A Legacy of Leadership: Lori Gusdorf, Longtime AFP Leader and Executive Vice President of the AFP Foundations for Philanthropy, Retires After 34 Years

Lori Gusdorf, CAE, executive vice president of the AFP Foundations for Philanthropy, has announced that she will be retiring next month, after 34 years of dedicated service to the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).

Lori was initially hired by AFP (then NSFRE) in 1990 as the director of computer services, to help bring the organization into the digital age, which was then very much still in its infancy. She recalls installing the first networked set of computers in the office and printing out emails to distribute them to various staff. As the organization grew, Lori assumed additional responsibilities in the membership department, serving as interim vice president of membership & chapter services, as well as director, membership & computer services before moving full-time into the membership department in 1999. Lori advanced from her role as senior director to vice president of membership & chapter services in 2002, heading the department for more than 14 years.

“I’ve said many times over that I was an association professional,” Lori says. “But I stayed at NSFRE/AFP for so many years because it was a way to be involved in the philanthropic sector.”

Throughout her time at AFP, her dedication to the organization’s mission of advancing ethical fundraising was always front and center, so it was no surprise in 2016 that she was asked to become the executive vice president of the AFP Foundations for Philanthropy.

“After being a part of the organization for 26 years, it was a natural way for me to move into a new position and use my experience and knowledge to raise money for the fundraising profession that I care so deeply about,” Gusdorf said.

During these last 8 years, Lori has significantly expanded the capabilities of the foundations, particularly in the areas of inclusion, diversity, equity, and access (IDEA), leadership development, and research, which are all significant priorities for the foundations and AFP Global because of the impact that funding these projects has on the fundraising sector and our broader world.

“IDEA is such an essential pillar of AFP’s work today, but I think it’s important to recognize that NSFRE/AFP has been working in this area for a very long time,” Lori says. Before moving to the foundation, Lori was the staff lead on AFP’s early IDEA work, driven at that time by the Minority Task Force, which was launched in the early 1990’s. Programs such as the Diversity Workshop and the Diversity Art Showcase helped solidify IDEA as a core component of AFP’s education at the annual conference, now called AFP ICON. This commitment continues today through foundation initiatives such as the Diverse Communities in Fundraising Scholarship Program, which has provided over 300 scholarships for fundraisers from diverse backgrounds to attend ICON.

Under Lori’s leadership, scholarships like this one, along with the many others provided by the foundation to support attendance at AFP events, have been instrumental in advancing AFP’s IDEA goals while also playing a vital role in fostering leadership development—another key priority for the organization.

Through discussions with fundraisers, AFP discovered one of the most pressing needs for our sector was creating a pipeline of qualified nonprofit leaders. Over the last several years, the foundation has provided the framework and the financial support for this goal, leading to the evolution and launch of programs such as AFP LEAD, AFP CATALYST, and the AFP Leadership Institute, all of which address the leadership gap and provide skill development for fundraisers nationwide and around the world.

“If we don’t have strong fundraising professionals at these organizations, they won’t raise as much money, which will affect the programs they are able to offer and ultimately affect quality of life for the communities they serve,” Lori says, highlighting the underlying benefits of the foundations’ work.

Throughout her tenure at AFP, Lori has been an outspoken champion for the importance of career development for fundraisers, launching AFP’s collegiate chapter program as well as the Young Professionals membership category, initiatives both designed to introduce young people to fundraising as a career choice, an option that was rarely available when she started at AFP over three decades ago.

Reflecting on her time at the organization, Lori acknowledges just how much has changed, as well as the ways that AFP and the foundations have adapted in kind. Research has become one of the foundations’ key priorities, in part to keep up with today’s rapid rate of change. Just this past year, Lori was instrumental in securing the single largest gift ever for the AFP U.S. Foundation for Philanthropy from the Fidelity Charitable Catalyst Fund, which will go towards the development of new educational programs focused on donor-advised funds, and support additional research by fundraisers into emerging trends. The findings from this research will then be translated for practical use by frontline fundraisers and nonprofit leaders, opening up innovative new avenues for raising funds.

Lori’s legacy at AFP goes far beyond the programs that she put in place or the funds she secured during her time here. Her contributions are a testament to the far-reaching exponential impact that comes with being a part of the philanthropic sector, which for her has always been the motivation behind her years of service.

On the next chapter of her life, Lori says, “I’m excited to travel the world with my husband, Barry.  We have a three-week trip planned to New Zealand in March to celebrate my retirement. But most important is spending more quality time with my family. I have three grandchildren (Addie, Ethan, and Maya, and one on the way), my son Matt and his wife Nikki, and my daughter Melissa and her husband Mario. I want to say thank you to them, along with Barry, for all the support they have given me over the past 34 years working for this wonderful organization.”

The AFP Foundations for Philanthropy will welcome Lori’s successor later this month and are looking forward to a smooth transition and continuing to advance the foundations’ priorities of research, leadership development, IDEA, and ethics.