by Pinky Vincent Shubert, CFRE
Managing Director, Clarezza Insights LLC

This year, I am experimenting with how I show up. It’s just enough to notice what changes when I stop leading with the usual script.

Recently I attended a donor stewardship event at the invitation of a friend, who is a Major Gifts Officer. These evenings have a familiar rhythm. The kind of evening where the lighting is soft, the food is good, and everyone is quietly sizing up the room.

I started a conversation with one of the donors, Michelle. We talked about the event, about the city, about what was on her mind. As the crowd began moving toward the main space, she paused, turned around, and said, “This was great. Thanks for not asking me what I do for a living.”

I smiled. That was the experiment.

The question we reach for on autopilot

As we head into the next gala, conference, or networking event, I keep wondering how we are opening conversations. Or shutting them down, watering them down to professional pleasantries with the very first question we reach for.

So what do you do?

And then we do what people do. We hear the title and the organization. And our instinct takes over: What can this person do for the organization? That instinct is useful sometimes, but it can also hide the motivations that make someone care, such as personal experience, passions, and the problems they want to solve.

Questions that Open Doors

Before asking someone’s role, try these questions that invite connection:

• Warm: “What brought you to this event?” followed with “How did you hear about the cause?”
• Deeper: “What’s top of mind for you lately?” or “What’s energizing you right now?”
• Delightful: “What is bringing you joy these days?”

People light up when they talk about hobbies, passions, and courses that have nothing to do with their professional identity. It also tends to surface the kind of information no job title or wealth screen will hand you.

At the donor event, I learned more about Michelle than I would have if I had started with what she did for a living. She spoke with passion and hands-on experience about ensuring kids with incarcerated family members are not left behind in schools. She was thoughtful and engaged. Michelle would welcome an invitation to join my friend’s organization board, if someone asked her.

That exchange led to a follow-up meeting. Michelle begins her board term next month.

Building Belonging in Small Moments

At your next event, try one of the three openers and listen for a signal: an activity, a personal connection, or a frustration. Follow up with an invite: “Would you like to meet our program lead?” or “Could we introduce you to someone working on that issue?”

With donor retention stabilizing at just 43.3 percent last year according to the Fundraising Effectiveness Project, these moments of connection build the relationships that keep donors giving.

As fundraisers, we are creating moments of inclusion. And sometimes that starts with choosing a better first question.

Reach out to me on LinkedIn to continue this conversation.

And I hope to see you at Fundraising Day New York on Friday, June 12th.

What’s one question you have used that changed a donor conversation?

__________________________________________________________________

Pinky Vincent Shubert, CFRE, is a nonprofit executive, board leader, and immigrant who has lived in all five boroughs of New York City.

As Managing Director of Clarezza Insights LLC, she leads organizational transitions, facilitates strategic planning and staff retreats, and coaches teams to improve internal collaboration and fundraising results.

A frequent speaker and moderator, Pinky has presented at AFP ICON, Fundraising Day New York, WOC Symposium, and Nonprofit New York.

Pinky serves on the Global Board of AFP and on the AFP‑NYC board.

by CJ Orr
CEO, Orr Group

The short answer is no, but that misses the more important question.

AI is not coming for your prospect researchers' jobs. But it is fundamentally changing what those jobs look like. The real story isn't replacement, it's amplification.

At Orr Group, here’s what we’re increasingly observing with AI’s adoption in the field:

• Increased volume of prospects available for review and qualification
• Decreased time to write proposals, conduct research, and draft outreach
• Improved quality and depth of research on any given prospect

None of this happens without people. AI tools are only as effective as the humans who manage, filter, qualify, and review their outputs. That dynamic, human-in-the-loop element is a permanent feature of a high-functioning research operation.

Intuition Stays With the Researcher

Experienced researchers carry an internalized understanding of the organization: its culture, its donor relationships, its strategic priorities. They know, almost by feel, when a prospect fits and when something doesn't add up. No algorithm replicates that. Every AI output (prospect lists, qualification scores, drafted proposals) should be reviewed and edited by a qualified human before it ever reaches a gift officer or a donor.

More Prospects, Not Fewer Researchers

AI tools should be additive, not substitutive. A researcher working alone might surface 40 or 50 qualified prospects in a cycle. Working alongside an AI platform, that same researcher might evaluate 150, with tools handling initial filtering and alignment scoring, while human judgment applies across a much larger pool. This combines the prospect researcher's ideas and discernment, plus the tools’ ability to pull key data and relevant information quickly. Together, you get more and better prospects to pursue.

Less Time on Drafts, More Time on Relationships

Modern platforms can score prospects, draft customized grant proposals, and compile donor briefs in a fraction of the time these tasks once took. Drafts still get edited (they always should), but starting from a strong AI-generated foundation is materially faster than starting from a blank page. Gift officers and researchers reclaim hours they can redirect toward relationship-building and strategy.

Better Research Through Two Minds

A researcher might catch a connection that the research tool missed. The tool might surface a giving pattern the researcher didn't think to look for. Together, they produce a more complete picture. This is already standard practice in radiology, for example: AI tools and physicians review every X-ray together because the combination catches more than either could alone. Nonprofit prospect research is moving in the same direction.

Tools Orr Group Finds Exceptionally Helpful

The Bottom Line

AI will not replace prospect researchers. But it will change what excellent prospect research looks like, and what it can produce. The organizations that thrive will treat these tools as partners, not substitutes, while holding onto what no tool can replicate: the institutional knowledge, donor intuition, and professional judgment that great prospect researchers have always brought to the work.

More prospects. Less time. Better research. That's the opportunity. The human in the loop is what makes it possible.

Having served as a trusted partner to clients for over 10 years, CJ Orr has broad experience in fundraising and development, executive leadership, strategic planning, campaigns, and event management. He has launched funds, designed and led strategic initiatives, and driven fundraising for large galas and campaigns ranging from $10M to $1B+ in revenue. As an expert project and relationship manager, he executes on the development of strategies and tactics to drive effective fundraising plans that meet or exceed targets. Internally, CJ is responsible for setting and driving achievement of Orr Group’s financial targets and overseeing efficient operations within the firm. Additionally, CJ supports the efforts of Orr Group’s Growth team to identify and cultivate new business opportunities and build relationships with nonprofit partners, ensuring that the services offered are best aligned with our partners’ needs. CJ’s background in finance provides him with a strong foundation in analytics, metrics and ROI.

By Will Schrepferman
CEO, DonorAtlas

It's Monday morning. You have a donor meeting Thursday, and you're pulling up her record for the first time in a few months. Her giving history to your organization is there; a first $50 in 2011, steady annual support, a $5,000 gift after the gala in 2017. There's a contact report from your predecessor noting she once mentioned wanting to endow a scholarship. There's a capacity score from a screening run two years ago. It's useful. It's also not enough. So you open another tab and start Googling.

What's in a donor profile?

If you asked most fundraisers this question (and trust me, I have), they would describe what's in their CRM. That's half the answer.

A complete profile, though, has two halves: what your organization knows about the donor, and what the world knows about the donor. Until recently, only the first half was conveniently available. That's starting to change, and the teams treating both halves as non-negotiable are seeing the results.

The Internal Half: What Your CRM Already Has

Your CRM ideally holds the institutional memory of every touch your organization has had with a constituent. This data is irreplaceable. Nobody else knows that your donor gave her first $50 fifteen years ago, or that she sat next to the board chair at last year's gala, or that she told a gift officer (in passing, at coffee) that her late father had been a first-generation college student. A donor profile without that context is incomplete.

But your CRM, by definition, only knows what you already know. It's a mirror of your relationship, not a real window into the person.

The External Half: What Lives Outside Your Walls

The other half is everything your organization doesn't already know: bio and background; career arc, and how this person built their wealth; giving to other organizations (when, to whom, at what level); boards they sit on; professional and personal networks, including who in your existing network knows them; public interests, causes, affiliations. This is the context that actually explains capacity and gets at a prospect’s “why.”

This is the half that answers "who is this person, and why would they say yes to us?" It's what a gift officer needs to tailor a case, calibrate an ask, and find the right warm introduction.

To be clear: external research is context, not omniscience. It won't tell you everything about family dynamics, health, or timing. It won't replace a gift officer's read of the person across the table. But it's the difference between walking into a meeting with an empty, unverified capacity score and walking in with a sense of who you're about to sit with.

Every fundraiser knows that this external half of the donor profile matters. The problem has always been getting it.

Why Most Profiles Have Been Have Been Half-Complete for Decades

Assembling the external half by hand is slow work. A thorough write-up on one prospect takes thirty minutes at minimum, and once you fall down the inevitable rabbit holes it can easily run to hours before you have anything a gift officer or principal will actually read.

The tools fundraisers have reached for to speed this up (traditional wealth screens and prospect research databases) help, but they don't close the gap completely. A screen will tell you someone owns a $4M house and holds stock in a particular company. What it won't tell you is how they made the money in the first place, what they care about, which of their giving patterns align with your mission, or how they're connected to anyone on your board. You also usually can't see where a capacity score came from, which means a gift officer either trusts the number blindly or does the verification work themselves. Either way, there's still a research job left to do before the data is usable in a meeting.

Large advancement shops have solved this by building sophisticated research teams. Good researchers turn raw data into judgment; they know what matters for a given prospect and what doesn't belong in front of a gift officer at all. Even as AI accelerates the availability of data, this expertise is going to be as valuable as it has ever been for big shops.

But most organizations don't have a dedicated research function, and for them the external half of the donor profile gets done in whatever time the development director can steal between everything else. Which usually means the top ten prospects get a proper dossier, and everyone else in the portfolio gets a screening score and a best guess. Not because fundraisers don't know the external context matters; there just aren't enough hours in the week.

What a Complete Profile Looks Like Now

AI can now assemble the external half–pulling sources across the open web, synthesizing a profile, and citing every fact back to where it came from–in minutes instead of hours. At DonorAtlas, we've built this so that every claim in a profile, from a net worth estimate to a board seat to a giving history at a peer organization, links back to the source it came from. The citations matter as much as the speed: they let a gift officer trust the profile without re-doing the research, and let a prospect researcher spend their time on judgment instead of assembly.

For shops with a research team, this means researchers spend less time gathering and more time doing meaningful prioritization and analysis. For shops without a research team, it means every donor in the portfolio can have the kind of profile that used to be reserved for the top ten.

Which brings us back to Monday morning. You're prepping for Thursday's meeting. Your CRM tells you she gave her first $50 in 2011 and mentioned a scholarship in 2017. Now, sitting alongside that, you have the other half (who she is in the world, how she built her wealth, what she's funded elsewhere, who on your board she already knows) cited, current, and ready before you've finished your coffee. Both halves of the profile, in front of you, before the meeting starts.

That's what a complete donor profile looks like. It's what the best conversations have always started with. What's changed is how many people now get to have them.

Will Schrepferman is the co-founder and CEO of DonorAtlas, the first donor research platform built from the ground up with AI. He raised his first dollar when he was 13, studied data science at Harvard, and is now on a mission to build the tools that fundraisers need in order to work smarter, save time, and raise more.

by Dee Dee Mozeleski, Sr. Vice President and Exec. Director & Senior Advisor to the President
The City College of New York and the Foundation for City College

Over the past several weeks, I have been meeting with students as part of an internship interview process. Full of curiosity, ambition, and thoughtful questions spanning how to begin building a career in advancement and advancement-collaborative roles. These conversations are always energizing. Many students ask some version of the same questions: How do I get started? Who helps me navigate this field?

These questions are about entry—but it is also a question about belonging.

For many, structured mentorship programs are one of the first doorways into our profession. They provide access to guidance, to networks, and to a clearer understanding of what advancement work entails. Mentorship, in this way, plays a critical role in helping individuals take those first steps with confidence and direction. With a great mentor, you can really develop a space that allows for all of the questions one might not be ready to share with others - especially not with supervisors or colleagues.

But as I listen to these students—and reflect on the trajectories of so many colleagues across our field—I am reminded that mentorship, while essential, is only part of the equation.

If mentorship helps you enter the field then sponsorship helps you move through it. I heard that this week from Robert Henry, a wonderful mentor and sponsor with another tremendous organization: CASE.

Mentorship and sponsorship are often spoken about interchangeably, but they serve distinct and equally important functions. A mentor helps you grow—offering perspective, sharing experiences, and helping you make sense of challenges and opportunities. Mentorship is often rooted in conversation: thoughtful, reflective, and grounded in trust. It is where confidence is built and where ideas can take shape.

A sponsor, by contrast, helps you advance. Sponsors use their influence and credibility to advocate for you in spaces you may not yet have access to. They are the ones who place your name in rooms you are not in, who speak to your strengths when opportunities arise, and who ensure that your work and potential are visible to others. Sponsorship is not just about guidance—it is about action. Like many of you, I have had both and likely used ‘mentor’ to describe those people because it was the first way our relationships were built.

Both roles matter. But too often, we focus our attention on mentorship without being as intentional about sponsorship.

This distinction is particularly important in advancement where relationships, visibility, and access are central to success. It is also critical as we continue to think about equity within our field. Mentorship can help individuals build the skills and confidence needed to succeed. Sponsorship helps ensure that opportunity itself is more broadly and equitably distributed.

For organizations like Association of Fundraising Professionals, mentorship programs are a vital part of this ecosystem; it is one of the many reasons our chapter prioritizes work done through our Mentorship Committee. Mentorships create structured opportunities for connection and learning. They help to demystify a profession that can otherwise feel opaque to those entering it. The Committee is always looking ahead to the new cohort recruitment and I hope you will consider participating as either a mentee or a mentor!

As we continue to strengthen these efforts, we should also consider how to more intentionally cultivate sponsorship.

This does not necessarily mean formalizing sponsorship in the same way we do mentorship, though there may be opportunities to do so. More often, it requires a shift in mindset. It asks those of us in positions of leadership to think beyond advising and toward advocating. It asks us to be deliberate about whose voices we are amplifying, whose names we are putting forward, and how we are helping others gain visibility in meaningful ways.

It also invites us to think about mentorship and sponsorship not as separate or static roles, but as part of a continuum. A relationship that begins with mentorship—grounded in conversation and trust—can, over time, evolve into sponsorship, as confidence in an individual’s abilities grows and as opportunities for advocacy emerge.

For those entering the field, this perspective can be equally empowering. It encourages a more expansive understanding of what support can look like—and a greater awareness of what may be needed at different stages of a career. There are moments when guidance and reflection are most valuable. Then there are moments when visibility and advocacy become essential.

Ultimately, both mentorship and sponsorship are expressions of investment in people, in institutions, and in the future of our profession. They reflect a belief that our work is not only about meeting immediate goals, but about building leadership and capacity for the long term.

As advancement professionals, we understand the power of relationships. We cultivate them every day—with donors, alumni, partners, and communities. The same intentionality should guide how we support one another.

If we can do that—if we can pair the insight and care of mentorship with the action and advocacy of sponsorship—we will not only help individuals enter our field, but ensure they have the opportunity to grow, to lead, and to thrive within it.

Dee Dee Mozeleski is the Senior Vice President & Executive Director for the Office of Institutional Advancement, Communications & External Relations at The City College of New York and also serves as the Senior Advisor to the President. She serves on a number of boards including AFP-NYC, The National Scholarship Providers Association and FamilyKind and is a Cabinet Member of CASE District II. At City, she leads a wonderful team of professionals who are all working toward a billion dollar - “Doing Remarkable Things Together” campaign. She has been recognized by CASE District II, City & State, and Crain’s as a leader across multiple categories including workforce development, advancement, communications and higher education. She is the outgoing co-chair of the AFP-NYC Mentorship Committee.

by Veronica R. Bainbridge
Director of External Affairs, American Academy of Arts and Letters

I recently stepped into a new role, and I’ve been sitting with the mix of familiarity and newness that comes with any transition. As development professionals, we rely on shared best practices — but every organization has its own cadence, culture, and quirks, while the wider world has never seemed more askew.

Starting afresh is a time to reflect on the art and science of fundraising, which always asks us to balance competing forces: new ideas and proven strategies, serendipity and discipline, momentum and consensus, stability and change.

Here are a few ways I’m thinking about finding that (elusive!) balance:

Seek perspectives from colleagues across teams so you speak the same language
Fundraising doesn’t happen in a silo; building relationships across your organization enriches your work. Curiosity about program needs, institutional pressures, and colleagues’ perspectives offers insights into pain points, wish lists, and institutional decisionmaking; and ensures authenticity in the case for support you build for donors.

Make the invisible visible
It takes time and effort, but offering structured insights into development strategy — through staff presentations, short memos, or dashboards — demystifies fundraising. Too often, development is a black box; but when colleagues understand how prospect pipelines work, why stewardship matters, or the work behind a proposal, they become partners rather than bystanders. 

Transparency about process, timelines, and constraints is especially important when budgets are squeezed and pressure is high. Revenue is critical to power mission and program, and we can help ensure everyone understands they play a part in fundraising even if they never speak to a donor.

Invest in systems
Thoughtful infrastructure is a safety net. Clean data, clear workflows, and consistent time management mean you’re ready when opportunity knocks—whether a board member offers an immediate introduction, a donor asks for impact metrics today, or a foundation releases a surprise RFP.

Stay connected to the broader fundraising community
Research, peer learning, and professional networks spark ideas you can adapt to your own context. One of my most successful campaigns was inspired by a strategy from an organization a hundred times our size — reimagined to fit our scale and mission. This is where AFP programs and events have always made the difference for me (see what’s coming up for us here, including sessions on communications, partnerships, and Fundraising Day New York).

Trust your expertise
Your growing understanding of your institution, alongside with your growing fundraising skillset, gives you the tools to execute core projects and to pursue creative ideas that connect to strategies you know can work.

The world often pushes us outside our comfort zone, but what feels like a bold step can be rooted in knowledge, preparation, and experience. That’s the balance that fundraising asks of us. Have courage!

Veronica Bainbridge is Director of External Affairs for the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and serves as Secretary of the Board of Directors for the New York City Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. She was previously Chief Advancement Officer at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum; and has also held fundraising leadership roles at Madison Square Park Conservancy, the International Center of Photography, Vineyard Theatre, and LAByrinth Theater Company. She has served as a panelist and speaker for Christie's Education, the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, the High Line Network, and Fundraising Day in New York.

Erica Joy WestHead of Individual Giving, Bergen Volunteer Medical Initiative
Coach and Independent Consultant

I’ve always considered myself a lifelong learner. My endless curiosity, and the desire to continuously improve, only intensified after college.

From my early career to now, I pour myself into books, share and seek advice from colleagues, and attend countless educational symposiums, conferences, and workshops. Over the years, that investment has paid dividends. It has advanced my career and made me a stronger professional asset to the organizations I’ve served.

As a Board member of AFP-NYC and Conference Chair of Fundraising Day New York I’m proud to be a part of a community that provides the very resources that I’ve found so valuable throughout my career.   

While the correlation between professional development and career productivity and growth may seem obvious, a recent Gallup poll reported that less than half of U.S. employees participated in any education or training for their current job.

As nonprofit professionals, the missions we’re advancing everyday are too important to approach with outdated thinking and strategies.

Fundraising is, at its core, deeply human work. It is built on trust, relationships, and a genuine understanding of what moves people to give. That hasn’t changed. What has changed is everything around it.

The world is evolving at a relentless pace. The political and social climate can shift overnight, influencing public trust, funding priorities, and even the language we use to talk about our work.  Economic uncertainty continues to shape donor behavior and requires greater clarity and intention in how we engage.

At the same time, technology is changing how we work. AI is already transforming the way we research prospects, communicate with donors, and tell our stories. Even the way we consume information has fundamentally changed.  Content saturation, misinformation and shorter attention spans are making it more difficult to break through all the noise.  

All of this is reshaping donor expectations. I’ve been seeing a growing demand for more transparency, responsiveness, and a higher level of personalization from donors that wasn’t required a few years ago.

The profession is asking more of us. And I think we’re all feeling the pace of change and the pressure to keep up. This is why finding the right resources and community of people to learn alongside is so important right now. Growth does happen by trying to do it all on our own. My own growth has come through personal connections with others in the field, through honest conversations in safe spaces that challenge my thinking and push me to test my ideas.

This is exactly what AFP-NYC’s professional development programing, and Fundraising Day New York (FRDNY) are all about.  

FRDNY brings together fundraisers at every level who are navigating these challenges together. Conference sessions offer practical insight and relevant strategies from some of the top thought leaders in the industry.

If there is anything I learned throughout my career, it’s that investing in your own growth is essential to doing this work well and advancing the missions we care about.  

If you’re looking to be a part of a community that is actively shaping the future of fundraising, I encourage you to join us at Fundraising Day New York. 

For more information and to register go to FRDNY.org. Early bird rates are available through April 1st.

Erica Joy West, Head of Individual Giving for Bergen Volunteer Medical Initiative (BVMI), provides free healthcare for working uninsured adults. As a skilled fundraiser with 20+ years in nonprofit and institutional advancement, Erica has shared her knowledge of community needs to help hundreds of individuals and corporations make a meaningful difference through charitable giving. Now, as the Charitable Investment Counselor with BVMI, she is dedicated to helping people realize their philanthropic ambitions, for themselves, their families, and society to affect change for healthcare in New Jersey.

In 2020, Erica began using her talents as a Master NLP transformational coach to empower female professionals to develop fierce self-confidence and make powerful shifts in their communication to transform their relationships. She is passionate about the personal and professional advancement of women by helping them amplify their impact to change the world. www.ericajoywest.com

Erica serves on the Board of Directors for the AFP-NYC Chapter, serving also Chair of Fundraising Day New York 2025/2026, Chair of Sponsorships and Partnerships, and Co-Chair of Communications.

by Melissa McLeod
National Director of Strategic Partnerships, Summer Search

Last November at a global convening, Vivian Odior, Head of Marketing, Meta Consumer Apps at Meta, shared a truth that has stayed with me: the days of building partnerships for awareness are long gone. Today, it comes down to what we hope to leave behind in the world and the problems we choose to solve together.

That is not an aspiration. It is an operating standard. And in 2026, the question is no longer how do we secure the contribution? The question is whether we are designing partnerships capable of driving measurable social impact and influencing how institutions operate over time. Alignment and shared purpose are what differentiate partnerships that last.

Corporate and foundation leaders are deploying capital against the social determinants of community stability: food security, affordable housing, workforce readiness, and economic mobility. They are being held accountable for outcomes that advance core business priorities and deliver measurable impact. The stakes of that accountability are not abstract.

According to Giving USA 2025 and FoundationMark, total charitable giving reached $592.5 billion in 2024 and foundation assets reached a record $1.64 trillion in 2024. And yet, nearly two-thirds of nonprofits reported surging demand for programming from the communities they serve, even as federal funding cuts reduced their ability to respond. The capital exists. What is missing is the coordinated strategy to deploy it.

Starting With Alignment

Whether you are engaging a new prospect or deepening a relationship with an existing supporter, alignment is the starting point. Too often, we lead with what we need: a sponsorship level, a benefits package, an event opportunity. The opening dialogue should center on the change you both want to see.

Listening at this stage builds trust. It also allows you to quickly assess whether alignment is possible, and not every prospect should become a partner. If there is no meaningful overlap between their priorities and your mission outcomes, it is responsible to say so. If a company is focused solely on visibility and your organization requires multi-year program investment to achieve measurable results, it may not be the right moment. Discernment is not rejection. It is stewardship of time, resources, and integrity on both sides.

The strongest partnerships begin not with a pitch, but with clarity: Are we aligned enough to build something meaningful together?

Designing the Partnership Conversation

Once alignment is possible, rigor must follow. Sustainable partnerships require clarity before capital. That clarity unfolds in sequence.

First, define the shared mission, values and commitment. What problems are we solving together? Eliminating food insecurity? Expanding access to affordable housing? Increased economic mobility? Creating real pathways to economic mobility for communities historically left out?

Second, determine scope and capacity. If we are serious about this outcome, what level of investment and operational support will be required to deliver it responsibly?

Third, address financial commitment directly. What level of financial investment aligns with the ambition of the goal? What would a one-year versus a multi-year commitment allow?

Fourth, layer in strategic engagement. Where do volunteer opportunities, executive engagement, or in-kind contributions strengthen the work? How does this partnership connect to employees and clients your company serves?

Finally, define success. What does success look like for us? What must be true in year one and year three for us to say this partnership advanced our shared mission and values?

This progression moves the relationship from transaction to collaboration. The conversation about change should not wait. Naming what we want to see in the world early, and revisiting it often, is how partnerships stay grounded in the work

Balancing Structure and Flexibility

In my own work, I have built corporate partnership programs with defined financial commitments and articulated benefits. Structure matters. It communicates seriousness, protects staff capacity, and ensures we are not underpricing impact.

But structure does not mean rigidity. Some companies have flexible philanthropic budgets. Others operate with restricted funds tied to specific themes. Increasingly, many corporations lean heavily on in-kind contributions or employee engagement. The question is not whether to accept in-kind support. The question is whether we understand its real value. If an in-kind partnership offsets substantial technology costs, professional services, or infrastructure, that is operational capital. It frees financial resources for talent, programming, and evaluation. Nearly one-third of all corporate philanthropy arrives as non-cash support, including donated products, equipment, professional services, and skilled volunteer hours. Understanding and accurately valuing that contribution is part of building a partnership that actually works.

At the same time, we must be transparent: financial commitments are necessary. Volunteerism and in-kind resources strengthen engagement. They do not replace operating capital. Staff, infrastructure, compliance, and growth require flexible financial investment. The most effective partnerships combine financial commitment with thoughtful employee engagement and strategically aligned in-kind support.

What Lasting Impact Looks Like

Partnership is not about brand placement. It is about real change. It may look like expanding access to workforce pathways for underrepresented communities. It may look like increasing capital access in historically excluded neighborhoods.

Over time, strong partnerships can also influence institutional behavior. They shape hiring pipelines, procurement practices, volunteer engagement models, and long-term investment strategies inside corporate and philanthropic institutions.

The most forward-thinking CSR leaders are not asking, “How visible will this be?” They are asking, “How does this change the conditions, not just the circumstances, for the communities we live, work and play in?” That question is the right one. And our job is to be ready to answer it alongside them.

The Leadership Standard

As fundraisers and chapter leaders, we do not simply raise money. We design the conditions for impact. If we want partnerships that matter, we have to be honest about what it takes. Real capital. Real alignment. Real commitment to change.

That means asking better questions at the start. It means naming what the work actually costs. It means distinguishing between financial investment, engagement opportunities, and in-kind support with clarity and respect. It also means having the confidence to say, “This is not the right fit right now,” when alignment is not there.

True leadership is not about saying yes to every opportunity. It is about protecting the integrity of the work and the communities we serve.

In 2026, the standard is higher. And it should be. The communities we serve deserve partnerships built to do more than sponsor moments. They deserve partners who show up with capital, clarity, and the courage to see it through.

That is the work. And it starts with us.

Melissa McLeod (she/her) is the National Director of Strategic Partnerships at Summer Search, where she leads institutional fundraising strategy and team across a national portfolio. A first-generation Jamaican American and first-generation college graduate, she brings over a decade of experience in nonprofit leadership, revenue growth, and cross-sector collaboration. Her career spans public health, housing, youth development, and food justice, giving her a grounded understanding of the structural barriers communities face and what it takes to move resources toward them. She holds a Master of Public Health from CUNY and a Certificate in Community Leadership and Social Change from the Institute for Nonprofit Practice. Outside of work, she loves travel, global motorsport, and is currently learning Italian.

by Melissa Gomez
Senior Director of Development, Fiver Children's Foundation

On Thursday, October 2nd, 2025 at 1:07pm, I gave birth to my daughter, Lively Winifred Gomez, and my life was forever changed. This moment was the exclamation point—and then the comma—after nearly two years of pursuing IUI and then IVF to conceive. And then being a high‑risk pregnancy with gestational diabetes during the summer?! It felt like I was being dealt the toughest hand ever. But the minute I held Lively, every challenge felt suddenly, unquestionably worth it.

Those early weeks were a blur of on‑the‑hour feedings, recovering from my c‑section, and emotions that swung wildly by the minute. The newborn trenches are real, and they were every bit as intense as advertised. But slowly, amidst the sleep deprivation, my husband and I found our footing. We weren’t thriving, exactly—but we were learning, adapting, and showing up for our daughter the best we could.

Before I knew it, it was Lively’s first Halloween, and five weeks of my maternity leave had evaporated. That’s when the familiar dread hit: How on earth was I supposed to return to work as a fundraiser—a role defined by early mornings, late nights, events, urgency, and emotional labor—while also keeping this tiny human alive and well?

I reminded myself I wasn’t alone. The nonprofit sector is powered predominantly by women—roughly two‑thirds of nonprofit employees are women, according to Nonprofit Quarterly.

And yet, the systems and supports that working moms need haven’t caught up with that reality. In fact, only about one‑third of nonprofits nationally offer paid maternity leave. [ibiweb.org] [inn.org]

That disconnect hit me hard. How can a sector so reliant on women—women who lead, women who nurture, women who hold communities together—still struggle to support them during one of the most vulnerable and transformative seasons of their lives?

And yet… I’m one of the lucky ones.

My organization does provide paid maternity leave, and our full‑time team includes three other moms, two of whom have children under age five. What I walked into was not just tolerance of my new identity as a working mom—it was camaraderie, compassion, flexibility, and trust. The kind of environment that makes you feel not just permitted to be both a mother and a professional, but celebrated for it.

And even with this near‑ideal support system, the fear still crept in:

How will I show up now? How will I juggle early morning meetings, daycare drop‑offs, last‑minute donor calls, evening events, and all the invisible labor that motherhood adds to the equation?

So I took a deep breath.

I approached this transition the way I approach my work: strategically and thoughtfully. I researched and toured daycare facilities. I compared costs and reworked our family budget. Eventually, the combination of data and gut instinct led us to a daycare that has become one of the biggest blessings for our family.

Once childcare was sorted, the next question was: What else needs to shift? What commitments could stay, and which ones needed new boundaries? My involvement with AFP NYC—especially serving as co‑chair of the Professional Advancement Committee—has been one of the most fulfilling parts of my professional life. I knew I wanted to continue, and I’m deeply grateful to my colleagues on the board and PAC for their encouragement, flexibility, and genuine support as I stepped into this new identity.

In many ways, AFP has become a reminder that while motherhood is now an essential and cherished part of who I am, it’s not the only part. The other facets of my life—my leadership, my voice, my creativity, my professional community—they still matter. They still deserve to be nurtured.

And that’s the message I hope resonates across our sector.

If we’re going to be an industry led by women, powered by women, and sustained by the values of care and community, then supporting working moms shouldn’t be the exception—it should be the rule. The nonprofit sector has always pushed society toward greater equity. It’s time we do the same within our own workplaces.

Because when women thrive, nonprofits thrive. When mothers are supported, entire communities benefit and are lifted up. And when working moms are trusted to bring their full selves to their work—messy, joyful, exhausted, inspired—the impact is immeasurable.

Lively has changed my life in every way. And as I navigate this new chapter—balancing fundraising goals with nap schedules, donor meetings with daycare calls, professional ambition with maternal instinct—I’m learning that becoming a working mom doesn’t diminish who I was before. It expands it.

And maybe that’s the most profound transition of all.

Melissa Gomez is a Brooklyn native and seasoned fundraising professional with more than 18 years of experience rooted in empathy, strategy, and mission‑driven leadership. She currently serves as Senior Director of Development at Fiver Children’s Foundation, overseeing all fundraising and marketing initiatives. Melissa is an alum of Youth Inc.’s Rise Academy for Leaders of Color and serves on the AFP NYC board, where she co‑chairs the Professional Advancement Committee and contributes to the Audit and IDEA Committees.

A new mom after a long IUI/IVF journey, she is passionate about advocating for equitable workplace policies for women and caregivers. Outside of work, Melissa enjoys music, travel, writing, and wrestling, remains a loyal Knicks fan, and proudly reps the BeyHive. She lives in the northeast Bronx with her husband, Cecilio, and daughter, Lively.

by Leah Burke
Director of Development, American Technion Society

“Tell me what you pay attention to, and I will tell you who you are.”

That quote from philosopher José Ortega y Gasset set the tone for a recent AFP-NYC Emerging Leaders workshop led by Jacqueline Strayer, author of BrandYOUtation: At the Nexus of Brand, Individuality, and Reputation. At this workshop, we were invited to consider a powerful idea: what we choose to focus on ultimately shapes not only our work, but who we are, how others experience us and the impact we make.

For a room full of fundraising professionals, that concept felt immediately familiar.  We spend our days helping organizations articulate who they are, why their work matters and why others should care. We shape narratives and build trust so that donors feel confident investing in a mission. What this workshop gently challenged us to do was turn that same lens inward.  What if we applied the same intentionality to our own professional identities?  I’ve been thinking about some takeaways from looking through this lens.

1.     Your Brand Is Not Your Organization’s Logo — It’s You

A central takeaway from the session was simple but profound: the most important brand you will ever steward is your own. As Jacqueline emphasized, “you” is the most powerful word in personal branding. Our individual brands live at the intersection of how we see ourselves and how others experience us. That overlap between internal identity and external perception is where reputation is formed.

For fundraisers, this felt like a parallel to developing a case for support. When we prepare to approach a donor we articulate what makes our organization worthy of their philanthropy. We identify impact stories and points of differentiation. We build trust by ensuring alignment between who we say we are and what others observe.

Our personal brands work the same way.  The workshop framed personal brand development as an exercise in strategic clarity. We were encouraged to define our own:

• Vision: What kind of work do you want to be known for? Who do you want to work with?

• Qualities: Which professional strengths set you apart?

• Values: What drives your priorities? What demonstrates those values in action?

These are the same questions we help institutions answer every day. The difference is that this time, the “organization” was ourselves.

2.     Managing Your Professional Relationships Like a Portfolio

Another powerful theme was the importance of mapping and stewarding our professional relationships with the same care we give to donor portfolios.

As we worked through an exercise to identify key relationships in our professional lives, many of us realized how rarely we pause to think strategically about our own networks. We know from experience that cultivating relationships drives success. Why, then, do we often take a more passive approach to our own professional connections?

Jacqueline encouraged us to think in terms that felt familiar: monitor, keep satisfied, manage closely and keep informed. Our professional networks of mentors, peers, collaborators, and contacts are not static. They require attention, intention, and follow-up.  As with donors, the goal is not transactional interaction but meaningful connections built over time. The stronger those relationships become, the more opportunities open to us.

The key difference is that in our professional lives we are the “cause” we are asking others to support. That can feel vulnerable, which Jacqueline encouraged us to be. In order to be comfortable putting ourselves out there for our own cause, we need to be clear about our goals, confident in our value and willing to articulate our needs.

3.     The Courage to Be Seen

This is where personal brand and reputation truly come into play. How do others “place” you in their mental landscape? What do they associate you with? What problems do they believe you can solve?

These questions can feel uncomfortable, but they are critical to ask. Our personal brands are shaped not only by what we say about ourselves, but by what others consistently experience from us. Every interaction, presentation, meeting, and email contributes to that perception.

Jacqueline described each of us as an “experience.” The impression we leave is one of our most valuable professional assets. Like any asset, it requires ongoing investment. Personal brand development is not a one-time exercise; it evolves as we grow and take on new challenges.

As fundraisers we understand that trust is built over time, the same is true for our own reputations.

4.     Building Personal Power Through Expertise and Relationships

The workshop also explored the idea of building and sustaining personal power. Two primary sources were highlighted: strong relationships and distinct expertise.

Fundraisers know this combination well. The most effective development professionals are those who cultivate deep, genuine relationships while also becoming indispensable in specific areas of knowledge. Our areas of expertise build our influence.

One practical takeaway was the idea of the “90-second you.” Just as we strive to deliver compelling cases for support, we should be ready to share an engaging narrative about ourselves. This isn’t a rehearsed script, but a set of well-crafted stories that illustrate who we are, what we value, and what we bring to the table.  I invite you to ask: what are my life experiences that make me unique?

In a world where first impressions form quickly, having clarity about our own story helps ensure that what others see aligns with who we truly are.

5.     Staying True to Yourself

Finally, Jacqueline cautioned against what she called “obsessive comparison disorder.” In a profession where we are constantly surrounded by accomplished peers, it can be tempting to measure our worth against others. But personal brand is, by definition, personal. It is rooted in authenticity, not imitation.

There is only one version of you. Your background, perspective, strengths and values are uniquely yours. The goal is not to replicate someone else’s path, but to be intentional about your own.  When we work with authenticity and purpose, we not only strengthen our own brands, we become more effective advocates for the causes we serve.

Leah Burke has more than 20 years of cross-sector experience across fundraising and corporate social responsibility. She serves as Director of Development, New York Metro, at the American Technion Society, where she secures philanthropic support for both the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Technion–Cornell Institute.

Leah is a member of the board of AFP-NYC, chairs the Emerging Leaders Committee, and sits on both the Professional Advancement and FRDNY Sponsorship Committees. She holds a BA from Northeastern University and an Executive MPA from Baruch College. She enjoys music, cycling, travel, Broadway, and time with her rescue dog, Teddy.

by Melanie Buhrmaster & Gregory Boroff
Co-Chairs, AFP New York City Annual Meeting

Philanthropy is evolving, and those of us who work in fundraising are feeling it every day. The way donors engage, the questions they ask, and the values that drive their giving are shifting rapidly. This moment calls for curiosity, openness, and a willingness to rethink what meaningful partnership looks like in today’s philanthropic landscape.

That is why we are so excited to gather our community for this year’s AFP New York City Annual Meeting. Together, we will explore a topic that feels both urgent and energizing: how the next generation of philanthropists is reshaping the way impact happens. Simply put, this is not your grandfather’s philanthropy anymore.

Younger donors are coming to philanthropy with new expectations. They want transparency and authenticity. They want to understand impact clearly and quickly. They want to be engaged as partners, not just contributors. Many are navigating new wealth, generational transitions, or first-time giving at scale, and they are asking fundraisers to meet them where they are, not where we have always been.

At this year’s Annual Meeting, we will dive headfirst into this conversation through a dynamic fireside chat, From Legacy to Leadership: How the Next Generation is Transforming Philanthropy. We are thrilled to be joined by leaders from the Robin Hood Foundation Next Gen program, along with two Next Gen philanthropists, who will share candid perspectives on what motivates them to give and how they choose to engage with nonprofit partners.

This conversation matters deeply for fundraisers. Understanding how younger philanthropists think about giving, risk, values, and outcomes is no longer optional. It is essential to the sustainability of our organizations and to the future of our sector. During this discussion, we will explore what today’s donors are looking for in their nonprofit partners, how they want to be involved beyond the check, and how nonprofits can build trust and relevance with this next generation.

We will also hear directly from those working every day to cultivate and support these donors. The Robin Hood Next Gen team will offer insight into what they see resonating, what approaches are working, and how they help younger philanthropists connect meaningfully to the mission. This is a rare opportunity to listen, learn, and ask honest questions in a space designed for reflection and growth.

But this Annual Meeting is about more than one conversation. It is about community, leadership, and honoring the past while boldly stepping into the future.

We are especially excited to hear from our incoming Chapter President, Jenn Moore, who will share her vision for AFP New York City and what lies ahead for our chapter. Jenn will speak about how we are strengthening our programming, expanding opportunities for learning and connection, and ensuring AFP continues to be an indispensable resource for fundraisers and nonprofit leaders across the city. Her remarks will offer a thoughtful look at where we are headed and how we can collectively elevate our profession.

In addition, this year’s Annual Meeting will be a moment to pause and celebrate one of the true pioneers of fundraising in New York City. We are honored to recognize Margaret Holman as the recipient of the Ralph E. Chamberlain Award. Margaret’s career has been defined by her leadership in advancing planned giving and by her generosity as a mentor, coach, and colleague to countless fundraisers. Long before planned giving became a core strategy for many organizations, Margaret was helping to shape the field, building relationships rooted in trust, and modeling what it means to lead with integrity and heart.

Honoring Margaret at this moment feels especially meaningful. As we look ahead to what is next for philanthropy, Margaret’s work reminds us of the vital role legacy giving plays in sustaining and strengthening our organizations for generations to come. She has taught so many of us how to have thoughtful, values driven conversations that honor donors’ intentions while building lasting impact. Margaret’s influence lives on not only through the programs and planned gifts she helped shape, but through the countless fundraisers she has mentored and inspired to approach this work with care, patience, and purpose.

Taken together, this year’s Annual Meeting reflects the full arc of our profession: where we have been, where we are going, and how we move forward together. It is a space to learn, to celebrate, and to challenge ourselves to think differently about how we engage donors, support one another, and create impact across our city.

We hope you will join us for what promises to be an inspiring and thought-provoking gathering. Whether you are a seasoned fundraiser, a rising leader, or someone navigating change in your organization, this meeting is designed with you in mind. Come ready to listen, to ask questions, celebrate, and to be part of shaping the next chapter of philanthropy in New York City.

We look forward to welcoming you!

Melanie Buhrmaster & Gregory Boroff

Co-Chairs, AFP New York City Annual Meeting

Melanie Buhrmaster is a highly accomplished non-profit leader with over 30 years of experience advancing mission-driven initiatives. She currently serves as the Vice President, Philanthropy at the Food Bank for New York City, where she leads efforts to build meaningful, trust-based partnerships with donors and stakeholders.
Her career highlights include leading capital campaigns and major gift programs, securing transformative philanthropic investments through authentic, purpose-driven partnerships. Beyond fundraising, Melanie excels in designing sustainable programs that align resources with organizational goals, fostering collaboration, and mentoring the next generation of non-profit leaders. A compassionate and strategic thinker, Melanie is dedicated to creating impactful donor experiences that shift the focus from giving to an organization to giving through an organization, ensuring lasting support and meaningful change.

Gregory Boroff oversees our fundraising, marketing, communications, volunteer services and special events initiatives. Gregory returned to City Harvest 17 years after having worked here earlier in his career. Over his 25+ year career working with nonprofits, Gregory has raised more than $900 million for organizations that include Friends of Hudson River Park, amfAR, Food Bank For New York City, and Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC). BizBash Magazine named Gregory one of the most innovative people in the event industry. Gregory serves on the Board of EventFluence, as a member of the Steering Committee for Allies in Action, and as a mentor for AFP-NYC. He has previously served on the Board of the Greater New York Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, as Chair of AFP’s Fundraising Day in New York, as a member of the BizBash Magazine Advisory Council, on the Board and as Program Dean of the CAE Career Enrichment Committee for the New York Society of Association Executives, and as a mentor for the Point Foundation. Gregory is a proud supporter of New Hope for Cambodian Children. In 2025, AFP recognized Gregory with the esteemed Ralph E. Chamberlain Lifetime Achievement Award for his leadership, dedication, and impact.