for the world’s largest network of professional fundraisers. AFP’s 26,000 members in more than 240 chapters raise over $100 billion annually for a wide variety of charitable organizations and causes across the globe. For more information, go to  afpglobal.org.

About DonorSearch

With more than 6,000 active clients, DonorSearch is a leading provider of prospect research solutions for nonprofits. The company was founded in 2007 with the mission to provide premier donor intelligence data and tools to strengthen a nonprofit’s financial capacity. Today, our team builds and maintains the most robust wealth and charitable giving data set in the industry. For more information, visit DonorSearch.net and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.