Mike’s Message: Developing a Strategic Plan for 2025 and Beyond

In June of 2023, AFP Global, in partnership with a consultant, McKinley Advisors, started the process of developing a strategic plan for 2025 and beyond in order to chart the course for our future… for your future. 

This strategic planning process is an opportunity for us to review our current strategic plan, evaluate our progress on these initiatives, and develop priorities moving forward that support the needs of the fundraising community. It is also a chance for us to evaluate the entire AFP governance ecosystem — the board, committees, chapters, and other volunteer opportunities — to ensure they are structured to support the new plan moving forward.

Our goal is to build on the rich history of success AFP has had with volunteer engagement and make improvements based on the lessons learned and challenges faced over the last few years. We are especially passionate about preserving and advancing our commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity and access (IDEA) in all our efforts.

To make sure this plan is representative of the entire AFP membership, this initiative will be member-driven and incorporate as many perspectives as we can from the member community. The AFP Global Board has appointed two committees to oversee the strategic planning and governance evolution processes; the Strategic Planning Committee, and the AFP Governance Ecosystem Task Force. These are chaired by Roger Ali, MBA, C. Dir., CFRE and Adrienne Longenecker, CFRE, and are made up of diverse voices from across the profession. 

In addition to these two committees, AFP is also conducting qualitative and quantitative primary research, allowing members to maintain anonymity while candidly sharing their perspectives and concerns. These anonymous surveys are very important to serving you and our entire AFP community. I encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities to have a direct influence on the work AFP does.

There are many organizational changes we know we need to make, and we are committed to making those changes. And we want YOUR help - In August, you will be invited to participate in a survey asking for your input on the strategic planning and governance evolution processes. I highly recommend that all members complete this survey so we can make informed decisions (based on your feedback/input) about the priorities of our organization in the coming years. Please be on the lookout for more information soon. 

If you have any questions or comments, as always, please feel free to email me at mike.geiger@afpglobal.org or connect with me directly on Twitter at @AFPMikeGeiger. I’d love to hear from you.

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Mike Geiger, MBA, CPA