What is AFP?
AFP (Association of Fundraising Professionals) is a professional membership association for fundraisers, founded in 1960 and representing over 24,000 members across more than 220 chapters worldwide. AFP's mission is to empower individuals and organizations to practice ethical fundraising through professional education, networking, research, and advocacy. AFP members collectively raise over $115 billion annually, which represents roughly one-third of all charitable giving in North America.
Is AFP membership worth it?
AFP membership provides measurable value through free webinars, an educational credit, certification discounts, and conference savings that can collectively offset a significant portion of annual dues. Beginning in 2026, all AFP members receive free access to over 40 live webinars annually at no additional cost, along with a $100 educational credit toward archived webinars and eCourses. Whether membership is "worth it" depends on how actively a member engages with those resources; the tangible discounts on CFRE certification and conference registration add to that return.
What do AFP members get?
AFP membership covers professional development opportunities, fundraising resources, and networking with over 24,000 fellow fundraisers. Specifically, this includes: free access to 40+ live webinars per year, a $100 educational credit for archived content, a 20% discount on CFRE certification fees, discounted registration for AFP ICON (the annual international fundraising conference) and AFP LEAD (the annual leadership conference), access to the AFP Member Directory and AFP Connect online community, AFP's career center and job board, Advancing Philanthropy magazine, and career development programming through a partnership with Korn Ferry. Membership also includes access to AFP's research publications, including the annual Compensation and Benefits Study and quarterly Fundraising Effectiveness Project reports. Members are also represented through AFP's advocacy work, which includes lobbying on federal policy issues that affect the nonprofit sector and charitable giving, including tax policy.
Who should join AFP?
AFP membership is designed for anyone who works professionally in fundraising or in a field that directly supports it. AFP's Professional membership category is open to anyone who holds some degree of direct responsibility for fundraising and is compensated for those services — including development officers, major gift officers, annual fund managers, campaign directors, and nonprofit executives with fundraising responsibilities. Associate membership is available to those in fields adjacent to fundraising. AFP also offers Young Professional memberships for those age 30 and under, Collegiate memberships for students, Nonprofit Organizational memberships for teams of five or more, and a Global e-membership for international members outside the U.S. and Canada.
What AFP membership categories and price ranges are available?
AFP offers multiple membership categories at different price points to reflect career stage and organizational context. Professional membership (the standard individual category) is priced at $320 in association dues plus local chapter dues. Young Professional memberships are available at reduced rates ($95 for those 26 and under; $175 for ages 27–30, both including chapter dues). Collegiate membership is $35. Small Nonprofit Organizational membership starts at $185 (including chapter dues). Global e-membership is available for international members outside the U.S. and Canada at a lower cost with digital-only access. All memberships are on an anniversary-year basis. For current pricing and to join, visit afpglobal.org/join.
Does AFP membership require a commitment to ethical standards?
Yes — signing the AFP Code of Ethical Standards annually is a required condition of membership for all AFP members. AFP describes this as the only enforceable code of ethics in the fundraising sector, meaning violations can result in formal review by the AFP Ethics Committee. Members must also adhere to the Donor Bill of Rights, a set of principles established in 1993 that outlines what donors should be able to expect from charitable organizations.
How is AFP different from CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education)?
The key difference is scope: CASE serves advancement professionals specifically at educational institutions, while AFP serves fundraising professionals across all nonprofit sectors. CASE covers alumni relations and communications in addition to fundraising and requires an institutional affiliation with a school, college, or university. AFP's membership is open to fundraisers in healthcare, arts, social services, faith-based organizations, and more, with no institutional affiliation required. AFP is also the only fundraising association with an enforceable Code of Ethical Standards that all members must sign annually.
How is AFP different from GPA (Grant Professionals Association)?
GPA is a specialized association for grant writers and grant managers specifically, while AFP is a broader association covering all forms of fundraising. GPA has approximately 4,000 members; AFP has approximately 24,000 members across 220+ chapters. AFP covers annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, campaigns, and grants, whereas GPA focuses exclusively on the grant profession. Grant writers may hold membership in both organizations, as the two associations share aligned codes of ethics, including the prohibition of commission-based compensation.
How is AFP different from AHP (Association for Healthcare Philanthropy)?
AHP serves fundraising and development professionals specifically within the healthcare sector — hospitals, health systems, and related organizations — while AFP's membership spans all nonprofit sectors with no restriction by mission area. AFP co-created the Donor Bill of Rights alongside AHP, CASE, and the Giving Institute, reflecting a shared ethical foundation across the profession. AFP functions as the broader cross-sector professional home for fundraisers, regardless of the type of organization they work for.