The Power of Mentorship and Community
Chapter Leadership Brief 1.10.25
by Craig Shelley
Partner + Chief Group Officer
Orr Group
As we enter a New Year, it is a natural time to reflect on what’s come before. For me, I’m fortunate to look back on a career full of mentors and friends that helped me learn and hone my craft as both a fundraiser and leader. Many of those people I met through AFP, and I’ve recognized that for many others, AFP is the only place they can find these mentors as they may not have the good fortune to work with the compelling leaders and mentors they deserve.
As we look ahead to our Chapter’s annual meeting on February 12 (details here) we’re going to have an opportunity to recognize someone who has been a mentor and friend to so many in our New York City fundraising community and beyond. Gregory Boroff, Chief External Affairs Officer at City Harvest, will be honored with our Ralph E. Chamberlain Award.
I remember nearly 12 years ago returning to New York City and trying to find my footing in our fundraising community. By chance, I met Gregory at an event several months after I came back. We randomly started chatting. He was friendly and welcoming at a time where I very much was looking for welcoming friends in our New York City fundraising community. Gregory had no reason to extend me kindness or to invite me along with several friends and colleagues of his for drinks afterwards. But he did and it’s a friendship that has endured and I’ve benefitted from since then. The best part? In the years that have passed I’ve seen him be just as friendly and welcoming to countless other fundraisers at all stages of their careers. It’s just who he is and who he will always be.
Gregory has added so much to our community. The funds he’s raised for some of the City’s most important causes. His service (twice!) on the AFP NYC board. His record breaking three-terms as Fundraising Day in New York chair. His repeatedly stepping up to chair and reinvent our annual meeting. Whether you know Gregory or not, you’ve benefitted from his generosity and efforts. I hope you can join the annual meeting and help us celebrate Gregory as well as benefit from the phenomenal program he’s helped put together.
The community we’ve forged here as fundraisers in New York City is all about people like Gregory and the interaction I had with him when we met and beyond. It’s about bringing together like-minded people, facing the same daunting challenges, so they can learn, commiserate, and be better as people and fundraisers because of it. If you’re active in our community, you know what I’m talking about, and I hope to see you on February 12th. If you’ve not been active before or recently, I encourage you to join us. You’ll be welcomed kindly and might just meet a friend and mentor you’ll keep for years to come. If nothing else, I know Gregory will be glad to see you and greet you warmly.
Register here and join me on February 12th.
Craig is a trusted partner and advisor to the nonprofit sector’s most ambitious leaders. He advances the missions of nonprofits by bringing a change-management and entrepreneurial approach to strategy, organizational development, fundraising, and board optimization.
In addition to his direct work with clients, as a Partner and Chief Growth Officer at Orr Group, Craig helps to set the course for the firm’s continued success. He leads the firm’s Impact Group, focused on identifying and meeting the needs of its nonprofit partners and projecting its best practices and viewpoints across the sector, as well as its Growth Team, which is responsible for our brand, marketing, communications, thought leadership, and business development efforts.
Beyond his role at Orr Group, Craig is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) and frequently speaks at conferences and publishes articles on leadership and philanthropy. Craig is President of the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ New York City Chapter, is a member of the Global Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Leadership Institute Advisory Committee, and serves on the Editorial Advisory Board for NonProfit PRO. Prior to joining Orr Group in 2013, Craig was the National Director of Development and Corporate Alliances for the Boy Scouts of America. In this position, he was responsible for leading annual fundraising, corporate partnerships, and alumni relations for the organization. He also provided training, support, and consulting to nearly 300 local Boy Scouts affiliates, which collectively raised over $250 million annually.
Orr Group is a full-service consulting firm that specializes in the business of philanthropy. To learn more about how we help nonprofits grow, scale, and sustain their impact, contact us today.