Mike’s Monday Message Takeover: Strengthen the Fundraising Profession Through Your Gift

As members of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) you have a unique understanding of the philanthropic sector and why people should give to the causes they care about. It’s to make the world a better place! How lucky are we to be a part of this meaningful profession!

As I reflect on my own career, thirty-four years total with AFP, the last eight with the AFP Foundations for Philanthropy, I know that the reason I have stayed so long is because first as an association professional, it was my way of being a part of the philanthropic sector, then moving to the Foundations for Philanthropy allowed me to leverage my tenure to impact the profession as a whole.

The Difference Between AFP and AFP Foundations for Philanthropy

While AFP focuses on meeting the needs of its members, the AFP Foundations for Philanthropy takes a broader view, prioritizing the fundraising profession and the philanthropic sector at large.

To put it simply:

• AFP – Members First
• AFP Foundations for Philanthropy – The Profession First

Why Your Support Matters

Why should you consider making the AFP Foundations for Philanthropy one of the causes you support? As fundraising professionals, we have a responsibility to ensure our profession remains strong, vibrant, and well-educated to move into senior positions of the nonprofits we serve. With Baby Boomers retiring and others leaving the profession, the collective “we” have to make sure that we keep our profession strong.

Think about it. If we don’t have qualified fundraising professionals raising funds for the nonprofit sector, it will affect the number of programs those nonprofits offer, which affects quality of life for our local communities.

Your gift to the AFP Foundations helps address these challenges in several critical ways:

Leadership Development

It is through Foundation funding that AFP is able to offer numerous opportunities for leadership development. For example, one of the biggest priorities for the AFP Foundations for Philanthropy every year is supporting scholarships that bring fundraisers to events like AFP ICON and AFP LEAD. I have heard many times that when a scholar attends AFP ICON for the first time, it is an eye-opening experience and the first time many fundraisers understand that they are actually part of a broader profession and there is a huge network of colleagues available to serve as their community.

The AFP U.S. Foundation for Philanthropy was also instrumental in the development of a new career growth program, the Leadership Institute. In partnership with AFP Global, with the support of many AFP chapters and nonprofit organizations, the Foundation provided funding for the development of this small-group, in-person training uniquely designed to equip fundraisers with the leadership skills they need to move into senior leadership positions in the nonprofit sector. We have completed four cohorts of the program so far to glowing reviews from these fundraising professionals who shared that it was a life-changing experience. With the continued support of the Foundation, we plan to evaluate how we can expand the reach of this important initiative to educate more future leaders and broaden our impact on the profession. 

Research

Research is a critical component to strengthening any profession. The AFP Foundations for Philanthropy support the research that is driving our profession forward. Pre-pandemic, the sector identified leadership development as “the next big thing” impacting the future of fundraising. The Foundation took its mandate seriously and developed a three-tiered program to address the leadership development needs of the individual, nonprofit organizations, and the industry as a whole. The Leadership Institute is a key component of that program, as is AFP Catalyst, a conference within a conference experience for senior-level professionals, taking place during AFP ICON 2025.

Here, sector leaders will discuss what the next “next big thing” is. After several conversations with the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy Fundraising Board and the Foundation’s Research Council, it has come down to donor psychology and how it relates to the decline in giving, and in particular, the role that trust plays in giving. External research, including the 2024 Edleman Trust Barometer and the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy’s “What Americans think about philanthropy and nonprofits – April 2023”, backs up the importance of this sector-wide issue.

The Foundation looks forward to supporting this discussion and funding continued research into this, and other emerging trends.

In fact, this year, the AFP Foundation received a grant from the Fidelity Charitable Catalyst Fund specifically for the purpose of funding innovative, future-focused research. These funds will be distributed through the Wilson C. “Bill” Levis Research Grant program to academic researchers in the fundraising field. Once their studies are published, the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy is committed to translating this new research into practical, useable formats, so that fundraisers can easily see what’s new, how it relates to them, and how they can use that research to further the missions of their own organizations.

Providing insights that fundraisers can use to improve their work is also one of the goals of another key Foundation initiative, the Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP). The AFP Foundation for Philanthropy partners with GivingTuesday to produce quarterly reports showing the trends in fundraising. These FEP reports are an important tool that allow practitioners to benchmark their results against the sector and use this knowledge to refine their strategies and improve outcomes.

Supporting sector research is a very important responsibility of the AFP Foundations for Philanthropy.  By producing groundbreaking studies through FEP, awarding grants to fuel innovative research, and exploring emerging trends to address the profession's next big challenges, the Foundations provide essential resources to guide the sector’s future direction.

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA)

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA) has been a priority for AFP and the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy for years. The Foundation demonstrates this commitment to IDEA through programs such as our diverse communities scholarship, which offers the opportunity for fundraisers from traditionally marginalized groups to attend AFP ICON and AFP LEAD.

The other signature IDEA initiative that the Foundation supports is the AFP/Alford Group Women’s Impact Initiative (WII) Mentor Program which was launched in 2018. This structured mentorship program pairs exceptionally talented women together to learn from one another’s experiences and unique career perspectives, creating a diverse pipeline of future female leaders for our sector.

In Canada, the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy – Canada is taking IDEA one step further, adding an additional “A”, which stands for Anti-Racism. The AFP Canada Foundation in partnership with AFP Canada is in the middle of an AFP in Canada IDEAA audit which will produce recommendations to be used in our strategic planning moving forward.

Ethics

Since 1960 when AFP was formed, and our early leaders sat around a table in New York City and talked about the need for a Code of Ethics for the fundraising profession, this has been the core principle of AFP and our profession. The AFP Foundation for Philanthropy supports Ethics Awareness Month each October with education and resources.

A Call to Action

Leadership development, research, IDEA, and ethics are the priorities for our sector and the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy. As you consider your year-end giving, please think about our combined responsibility as a profession to make sure those following in our footsteps have the resources they need to keep this profession strong.

Your support strengthens our profession, our sector, and the communities we serve.

Thank you for your generosity.

If you would like to make a gift, whether it is your first-time, or an additional gift, here are the links.

AFP Foundation for Philanthropy – U.S.  

AFP Foundation for Philanthropy – Canada

AFP Foundation for Philanthropy – Mexico

Thank you.

Lori Gusdorf, CAE
Executive Vice President
AFP Foundations for Philanthropy