Rebuilding Community and Confidence: The Women’s Impact Initiative at AFP LEAD 2025

The Women’s Impact Initiative (WII) was created to confront one of the most persistent challenges in fundraising: gender inequity. Women make up most of the fundraising workforce, yet many still face pay gaps, limited access to leadership roles, and workplaces that do not always feel safe or inclusive. WII exists to name these realities clearly and create opportunities for fundraisers to lead with confidence and equity at every level of their careers.

The Women’s Impact Summit

In 2019, AFP hosted the Women’s Impact Summit in Phoenix, Arizona. It was a defining moment. For the first time, women fundraisers gathered to discuss challenges, celebrate strengths, and explore ways to create lasting change. The event was powerful and necessary, giving voice to conversations long overdue.

And yet, it only happened once.

For years, members asked when that space would return. A place to talk about leadership, confidence, and professional growth through the lens of lived experience. The need never disappeared.

The space just went quiet.

Bringing the Vision Back

When I became chair of the Women’s Impact Initiative in 2024, one of my first goals was to bring that space back in a way that was sustainable and accessible. Working with AFP Global and the WII committee, we revived the spirit of the summit by integrating WII-focused learning into AFP LEAD.

This year, we launched the first WII Education Track at AFP LEAD 2025. The sessions were curated by WII members to help fundraisers understand the challenges women face in our work and across the sector. Importantly, they were not only for women. They were open to everyone who wants to help build a fairer, more inclusive profession.

The response was immediate and heartfelt. Many women said these sessions helped them feel seen and empowered. Several men shared that they gained a deeper understanding of their colleagues’ experiences and left with tools to support equity in their own workplaces. The energy was hopeful and forward-looking.

What We Learned Together

The WII Education Track at AFP LEAD 2025 offered practical tools and inspiration for fundraisers to lead with confidence and compassion.

In Breaking Barriers & Negotiating Your Worth, Myrna Davalos, CFRE, reminded attendees that every negotiation raises the floor for others. She emphasized the importance of documenting achievements, knowing your benchmarks, and delivering your ask with clarity and confidence. Shannon Bowen, in Negotiation Mastery: How to Ask for What You Deserve, reinforced that compensation is more than salary, encouraging fundraisers to discuss flexibility, professional development, and other benefits while preparing evidence of impact.

Dr. Allison Quintanilla Plattsmier, CFRE, Ph.D., ACNP, CAP®, GPC, in Owning Your Power: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome with Executive Presence, reframed self-doubt as a signal of growth and offered practical tools to build presence, like keeping a success journal, pausing before responding, and replacing “I was lucky” with “I worked hard for this.”

Chris Evans, in Advancing Women, Advancing Philanthropy, led a panel of women in leadership who shared how they lead with purpose and balance. Each panelist reflected on the lessons they learned as they advanced in their careers, showing that leadership looks different for everyone but always begins with authenticity and trust.

And in Kindness as a Leadership Superpower, Cindy Rowe reminded us that kindness is a strategic strength that builds trust, loyalty, and lasting team culture.

Together, these sessions reflected the heart of WII’s mission: helping fundraisers lead with clarity, courage, and compassion.

Why This Space Matters

Integrating WII-focused learning into AFP LEAD is about more than adding sessions. It shows that conversations about equity and leadership belong at the center of professional development. When fundraisers learn to advocate for themselves and others, the profession grows stronger. Confidence and belonging aren’t soft skills. They are leadership skills.

Spaces like this help fundraisers at every level. Emerging professionals gain tools for growth and validation. Senior leaders learn how to support teams with empathy and fairness. These discussions make our field more sustainable by fostering workplaces where fundraisers want to stay, contribute, and lead.

Looking Ahead

The success of the inaugural WII Education Track at AFP LEAD 2025 shows how meaningful it is for AFP Global to create learning spaces that connect leadership and equity. Continuing this focus in future AFP Global programming will ensure fundraisers everywhere have access to environments that support both professional growth and wellbeing. These conversations are helping shape a culture of inclusion that benefits the entire sector.

The WII Education Track is more than a series of sessions. It is a community space where fundraisers learn to advocate for themselves, for others, and for the profession we share. It reminds us that equity, confidence, and compassion belong at the heart of leadership.

Gratitude

I am deeply grateful to the members of the WII committee for their leadership and insight, to the presenters for sharing their time and wisdom, and to AFP Global for making this space possible. Creating room for women to grow in confidence and clarity strengthens our entire profession. It helps fundraisers bring their best selves to their work and to one another.

The WII Education Track ensures every fundraiser has a place to learn, reflect, and grow in an environment that values both excellence and equity. This is not the end of the story. It is the start of a new chapter.