News/Blog

By Craig Shelley, CFRE, AFP-NYC President-elect
Managing Director, Orr Group

This is the year I finally give up and won’t make a resolution to lose weight.  Who am I kidding?  I like cookies.  I like beer.  I don’t feel like buying smaller pants anyway.

That said, I will fall into the trap and try to commit to some more realistic resolutions.  I figured I’d share them here and maybe the extra, public accountability will help?

By Jill Scibilia, CFRE, AFP-NYC President-Elect
Vice President, Development, Phelps Hospital, Northwell Health

I miss seeing people.  In fact, it is what I have missed the most since the onset of the pandemic.  There is something about being with others that energizes and nurtures me.  (And yes, I am one of those strange people who loves crowds). 

By Steve Jacobson, AFP-NYC President
CEO, JCA, Inc.

This past Tuesday marked the 10^th anniversary of GivingTuesday. Launched back in 2012 by the 92^nd Street Y, and later spun off into its own nonprofit organization, GivingTuesday this year broke all prior giving records.  According to the GivingTuesday Data Commons, a group of more than 300 partner organizations that pooled contribution data, over 35 million adults in the U.S. participated in GivingTuesday 2021, up about 6% from last year.  In terms of dollars raised in the U.S., nonprofits earned $2.7 billion on GivingTuesday, a 9% increase from last year and a 37% increase over GivingTuesday 2019.  And, while these figures are for the U.S. only, nonprofit organizations in 80 countries participated in this year’s GivingTuesday.  GivingTuesday has truly become a global phenomenon.

By Michele Hall-Duncan, AFP-NYC Secretary
CEO and President of enCourage Kids Foundation

I was reading a recent Classy blog which highlighted Big Results for Nonprofits That Embrace Flexible Work Environments. The blog went on to extol the virtues of remote work as it pertains to overhead reduction, employee retention, and employee morale. With a fundraising turnover rate of nearly 20% I thought about how my own staff has been affected during the pandemic.

By Jill Scibilia, CFRE, AFP-NYC President-Elect
Vice President, Development, Phelps Hospital, Northwell Health

AFP-NYC recently launched a new “AFP-Member Virtual Coffee Chat” series.  I had the opportunity to join the first session on October 1^st, and I am so glad I did.

By Steve Jacobson, AFP-NYC President 
CEO, JCA, Inc.

A new study released just this past week by the Urban Institute revealed that charitable giving in 2020 declined significantly for small nonprofits while larger organizations tended to fare better.  Until now, we’ve seen a number of studies, surveys and anecdotal references that have pointed to the level of giving varying widely based on nonprofit sectors.  In 2020, as in other years, giving was impacted by current events.  The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and others spurred giving to social justice organizations.  The pandemic prompted increased levels of giving to hospitals and health care foundations.  But, on the flip side, according to Giving USA, 2020 giving was down by 8.6% to arts and culture institutions.  Overall, 2020 could be summed up as the “year of unequal giving.”

By Craig Shelley, CFRE, AFP-NYC Treasurer 
Managing Director, Orr Group

I’ve got a job that I love.  Work that feels meaningful and that I’m proud of.  My kids look at me with some modicum of respect.  I’ll often tell myself I’ve worked hard, and I “deserve” it (whatever “it” is).  There’s probably some truth to that but if I’m being honest, what I have achieved I’ve achieved because I’ve benefitted from the leadership, tutelage, and camaraderie of some great mentors.

By Michele Hall-Duncan, AFP-NYC Secretary
CEO and President of enCourage Kids Foundation

Fall events will be starting soon. Galas, tastings, festivals, and other events are planned for the end of the year. But as the Delta variant brings us all back into a cautionary space – what do we do? Some organizations have decided to revert to virtual or hybrid events after planning fall in-person events. Zoom is even trying to cash in on that trend by finally adding a donate button for nonprofits.

By Jill Scibilia, CFRE, AFP-NYC President-Elect
Vice President, Development, Phelps Hospital, Northwell Health

There is one more week before Labor Day—the traditional end of summer in New York. 

Do you remember the last day of summer vacation before going back to school in the fall?  I do.  It always seemed to be the very best day of summer.  At least that is how I remember it.  It never rained.  The weather was just hot enough, but not too hot.  Our friends and all of us who hung out in the neighborhood where I grew up were on the best of terms.  Arguments were forgotten.  We were all suddenly the best of friends—at least for the day.  We played all day with abandon knowing it was the final day of vacation.  We stayed out as late into the evening as our parents allowed.  Every year I had the same thought, if only summer could last forever…