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AFP SEWI Superuser here, ready to tell you all about the Best and Worst of this year’s ICON conference. ICON is the annual international fundraising conference organized by the Association of Fundraising Professionals. This year, it featured 215 of the best and brightest fundraisers in the business with keynote address by Heather McGhee, New York Times bestselling author of The Sum of Us.

On Thursday, June 17, 2021, we hosted our annual Giving USA panel conversation, however, once again, it was held virtually. Melissa Berliner from Campbell & Company moderated the panel that included Jennifer Mehr, director of advancement at Riverwest Food Pantry, Chuck Rozewicz, chief development officer at Milwaukee Repertory Theater, and Rebecca Stoner, director of development operations at Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee.

This black history month, let’s remember the pandemic that has plagued our country long before the Coronavirus.

Your annual fundraising plan is ready to go. That’s great…but have you put it to work yet? A plan on paper is only as good as its implementation strategy. 

AFP members tuned in on January 28 for a webinar where diversity-focused fundraisers shared case studies and discussed the importance of and opportunities provided by, inclusion in the charitable sector.

The funding community throughout Wisconsin “really stepped up” in an inspiring way to meet the extraordinary challenges facing the nonprofit community in 2020, according to Tony Shields, President and CEO of the Wisconsin Philanthropic Network.

The year 2020 has been unprecedented in so many ways.  It only follows that the year’s nonstop changes would affect the holidays as well. That explains the song I heard on the radio the other day: 

“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
Coronavirus all around
CARES Act tax law changes now will inspire
Good donors to spread their money around…”

Are revenue rollercoasters keeping you awake at night? Is the special event ‘hamster wheel’ eating all your time and energy? Are annual fund deadlines causing too much stress?

Have you ever thought about what your next career move would be? Or wondered how you would set yourself apart from other non-profit job seekers? If so, then it’s time to consider pursuing your CFRE and becoming a Certified Fundraising Executive.

As fundraisers for nonprofits, we all work towards building a stronger and better community. Whether we are addressing poverty, homelessness, health, quality of life or any other cause, our common goal is to create a better tomorrow for those we serve. Today we must all take a stand and say Black Lives Matter.

Fundraisers in Southeastern Wisconsin are still feeling the impacts of COVID-19, although there seems to be some light at the end of tunnel, according to May survey results from AFPSEWI members.

You don’t need to have a health-care related mission to succeed in fundraising during this time of pandemic, shut-down, and fear. Detailed in this article is a template for an e-mail or direct mail piece which can produce significant revenue for your organization right now.

Fundraisers in Southeastern Wisconsin may be too gloomy about the effects of COVID-19 on donor behavior.

The new federal CARES Act contains COVID-19 relief and assistance for nonprofit organizations. Here's a quick guide and where to go for more information...

Discover AFP's comprehensive, fundraiser-curated COVID-19 Resource Guide. All the information you need on how to adapt to development in a social distancing world...

Throughout my fundraising career, women have come together to support the organizations where I’ve worked, often through auxiliaries or Friends groups. Lately, women have leveraged advances in social media and technology to upgrade their collective power to support the work we do in the nonprofit sector. Here are two examples:

Everyone feels excited at the start of their career. Will you feel the same passion throughout? Chris Kann tells you how – because it’s not just luck.

How to make sure the new tax law doesn’t reduce charitable giving by $20 billion this year.

Professional fundraisers frequently work with individuals over the age of 65. These individuals experience higher rates of dementia than younger people, which can create a variety of concerns for professional fundraisers.

“Women rock!” “Women rule!” “If you want something done, ask a woman.” “Women hold up half the sky.” This is the opening statement in an article recently included in an AFP TOP TEN list posted on the AFP International website--a very timely inclusion for AFP of Southeastern Wisconsin.

“Investments in effective fundraising strategies should be made not despite our need to fund our missions and work, but because of it.” Wow—think about that for a minute.