Mike Geiger's Response to AFP Chicago's Open Letter (Nov. 8, 2022)

Nathan Armstrong
AFP Chicago President, 2022
AFP Chicago Chapter
400 E. Randolph St., #2305
Chicago, IL 60601

November 15, 2022

Dear Nathan,

Thank you for your letter of last week, dated November 8, 2022, in which you, representing the Chicago chapter and written on behalf of Jennifer Holmes, MA and Amelia Garza, MA, CFRE expressed your collective “dismay” at how the Fundraiser Bill of Rights (FBOR) work had been handled and was continuing to be handled.

Let me start by immediately apologizing to Jennifer and Amelia for how we have handled this situation. While our intention has been to create a unified fundraiser bill of rights to protect our colleagues, in the process of this effort, we have created a negative impact - and impact is more important than intent.

Jennifer and Amelia, I apologize. I and AFP Global will do better.

Nathan, I want to be clear that Jennifer and Amelia have done incredible work around a fundraiser bill of rights and we, AFP Global, want to honor and recognize that work moving forward.

Several other groups, including the Nature Conservancy, the Oregon Food Bank, Food Share Toronto, and others, have developed and are using a fundraiser bill of rights and we will acknowledge their work as well.

Under no circumstances has it been nor is it our intent to co-opt anyone’s work but rather to lift everyone up and to support the work of others. Much like the AFP Code of Ethics and the Donor Bill of Rights, there is no financial benefit to AFP of this work - we undertook this initiative as a contribution to all fundraisers everywhere. I commit to making sure that, as much as is knowingly possible, we will always acknowledge and support any work we build upon.

It is also not our intent to silence or erase anyone’s work - there is nothing further from AFP’s goals of working for our members and our sector. I apologize if the manner in which we have approached our attempt at creating a unified FBOR for our sector, has come across that way. It was not our intent, and we will do better.

I sincerely hope you, Jennifer, Amelia, the Chicago chapter, and the entire AFP community will accept my apology and join us in moving forward as we continue to focus on the future of fundraisers and fundraising.

Thank you.

Mike Geiger, MBA, CPA
President and CEO
Association of Fundraising Professionals

CC:
Amelia Garza, MA, CFRE
Jennifer Holmes, MA
Tricia Fusilero, Executive Director, AFP Chicago
The AFP Chicago Executive Committee, 2022:
        Ann Kora, President-Elect
        Dottie Bris-Bois, Vice President, Continuous Learning Council
        Christopher Chantson, Treasurer
        Sarah Danahy, Vice President of Member Engagement
        Tula Gogolak, Immediate Past President
        Ishan Johnson, Vice President of IDEA
        Kelsey Nelson, Vice President of Resource
        Carlos Trejo, Secretary
Birgit Smith Burton, AFP Global, Chair Elect