Association of Fundraising Professionals, Washington Chapter E-News

Association of Fundraising Professionals

WASHINGTON CHAPTER

WASHINGTON STATE MEMBER E-NEWS UPDATE:
Spring 2006 edition

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Table of Contents

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From the Desk of the President

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Spring is in the air and often brings with it renewed energy. I´m very excited about the renewed energy your chapter board is pouring into our activities and programs. I encourage you to make the most out of your AFP membership by getting involved and becoming a part of the network. You can learn only so much from programs, but the opportunity to meet and greet fellow professionals and compare experiences will take you so much further.

If you live in Eastern Washington board member is your contact for opportunities to interact with your fellow AFP members. There is movement afoot to establish a networking group in the Spokane area, and perhaps even an Eastern Washington AFP Chapter. South Puget Sound members are pulling together periodic activities in Tacoma. If you´ve not gotten involved yet, board members , and are spearheading that effort. With the possibility of a new chapter forming in Tacoma as well, this could be a three chapter state before to long.

All of our committees can use your help with programming, with the web site, with the diversity initiative, with membership, and many hands are needed for National Philanthropy Day. Find your niche and volunteer. And if you have ever thought you´d like to help direct our organization and take a turn serving on the board, please let me know. The nominating process for next year´s board begins now. Think spring and breathe some life into your AFP membership. Get Involved Online Now.

Jane Kuechle, MNPL
President
AFP Washington State Chapter

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Your Professional Education -- Donor Stewardship and Transformational Leadership

April 6 Monthly Luncheon

If you could change anything about the fundraising profession, what would it be? (Advancing Philanthropy asked featured member Brian Bateman) "If given the opportunity, I would begin by mandating that all volunteer and professional fundraising educational programs spend as much time, effort and energy on gratitude, acknowledgment and stewardship as they do on effective strategies and tools for solicitation and garnering funds." That is why you need to come to the AFP WA luncheon on April 6! Today´s donors have many options for worthy, compelling causes to support, and a long line of development professionals vying for their engagement. We know that donors who work with you, hear from you and connect with you are much more likely to be your donors a decade from now. Are you taking advantage of the potential to unleash their passion about your organization? What if your donors were so excited about your mission that they took on the role of development for you?

We invite you to join with your AFP colleagues and friends to interact with a panel of experts -- Sara Becker, Director of External Relations at Children´s Hospital; Linda Benson, Director of Development at Hopelink, and Peter Wallace, Vice President Aria Communications -- as they share their secrets for successful donor stewardship. NOTE: The luncheon is on April 6, not April 13.

Check your calendars and click here to register.
http://www.afpwashington.org/event_description.php?eventnum=29

April 19 AFP International Audio Teleconference -- Leading Up: Transformational Leadership for Fundraisers

Fundraising professionals must employ many leadership skills in order to carry out their responsibilities, yet many are not in senior or designated leadership positions. As a result, if they are successful, they provide leadership in the truest sense—leadership that doesn´t come from position or power but that is built on demonstrated characteristics. Leaders in fundraising motivate, model by example, manage, communicate and make renewal possible. Leading without authority isn´t easy, but is essential for the successful fundraising professional. Therefore, fundraising professionals have to think differently about leadership.

The presentation will examine the following questions:

Target Audience:
This session can benefit all fundraisers, since at all levels of responsibilities fundraisers need to know how to exercise successful leadership traits.

Learning Objectives:
Participants will be able to:

About the Presenter:
Dr. Lilya Wagner is currently vice president for philanthropy at Counterpart International. She is the author of Leading Up: Transformational Leadership for Fundraisers and Careers in Fundraising. She has served at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University since 1991 in various positions, including director of the Women´s Philanthropy Institute.

To register today click:
http://www.afpwashington.org/event_description.php?eventnum=21

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This Month's Hot Tip(s): Five Tips for Smart Solicitations
, CFRE, Executive Vice President, Hartsook Companies

Experience teaches us that major gift fundraising, as with most endeavors, in large part involves practical preparation before the "real work" begins. The results of most projects will be less than ideal without the investment of adequate time, energy, research and planning prior to the big finish. So it is with major gift solicitations.

To achieve the best possible fundraising results, consider these pre-solicitation ideas before making the next donor appointment:

  1. The Right Timing. View the timing from the donor´s perspective rather than from the organization´s point of view. Be sensitive to the ebb and flow of a donor´s seasons and circumstances before you sit down with solicitation letter in hand.
  2. The Right Motivation. An appeal should be tied directly to what the organization has done and will do for people -- not to the organization´s need. Donors give to help fulfill a mission. Ask with that fact in mind.
  3. The Right Messenger. Are you sending the right solicitor(s) for the job? Who will make the best connection, the best impression and the strongest appeal to this potential donor? That is who needs to go on the solicitation call.
  4. A Right-Hand Woman or Man. Send more than one person on a solicitation. Decide beforehand who will give the appeal and make the ask. A solicitation team will be better able to reconstruct the important information following the meeting.
  5. The Right Donor Information. A solicitation appointment is not the best time to get to know the donor. Have a complete picture of your prospect before you ask for money.

The key to smart solicitation is being prepared. With great preparation, you will not only feel more confident in asking for a gift, you will almost certainly garner bigger gifts for your organization.

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Consider Your Professional Certification -- Next Deadline May 26

The next deadline for professional fundraiser certification (CFRE) is May 26, 2006 for exams that will be taken between August 26 and September 16, 2006. If you are considering taking your CFRE exam, visit the CFRE web site at http://www.cfre.org. AFP Washington Chapter´s CFRE guru Karl Leggett can also answer your questions. You can contact him through the AFP Washington website´s resource section.

The remaining deadline for 2006 is: July 21 for exams taken October 21-November 11.

CONGRATULATIONS to these recent Washington CFRE recipients from October, November and December 2005: Cathy L. Barr, CFRE; Tori Darnell, CFRE; James R.M. Hopper, CFRE; Gail M. Romero, CFRE; Connie J. Wittren, CFRE.

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New Job Listings on AFP WA Website

Puget Sound Community School, Youthcare and NPower have all posted jobs in March. Visit the jobs page to view other interesting jobs by clicking here:
http://www.afpwashington.org/jobs.php

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