News/Blog

By: David McGoy, CFRE
Founder and President, ASSIST Development Consulting

As if fundraising wasn’t already challenging enough!

Let’s review:

First, a once-in-a-century pandemic swept across the globe.

Then, shelter in place requirements turned the city’s robust spring benefit season to a halt before it ever got started.

After that, racial tensions about overzealous policing reached a boiling point, resulting in massive protests throughout the world.

As a professional association of fundraisers, our members have been on the frontlines during this incredibly difficult time in America. For fundraisers of color, and in particular Black fundraisers, this time has been extremely hard. We must lift up our colleagues now and in the future.

By Michele Hall, AFP-NYC Secretary 
President & CEO, enCourage Kids Foundation 

First and foremost, I hope that each and every one of you are safe and sound. The past several months have been a very difficult time for New York City and the nation. Through it all we have forged even closer bonds with one another. Moving Forward Virtually is the theme of our 2020 Fundraising Day in New York. In these unprecedented times I pray that we continue to find a way forward together, as a profession and as a society.

By Jill Scibilia, CFRE, AFP-NYC President-Elect
Vice President, Development
Phelps Hospital Northwell Health

Last week I had the pleasure of participating in a ZOOM coffee hour with AFP NYC’s IDEA Committee. 

If you don’t yet know what IDEA is -- it stands for: Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access.  It is a key value of AFP International and our New York City Chapter.  I have the honor of serving on our local committee.

By Steve Jacobson, AFP-NYC President and CEO, JCA, Inc.

Yesterday, I had the distinct honor and pleasure of participating in a webinar with two other AFP chapter presidents.  Why was this webinar so special, you might be wondering?  After all, webinars are everywhere these days and, yes, I’ve been on a number of them.  Well, it wasn’t just one thing; it was a number of things. 

By Craig Shelley, CFRE
AFP-NYC Treasurer & Managing Director, Orr Group 

Earlier this week AFP-NYC member, colleague and friend Thomas Moore, the Director of Individual Giving at New York Road Runners, posted on LinkedIn about the importance of being grounded in community right now and how he’s been grateful to find that in AFP-NYC.  Thomas hit on exactly the value our chapter can and hopes to add during the COVID-19 pandemic and all the time.

April 20, 2020 -- As the COVID-19 crisis persists, increasingly fundraisers are working under a “new normal.”  Solicitations must continue but are now doing so in an entirely new environment and manner.  How should we individually and collectively navigate our relationships with donors and need to advance our missions through philanthropy? The leaders of AFP-NYC bring their diverse perspectives and experiences to a conversation that explores these and the other realities we're all now facing. 

April 15, 2020 -- I hope that you are all safe and in good health as we continue to isolate ourselves to combat the spread of the coronavirus.  These are difficult times, both personally and professionally, and it can be a real challenge to stay positive and effect change for the better.  As fundraisers, you are the torchbearers for your organizations and you carry a tremendous amount of responsibility to provide the financial resources to fund your organizations’ missions. 

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”

I believe that everyone is familiar with this quote from Fred Rogers of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. In this current climate, it applies more than ever to everyone on the front lines battling this pandemic.

As many of you know, the chapter sends out our NYC Fundraising Matters newsletter on a bi-weekly basis. In normal times, this frequency seemed to be fine.  We didn't bombard you with content while it gave us the time to generate the appropriate content for you. However, these are not normal times. We are all in crisis mode. So, we hope that you'll appreciate the chapter leadership's commitment to provide more frequent communication with you.