Come Together: Maintaining AFP’s Sense of Community

Community. It’s a word we use a lot at AFP to describe our coalition of fundraising professionals. During the pandemic, we put community at the forefront, sharing with you all that we were doing to maintain connections, and ensure that our sense of community endured in a virtual environment. 

As we return to relative normalcy, attending in-person events, and going back to the office, I don’t want us to lose sight of the togetherness that the pandemic inspired. I encourage you to get to know your fellow members of the AFP community. They can serve as an inspiration, a resource, or simply a friend that you can relate to. During the height of the pandemic, I heard story after story about the importance the AFP community played in our members lives and our ability to deal with all the challenges we faced during this time. 

Here are a few easy ways you can build even stronger connections with your AFP community:  

Check out our Member Spotlights: 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. Reading and listening to these Member Spotlights is a great way to explore the different opportunities that the fundraising field provides, learn about the causes that our community supports, and find inspiration in the diversity of our membership. You can find Member Spotlights under the “Member Stories” tab of the AFP website. 

Know someone who is doing great work in the fundraising field? Recommend them as a Member Spotlight by emailing afpmarcom@afpglobal.org. 

Join an Affinity Group meeting: As part of AFP’s commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and access, we believe it is essential for all fundraisers to see themselves represented in the profession. Affinity Groups connect members who share similar identities and passions, helping them to build a network of like-minded peers. Check out the list of upcoming Affinity Group meetings. 

Answer or submit a question on AFP Connect: Every time I log into AFP Connect, I’m amazed at the quantity and the quality of the conversations taking place there. If you haven’t gotten a chance to check it out, I highly recommend it as a place to get quick, reliable advice on any type of fundraising question. We’ve started including top conversations from AFP Connect in the Wednesday edition of the AFP Daily Newsletter, so don’t hesitate to jump into a conversation if you see one you can contribute to! 

AFP ICON: Finally, I of course recommend everyone attend AFP ICON in New Orleans, April 16-18. There’s no better way to connect with the AFP community than face-to-face during the largest fundraising conference in the world! With still two months to go, we already have approx 2,500 registrants attending — you don’t want to miss this. The next registration price increase happens next week, so don’t forget to take advantage of the Mardi Gras rate by February 21 to save up to $125 on registration. 
In the meantime, please feel free to connect with me via email at Mike.Geiger@afpglobal.org or on Twitter at @AFPMikeGeiger. I’d love to hear from you.

In the meantime, please feel free to connect with me via email at Mike.Geiger@afpglobal.org or on Twitter at @AFPMikeGeiger. I’d love to hear from you.

Mike Geiger, MBA, CPA