AFP Member Spotlight: Andrew Kapelewski

AFP Member Spotlights are a recurring series of interviews with AFP members, highlighting the unique individuals and career paths that exist within the fundraising profession. If you know an inspiring fundraising professional who deserves to be featured, please email [email protected].

In this member spotlight, we interviewed Andrew Kapelewski, director of foundation development at Western Dakota Technical College. He shares how stepping into leadership during a period of transition shaped his path in fundraising, and how a service-driven approach, strong systems, and a commitment to community help guide his work and growth in the profession.

Q: How did you start your career in the fundraising profession and what led you there? 
A: I had been working at Western Dakota Technical College for over 7 years when a position was created within its foundation to coordinate its scholarship program. I applied and was hired into that position in February 2021. Within one year of being in that coordinator role with the WDT Foundation, the foundation director and assistant director of scholarships left for other career pursuits. I was promoted to the assistant director of scholarships role in March 2022. One of my duties in that role was finding industry partners willing to match funds for a scholarship sponsorship program. That streamlined scholarship sponsorship program was my foray into fundraising.

Q: When and why did you decide to become an AFP member? 
A: I joined AFP in November of 2024. In August of 2024, the foundation director I had been working under since March 2022 left for another career opportunity. In September of 2024, when I was out on paternity leave for the birth of my wife and I’s second child, I received word that the Western Dakota Tech president had passed away unexpectantly. During the month of October, while getting our annual gala event over the finish line, I started exploring resources, not just about scholarships, but related to fundraising best practices in general, as I took over interim leadership duties of the Foundation.

I was looking for insight past the ‘ask and we’ll answer’ to a ‘we know you may not know what to ask, here’s the basics you need to know’ level of support.  In that search I found the Fundamentals of Fundraising Course offered through AFP, along with a community of professionals to help me navigate these new challenges. That clear community and system of support were the primary reasons I decided to join. 

Q: Are you doing anything innovative at your organization (or a past organization) that you think other fundraisers could benefit from?
A: Tools can be so impactful in our work. In 12 years working at the college or within its foundation, I’ve developed a style of operations handbook. It’s not the step-by-step how-to document, but rather a document collecting the ‘What’, ‘When’, ‘By Who’, and ‘Why’ of functions within a department or organization organized by either distinct month, common monthly, common weekly, common daily, and common intermittent functions. It allows for connection of documents that include the step-by-step instructions, but the handbook itself is more for time management and maintaining core functions consistency through growth endeavors. It has also served as a great tool for keeping a pulse on important ‘to-do’ tasks regarding scholarship and other foundation processes through unpredictable events.

Q: What is your favorite word? (only one word) How has this word influenced or inspired your career?
A: Leadership. My roots in this word go all the way back to my formative days as an Eagle Scout. Leadership in service is my leadership foundation. Learned through scouting, refined through experiences in college, especially time in Alpha Phi Omega, and applied in the early stages of my career journey in juvenile corrections and higher education student success, meaningful leadership that moves goodwill forward has been my career’s compass. As challenges and needs arise, I feel I have continued to answer the calls to help move things forward with a mission-focused, results-driven mindset. At the same time, I strive to have my own leadership reflect the words of Mahatma Ghandi, “A sign of a good leader is not how many followers you have, but how many leaders you create.” 

Q: What professional accomplishment are you most proud of? 
A: The accomplishment I take greatest pride in is no matter what department or role I have undertaken in my twelve years at Western Dakota Technical College, when I transition to different roles, I have left measurable improvement in how my prior role is able to contribute to the college’s mission. From my time in the Student Success Center through years in the Registrar Office and now almost half a decade with WDT Foundation, I am proud knowing I was able to make a difference each time. 

Q: How has being an AFP member and participating in the AFP affinity groups benefited you in your career? 
A: The most immediate benefit in joining was that when I needed support, guided training was available. Membership exposed me to the CFRE certification, which has guided further professional growth as I get ready to take the exam in the upcoming window. The emerging leaders affinity group has exposed me to concerns and topics to be more acutely aware of as I guide the employees in my care. The greatest benefit though is being in a network of dedicated professionals across multiple nonprofit missions. Sharing challenges, inspiration, creative solutions, and successes at monthly AFP chapter mixers consistently enlightens and broadens my perspective to tackle future challenges. Different organizations will face similar but different challenges, and necessity is the mother of invention after all. So those varying necessities bring different viewpoints to learn from. It also deepens community connection. If a donor approaches me but in discussion, their passion is more youth development than higher education, I can connect with them other professionals to better meet their giving need. The inverse is also true if donors speak with others in the network, if they have a passion for higher education. It strengthens the overall culture of philanthropy in the community. A rising tide lifts all boats after all!

Q: In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge facing the nonprofit fundraising profession today?
A: I think the biggest challenge is how many people have a ‘I fell into it’/’I helped the mission by doing XYZ at first’ type answer to ‘How did you start your career in the fundraising profession?’.  We need to get into elementary career days and present in high school career and technical education courses about our profession and how fundraising is more than just asking for money.  Fundraising is more than selling wrapping paper, cookies, or popcorn. It’s about building relationships, being connectors, and having a service mindset to unite people seeking to charitably improve their corner of the world with organizations whose mission is to improve that corner in a same-minded way. Maybe in a generation or two the answer to the ‘how did you start’ question will be people seeing/hearing those presentations then choosing educational/career pathways to purposely enter the fundraising profession. How we, as AFP members, invite youth to the table to learn about our profession and be nurtured as future professionals, is both our profession’s biggest challenge and opportunity today.

Q: What advice do you have for other fundraising professionals? 
A: We are growing every day, even if we feel the job never slows down. When we are first starting, the more foundational tasks of our roles take more mental processing. As those repeat they took less and we add more layers, like driving a car. We first learned how to steer/brake/etc. Then we added in checking side mirrors, reading traffic, more situational awareness, until we’re working with navigational systems while avoiding hazards. Don’t underestimate your own growth in effectiveness just because you’re constantly pushing the limits of what can be accomplished. Acknowledge your own growth and take the time to celebrate it now and then.