Mike’s Monday Message: Get Started on Your Career Resolutions

We’re only one week into 2024 and while you hopefully haven’t already abandoned your new gym membership or your plan to cut out caffeine, one resolution you definitely shouldn’t give up on this year is investing in your career growth.     

You’ll hear me talk a lot this year (again!) about how important career development is and the growing need for fundraisers to gain the skills needed to take on leadership positions. There are plenty of opportunities out there for you to grow in this field if you invest in your professional development and take the time to reflect on your career goals.     

The hardest part about keeping your resolutions is often just figuring out where to start, so here are a few ways that AFP can help you kick off your career development in 2024, depending on your goal:  

Goal: Map Your Career Path and the Skills to Get There 

You know you want to keep advancing in the field, but you’re not sure what would make you stand out as a future leader. What skills do you need to take the next step in your career and what should that next step be to get you to your ultimate end-goal?   

To-Do: Apply for the AFP Leadership Institute   

If you’re looking for direction in your career, I would recommend applying for the AFP Leadership Institute. We’re now accepting applications for the third cohort of this program, with an application deadline of January 16. If selected, you and 25 other career-oriented fundraisers will meet at LinkedIn's Corporate Office in Sunnyvale, CA, May 5-10 for a week-long, in-person learning experience.   

You’ll come away with a personalized career growth plan reflective of your leadership goals, skills, and growth areas. You’ll also have the opportunity to build life-long connections with your fellow cohort members and fundraisers who are at the same stage of their career development. Everyone who has been a part of the first few cohorts has emphasized the importance of building this network and the support this group has offered, long after the end of the program.    

Goal: Build a Strong One-On-One Connection with a Fellow Fundraiser   

Maybe you’re on a small team so you don’t have a lot of coworkers you can use as a sounding board. Or maybe your team is just too involved to be impartial. It would be great to have someone you could connect with on a regular basis to bounce ideas off of and learn from.   

To-Do: Apply for a Mentorship Program   

If you’re looking for that personal connection, I would suggest applying for either the AFP/Alford Group Women’s Impact Initiative Mentorship Program or the AFP/Blackbaud Emerging Leader Mentor Program. You can apply as a mentor or a mentee and be paired with a fellow fundraiser that you will work with over the next 8 months. A lot of thought goes into these pairings, to make sure that both the mentor and the mentee can relate to one another and are able to learn and grow from this experience. There are regular virtual check-ins as well as opportunities to meet in-person at AFP ICON and LEAD. This structure is super beneficial for keeping you on track with your goals and making sure you’re meeting regularly with your mentor, which can be a challenge with an informal mentorship that often is pushed to the backburner with busy schedules. The deadline to apply is January 26.     

Goal: Become the Best Fundraiser You Can Be   

There’s always room to learn, regardless of what career stage you’re in. This year, you want to become an expert in your work, and learn the latest techniques you can use to maximize impact for your organization.    

To-Do: Register for AFP ICON    

No matter what your career goal is, you can probably find something that will help at AFP ICON!    
 
I’d like to invite you to join us for AFP ICON 2024 in Toronto, April 7-9. We’re going to have over 100 education sessions covering artificial intelligence, stewardship, authentic leadership, inclusive fundraising, ethics in fundraising, major gifts, donor retention, and so much more.

These three days are the perfect opportunity to really dive in and immerse yourself in all things fundraising. You can earn credits towards your CFRE, make connections that will help you get more involved in AFP, and learn the latest in fundraising tactics from industry experts. 

You’ll definitely come away inspired, with numerous ideas to take back and implement at your organization. The advance rate deadline is January 19. 

As always, if you have any questions, or there is anything I can do to help as you make your 2024 career goals, don’t hesitate to reach out to me via email at Mike.Geiger@afpglobal.org or on X at @AFPMikeGeiger. I’d love to hear from you.

Mike Geiger, MBA, CPA