Mike's Monday Message: Seeking Leaders for the Fundraising Community

We’ve just opened up the nomination period for the 2023 AFP Global Board of Directors, and I encourage you to submit your name. 

Yes, you! 

Here’s a MYTH about board service: Boards are only meant for people who possess tons of experience in the field, give lots of presentations about fundraising and/or are well-known throughout the profession.

WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! Those are definitely great qualities and backgrounds to possess. But they aren’t the priorities AFP is looking for when reviewing board nominations. There is so much more to the equation. 

You can click here to find all the specific criteria we use in our process, including previous service to AFP and the fundraising community, diversity of all kinds, and relevant professional certification, education and learning. 

Nowhere in that list of criteria is anything about lots of experience in fundraising (though we do ask for a minimum of five years in the profession). Nowhere is there anything about presentation skills, how well-known you are, or even what awards you’ve won. 

In a nutshell, what we’re looking for is diversity—in background, in career, in thinking, in perspective, and in experience—and leadership. 

I’m very proud that the AFP board is the most diverse it’s ever been in so many different ways. But it’s not diversity for just diversity’s sake—it’s about what that diversity allows us to do. The board is having more interesting, more thoughtful, and more exciting conversations than ever before, precisely because we have such a diverse and strong group of leaders. The board is leading better, which in turn helps AFP better represent the profession. That’s one of the reasons we’ve emerged from the pandemic in the strongest position in at least 15 years —financially, programmatically, strategically and so many other “ly’s.”

Leadership can be hard to define, but it is easy to recognize. I’ve talked about leadership qualities in my previous messages, focusing on characteristics and skills such as clarity, principles, strategic thinking, empathy, understanding strengths and weaknesses and communication. Those are just some of the qualities that I believe make up a leader.

And as I’ve said before, anyone can be a leader, no matter your position or experience. You can lead up, down or sideways across an organization. Maybe you’re in a situation where you’re leading more in your volunteer work than your professional work right now. And a good leader knows when to give up the reins for the moment and follow – I’ll be honest, this one isn’t easy for me, but I’m learning and it’s a never-ending journey. All of that encompasses being a good leader.

Bottom-line (as I’m known to say): If you’re interested in helping to lead the fundraising community, and you have some experience and background that you can show, then we want to hear from you. And if you want to lead but aren’t sure if you’re ready to apply for the AFP Global Board, then please volunteer your time with your local chapter and develop your skills and experience that way. 

The AFP Global Board is simply a group of leaders who are committed to the fundraising profession and bring a wide variety of skills, experiences and backgrounds to our community. If that sounds like you, and you want to commit your time and expertise, we want to hear from you. 

Submit your nomination by June 13!