In Memoriam: Penny Stoil

By Margaret Holman, President of Holman Consulting, Inc.; AFP-NYC Board Member
 

Our long time AFP-NYC board member and my friend Penny Stoil passed way the morning of December 26, 2020 after a short battle with cancer.  Penny’s talents and contributions have been felt for decades and will continue to be felt for decades to come.

She co-founded Projects Plus Inc. in 1972 with Fran Liner after 15 years each as Vice President of Berend Associates.  During her long and stellar career in the field – aided by her background in writing and public relations – Penny has helped manage hundreds of fundraising galas and raised nearly $1 billion for a wide variety of charities.

Penny was actively involved with the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) since its founding, and was a member of AFP-NYC’s Board of Directors, on which she has served proudly for more than 45 continuous years.  She is one of only three persons to have been elected as an Honorary Member of its Board.

She taught Special Events at the New School and NYU for the Chapter’s fundraising courses for a decade and is one of the Founders of Fundraising Day in New York.  She has been part of FRDNY’s Executive Committee since its beginning and generously donated the Projects Plus staff’s talents to manage each FRDNY since its founding. 

She was the recipient of the Woman of Achievement Award, presented to her by Women in Development (WID), and was AFP’s prestigious Ralph Chamberlain Awardee. In addition to the Board of AFP-NYC, she served on the Board of Directors of the Veteran Feminists of America.  In her spare time, she mentored many fundraisers and wrote books and articles.

Penny will be greatly missed by her companion, daughter and granddaughter, as well as by hundreds of friends and members of AFP New York City.