Light At The End of The Tunnel
Chapter Leadership Brief 3.24.2021
By Michele Hall-Duncan, AFP-NYC Secretary, CEO and President of enCourage Kids Foundation
As the vaccination effort intensifies and there is a sense of Spring and optimism in the air, I find myself reflecting on the past year. At my foundation, we lost revenue, laid off staff, and restricted programming just like many others. It was a year of loss, both personally and professionally and the lessons learned will stay with me for quite some time.
Cancelling both our 35th and 36th anniversary galas required an internal overhaul of how we relied on these large events, as well as a blind trust in our donors that they would be there for us - even without the opportunity to network with colleagues. This required that we lean on storytelling like never before. We told the much-loved story of healthcare heroes through the lens of pediatrics – and it worked! Our donors were moved and are standing by us and the children we serve. We helped donors understand that long standing issues for medically challenged children will remain and new ones will manifest. We will help tackle them all.
I hope that you are all finding light at the end of the tunnel, and that we continue to share ideas, plan events both hybrid and in-person, and hone our stewardship skills even more.
Know that your AFP chapter is here for you to provide support, education, and a sense of community. Be sure to register for the two-day AFP-NYC PhilanthroCon. If you register by April 15th you can take advantage of early bird pricing. It is sure to be an amazing opportunity to learn from our fundraising peers and move forward with purpose.
Thank you all for all that you do!
Warmly,
Michele