News/Blog

Views expressed by News/Blog authors are solely that of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Association of Fundraising Professionals New York City Chapter. Links Disclaimer

 

Less Updates, More Conversation

Chapter Leadership Brief 10.17.25

by Carolyn Vine
Chief Development Officer, Robin Hood

At Robin Hood, we’re fortunate to have a distinguished board that brings both generosity and insight to our fight against poverty in New York City. These are people who could spend their Tuesday afternoons doing just about anything, yet they choose to sit around our conference table wrestling with questions about resource allocation and fundraising strategy. Recently we decided to ask them a simple question. How can we make these meetings more valuable for you?

Their answer caught us off guard in the best possible way. They told us they want less information and more conversation.

When the World Moves Faster Than Your Organization

Chapter Leadership Brief 10.17.25

by Matthew Weber
CEO, Development Guild

 

The World is Moving at Warp Speed

Look around. Politics, AI, economics — everything is shifting faster than any one leader, board, or organization can track. Your donors, staff, and community are living in a different reality every six months. The ground is not just shifting under your feet — it’s accelerating.

Meanwhile, your board cycle is quarterly. Your planning cycle is annual. Your strategic plan is five years old and out of date.

And here’s the uncomfortable truth: when the world moves faster than your organization, you fall behind. You lose relevance, trust, and momentum.

Nonprofits are built to endure — but right now, endurance is not enough.

Perseverance, Passion, and the CFRE

Chapter Leadership Brief 10.17.25

by Justin Kuczma, CFRE
Development Manager, St. John's Senior Services

Growing up, life was often a struggle. We would go days (sometimes longer) without electricity. Having a reliable car was out of the question, and I spent many years wearing shoes that were too small with my toes sticking out of holes in the front. In first grade, despite limited means, my parents signed me up for Cub Scouts. They knew the importance of being part of this incredible organization. I went on to become an Eagle Scout and continue to this day as a volunteer leader with Scouting America (formerly the Boy Scouts of America).

From Challenge to Growth: Lessons for Fundraising Success

Chapter Leadership Brief 10.3.25

by Dr. Pazit Levitan
Founder, The Path to Impact

The Fall season is upon us. The air shifts, the light softens, and we move toward the close of the calendar year. This is the most vibrant stretch of our work: Giving Tuesday, year-end campaigns and the intensified giving that sustains our mission.

This season is more than deadlines and goals. It is a magnifying lens that reminds us how fortunate we are to work in the space of change-making, where every day brings opportunities to encourage philanthropy, uplift communities and strengthen organizations. Our professional world is filled with donors, community members and colleagues deeply invested in the cause. Few professions give us such a clear view of how compassion and commitment turn vision into impact.

55 Years of Wisdom: How a Lifetime of Living Has Made Me a Better Fundraiser

Chapter Leadership Brief 10.3.25

by Terry Pearl
Founder & Chief Philanthropy Partner, 360 Philanthropy Partners

Today, I turn 55.

It’s a milestone I approach with a full heart, a clearer head, and—if I’m being honest—a deeper appreciation for the road behind me than ever before. I’ve earned every gray hair, every laugh line, and every quiet moment of insight. And I’ve come to understand that nothing has shaped my work in relationship-driven fundraising more than the wisdom gained over five and a half decades of living.

Listening Inward, Leaning Outward

Chapter Leadership Brief 9.19.25

by Brenda Marie Turner
Soprano and CFRE

Fundraising is often described as the “engine” that drives the nonprofit sector forward. But anyone who has done this work knows it’s not just about dollars. Rather, it is about people. And not just the people we serve or the donors we engage, but about ourselves.

Nonprofit Analytics: Turn Data Overwhelm into Mission Impact

Chapter Leadership Brief 9.19.25

by Sarah TeDesco
COO, DonorSearch

Why Analytics Matters — and Why Most Orgs Miss the Mark

Around 76% of nonprofits lack a solid analytics strategy, meaning most are flying blind when it comes to data-driven decisions.

That needs to change. Nonprofit analytics isn’t optional—it’s foundational. By transforming chaos into clarity, you get smarter donor engagement, stronger program outcomes, and more sustainable growth.

Transitions

Chapter Leadership Brief 9.5.25

by Pedro Govantes

Transitions. The word can sound so antiseptic. It can be code for anything ranging from being fired from one job and luck enough to find another, to escaping some version of a perceived (or real!) professional hellscape and landing really anywhere else. But a transition doesn’t have to be viewed either way. It can be not so much a running away from one situation but an actual running toward another. I find myself in the midst of such a transition.

Shot Out of a Cannon: Navigating the Fall Fundraising Season

Chapter Leadership Brief 9.5.25

by Craig Shelley
CEO, Schultz & Williams

Post–Labor Day often feels like the starting gun has gone off for fundraisers and nonprofit leaders. In the last Chapter Leadership Briefs, my fellow board members CJ Orr and Gary Weinberg shared strategies on gearing up for a busy fall and making year-end efforts more successful. With September here, the season we’ve been preparing for is officially upon us. So, now what?

Gearing up for a Busy Fall

Chapter Leadership Brief 8.22.25

by CJ Orr
Chief Executive Officer, Orr Group

This year has been hectic to say the least. The city’s energy never truly fades, but even New York eases its grip a bit in August. Colleagues take time off at the beach or a long weekend upstate. We may not close shop like Italy’s Ferragosto, but we should still claim August—intentionally—as the month to rest, reset, and ready ourselves for the sprint that begins on Tuesday, September 2, the day after Labor Day.

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