President's Column

I hope you all had wonderful summer.  Despite the cooler than normal temperatures and a bit more rain than usual, this summer has been a great time for preparation, reflection, and renewal.

Our committees continue to work diligently toward an exciting fall agenda.  I hope you were all able to join us for our September luncheon program on Branding, and will join us at our October 1st Regional Conference with Jerry Panas, and our National Philanthropy Day Celebration on November 15th.

Speaking of NPD, we have many new partnerships for this growing event.  This year the Rochester Business Journal has agreed to provide a special insert in the November 5th edition leading up to our event.  Extra copies will be available at the luncheon on November 15th and each and every nominee for this year's awards will be featured in the insert.  There also will be ample opportunity to recognize and thank those who are most important to our mission through paid advertisements and messages of congratulation.

I am also pleased to announce that Manning & Napier Advisors, Inc. have agreed to be our NPD Event sponsors.  Manning & Napier's leadership, along with our new partnership with the Rochester Business Journal, will allow us to take National Philanthropy Day in Rochester to a whole new level.

I am also pleased to share that the Philanthropy Institute committee chaired by Tracy Schleyer has submitted their recommendations to the AFP Board.  The work done by this group was extensive and outstanding.  We are working to move forward on implementation of many of the committee's recommendations; all with an eye toward providing you, our members, with even more value for your investment in the profession.

Enjoy the rest of your summer and get ready for a wonderful AFP fall.

Mark Peterson

Our Most Precious Asset...

by Jill A. Pranger, CFRE
 

Here's a brief quiz...

As a fundraising professional, your most precious asset is:
 1. the endowment fund;
 2. your CEO;
 3. the annual fund;
 4. your volunteers.

You regularly recognize the valuable work of your volunteers by:
 1. calling to thank them for their commitment to the organization;
 2. presenting them with small "tokens" of appreciation at a Board or committee meeting;
 3. hand writing a thank you note and sending it to their home;
 4. all of the above.

In addition, you recognize the importance of your volunteers by:
 1. remembering to say "Happy Birthday" at the Board meeting closest to their special day;
 2. asking about their family, business, or vacation;
 3. remembering the answer they give to #2...and asking them about it the next time the two of you talk;
 4. all of the above.

And finally, you always remember that your volunteers:
 1. have the best interest of the organization at heart;
 2. have experience and expertise that might be useful in your work together;
 3. are giving a wonderful gift...themselves;
 4. all of the above.

If you chose number four in each case, give yourself a pat on the back.

We all know that volunteers are critical to our success, but do we truly respect this and act on it?  How can we best encourage our volunteers in their work with us?

First, by recognizing that we are partners with our volunteers...each bringing experience, knowledge, and passion to our work.

Second, by recognizing that volunteers don't have to work with us.  There are many, many other organizations they can choose to work with and there are many, many other activities with which they can fill their time.

Third, by recognizing the "above and beyond" commitment of our volunteers...it is critical that we understand the depth of their desire to help.

And finally, by recognizing that we can learn something from each of our volunteers every time we interact with them.  This might be the best gift we can give to them.

So, the next time you see a volunteer at a committee meeting, thank them personally for all they bring to your organization and for all you have learned from them.  This will be a most welcome conversation and strong motivator for you both.  Also, don't forget to ask about their kids!

Jill A. Pranger, CFRE, is President of Pranger Consulting and Training, an independent consultancy working with not-for-profit organizations to develop and enhance their fundraising programs.  With a focus on engaging volunteers throughout the fundraising effort and on increasing the comfort level of all involved, training is an important component of each engagement.  She can be reached at 585-747-5026 or japdev@yahoo.com.

International AFP Conference

Last March I had the privilege of attending the International AFP Conference in Seattle, Washington as the Genesee Valley recipient of the Chamberlain Scholarship.  It was a tremendous opportunity.  I am new to fundraising.  As Executive Director of CURE Childhood Cancer Association, it is not the only responsibility that I have.  However, I do spend a lot of my time raising money for the organization.  I have done a lot of self-study trying to learn the ins and outs of fundraising.  I attend almost all the AFP luncheon meetings.  I read constantly.  I attend the regional conferences.  Nothing in my experience prepared me for the wealth of knowledge available at the International Conference.

From the very first session Sunday afternoon on Diversity until Terry Axelrod's session on Raising More Money on Wednesday morning, I ate, slept and drank fundraising.  I learned more in those three and a half days, than in the previous two years.  The topics were varied and the speakers very experienced.  I came back to Rochester with many wonderful ideas on how to turn around CURE's fundraising efforts.  Some of these ideas have already been implemented.  Others will take longer.  I only wish I could have taken my entire Board of Directors with me so that they would be as excited as I am!

The networking opportunities at the conference were wonderful.  Every break-out session was filled.  Many were overfilled.  At two of them I actually had to sit on the floor because there were so many people attending.  Before and after each session, during breakfast and lunch and during the evening festivities there was always someone new to get to know, someone to share ideas with and to become friends with.

I would encourage everyone to try to make it to the next conference.  It will be in Baltimore - a lot closer than Seattle.  I would also encourage all who are eligible to apply for the scholarship.  The process was not that difficult and it certainly makes a huge difference in the cost of attending.

Thank you AFP for making this wonderful experience possible for me.

Marynell Noonan
Chamberlain Scholarship Recipient
Executive Director
CURE Childhood Cancer Association
200 Westfall Rd.
Rochester, NY 14620
(585) 473-0180

Award Winners to be Announced

at Nov. 15 National Philanthropy Day Luncheon

The winners of the local Philanthropy Awards, given annually by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Genesee Valley Chapter, will be announced at the National Philanthropy Day 2004 luncheon on Monday, November 15, 2004 at the Hyatt Regency Rochester from 12:00pm - 1:30pm.

In a departure from the practice in previous years, the Philanthropy Award winners will not be announced in advance, and will be known only to the Blue Ribbon Panel of judges until they are revealed onstage at the event itself. This year's Philanthropy Award nominees and their nominators are:

Outstanding Philanthropist

Nominee: Joseph C. and Nancy Briggs
Nominator: Loma M. Allen (retired), Rochester General Hospital Foundation

Nominee: Laurence and Dennis Kessler
Nominator: Frank Interlichia, University of Rochester Medical Center

Nominee: Jacques, Dawn, and Eva Lipson
Nominator: Rachel Wicks, Jewish Home Foundation

Nominee: The Polisseni Family
Nominator: Michael J. O'Neal, Rochester General Hospital Foundation

Nominee: The Wilmot Family
Nominator: Kelly E. Gagan, Nazareth College

Nominee: J. Christine Wilson
Nominator: Rosemary C. Mitchell, Women's Foundation of Genesee Valley

Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser

Nominee: Daniel Callan
Nominator: Kerri Mandelaro, Bishop Kearney High School

Nominee: Betsy Carver
Nominators: Judith F. Lemoncelli, CFRE, Francis Theodore Associates
Sara Krusenstjerna, Young Audiences of Rochester

Nominee: Anthony Cassara
Nominator: Debra Salmon, School of the Holy Childhood

Nominee: Howie Jacobson
Nominator: Pamela D. White, Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong

Nominee: Judy Wilmot Linehan
Nominator: Kelly E. Gagan, Nazareth College

Nominee: J. Paul Lortie and St. Ann's Angels
Nominators:Mr. Steven Smith, CFRE, St. Ann's Community Foundation
Barbara Joyce, St. Ann's Community

Nominee: Elliott C. Press
Nominator: Ellen Bevan, Fairport Baptist Homes

Nominee: Joanne C. Roller
Nominator: Carol Anne DeMoulin, Arthritis Foundation

Nominee: Richard S. Warshof
Nominators: Brenda Babitz, Monroe Community College Foundation
Donna Pritchard, The Center for Youth Services

Outstanding Youth Volunteer Fundraiser

Nominee: French Road Elementary School Students
Nominator:Ramona Englebrecht, American Heart Association

Nominee: Holy Cross Church Teen Youth Group
Nominator:Judith S. VanBramer, St. Joseph's Villa

Nominee: Natalie and Lindsay Johnson
Nominator:Elizabeth A. Hill, American Red Cross Greater Rochester Chapter

Nominee: Bryan Kent
Nominator:Matthew J. Flanigan, Camp Stella Maris

Nominee: Pittsford Central Schools
Nominator:Pamela D. White, Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong

Outstanding Corporation

Nominee: B&L Wholesale Supply, Inc.
Nominator:Pamela D. White, Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong

Nominee: Citibank, Community Partners Program, under the leadership of John Dansler, Jr., VP Upstate NY Community Relations Director
Nominator:Donna Pritchard, The Center for Youth Services

Nominee: Delphi Corporation and UAW Local 1097
Nominator:Carol Anne DeMoulin, Arthritis Foundation

Nominee: Paetec Communications
Nominator:Germaine G. Knapp, Sojourner House

Nominee: UPS Supply Chain
Nominator:Peggy Martin, Visiting Nurse Service of Rochester & Monroe County

Robert Clinger Outstanding Fundraising Executive

Nominee: Mary Kay Bishop, SUNY Brockport
Nominator:Kim Hinckley, Rochester Institute of Technology

Nominee: Andrew M. Deubler, University of Rochester
Nominator:Frank Interlichia, University of Rochester Medical Center

Nominee: Bernice Skirboll, Compeer, Inc.
Nominator:Barbara Jablonski, CFRE, Development & Marketing Services

Nominee: Steven S. Smith, CFRE, St. Ann's Community Foundation
Nominator:Laura R. Sadowski, Strong Museum
 

Profiles of the award nominees and nominators in each of five categories will be published in a feature section on National Philanthropy Day in the November 5 edition of the Rochester Business Journal.

Manning & Napier Advisors, Inc. is the marquee sponsor of this year's AFP luncheon. Additional sponsors and underwriters will be announced shortly. Luncheon tickets are $45 for individual AFP Members, $55 for individual non-members, and $400 for a table of 10. Tickets may be obtained by calling (585) 586-7810, or purchased with a credit card after October 1 at www.afpgv.org. An invitation will be mailed shortly.

 To inquire about advertising opportunities for sponsors, nonprofits, and AFP members, please contact Cheryl Marshall at (585) 586-7810. Attendance is expected to be high for what promises to be a very worthwhile and exciting event.

Paul Mastrodonato
President, Nonprofit Works
Chair, National Philanthropy Day 2004

To learn more about the AFP, visit our website at www.afpgv.org