News/Blog

As fundraisers we all know how important special events can be in building relationships for our organizations. Although notoriously labor intensive, properly strategized they are invaluable in building enthusiasm for your nonprofit’s mission. In addition, they can raise a great deal of money, upgrade existing donors, and forge a stronger bond with volunteers, board members, and the surrounding community. The most important step in launching a special event is gaining the support of your board and putting together a team of dedicated volunteers who will provide the work and contacts necessary to produce an event that is both a “friendraiser” and a fundraiser.

It’s the last gasp of summer…admittedly, I will be headed out on my summer vacation the day this article hits.  When I am back it will soon be Labor Day and the beginning of one of the busiest times of the year.  Well, all seasons are busy now—even the summer as our Chapter Treasurer Craig Shelley pointed out in the last issue.  But let’s just say that fall is special.  

I am often asked about the value proposition of membership in AFP. I hear that it is easier to attend several of our excellent Professional Advancement sessions and Fundraising Day in New York than is to join. And of course, we need to do what works best for us and our organizations. However, I would like to share two points for your consideration.

Were you one of the 1,777 people who attended Fundraising Day in New York, our chapter’s signature event, on June 22nd?  If you were, you were able to choose from 11 different tracks of superb educational content.  Our speakers represented some of the brightest and innovative thought leaders in our industry.  And they came from such forward thinking development shops as NYU Langone Health, the ACLU, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Human Rights Watch (just to name but a few…).

Fundrasing Day Matters 

Today is Fundraising Day!  One of my favorite days of the year.  Today, more than 2,000 of us are gathering for what I think is the best one-day conference devoted to our work on the planet.

It can be challenging to stand up and speak in front of a crowd. Knowing what is at stake for your organization ramps the pressure up even more. Here are some tips to help you prepare to speak at any fundraising event, whether large or small. Use these best practices to win over a crowd and make new friends for your organization!

It’s the start of a new event season and you told yourself you wouldn’t overbook your calendar ever again –– but here you are, in a familiar situation needing solutions for event logistics in a flash. Don’t fret or break a sweat. Pulling together resources from within the event planning community is why we’re all in this together. Once you have the date and venue nailed down, it’s time to think about the guest experience. With overwhelming options and technologies, we put this article together to help give a simple 1-2-3 solution for the most common problems when planning an event. 

Fundraising Day in New York is right around the corner being held this year on Friday, June 22 at the New York Marriott Marquis.  This annual gathering of nearly 2,000 fundraisers, philanthropists, nonprofit leaders and service providers serves several purposes.  It’s the unofficial kick-off to summer.  It’s a great opportunity to connect with friends and former colleagues.  It is the place to pick up the latest tricks of the trade and trends while reinforcing best practices.  I’ll admit the first two purposes are what makes the event so much fun.  But I think what makes it so special is the opportunity to be reminded just how large our NYC community of fundraisers is.