News/Blog

by Pedro Govantes

Transitions. The word can sound so antiseptic. It can be code for anything ranging from being fired from one job and luck enough to find another, to escaping some version of a perceived (or real!) professional hellscape and landing really anywhere else. But a transition doesn’t have to be viewed either way. It can be not so much a running away from one situation but an actual running toward another. I find myself in the midst of such a transition.

by Craig Shelley
CEO Schultz & Williams

Post–Labor Day often feels like the starting gun has gone off for fundraisers and nonprofit leaders. In the last Chapter Leadership Briefs, my fellow board members CJ Orr and Gary Weinberg shared strategies on gearing up for a busy fall and making year-end efforts more successful. With September here, the season we’ve been preparing for is officially upon us. So, now what?

by CJ Orr
Chief Executive Officer, Orr Group

This year has been hectic to say the least. The city’s energy never truly fades, but even New York eases its grip a bit in August. Colleagues take time off at the beach or a long weekend upstate. We may not close shop like Italy’s Ferragosto, but we should still claim August—intentionally—as the month to rest, reset, and ready ourselves for the sprint that begins on Tuesday, September 2, the day after Labor Day.

by Gary Weinberg
President, DM Pros

AFP's Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP) reported in July that while total dollars raised increased 3.6% in the first quarter, this growth was driven largely by larger donors. Donations from smaller donors are declining. However, there are proven strategies you can put to use now to make your year-end direct mail and direct response campaigns more successful.

by Adam Glick and Lucretia Gilbert
FRDNY 2025 Program Committee Co-Chairs

Fundraising Day New York offers an opportunity for nonprofit professionals at all stages of their careers to come together, learn from colleagues longstanding and new and explore the most important issues facing our sector. The program for FRDNY 2025 – workshops, roundtables, flash coaching sessions, panel discussions, and more – was as dynamic as the day’s 1000+ attendees. Organized by a dedicated team of volunteers who plan for eight months leading up to the big day, FRDNY aims to build and scale in ways both quantitative and qualitative each year. After all, if the best fundraising is a balanced mix of art and science, FRDNY should reflect that!

by Amethyst A. Rodriguez
Institutional Giving Officer, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts

“Charity is writing a check for a cause you care about. Justice asks more of us. It means investing your money, time, knowledge, and relationships to challenge — and change — the very systems that make charity necessary.”

by Jason Ellinger, Founder
Beard & Bowler

We walked into the ballroom
at AFP Fundraising Day in NYC
with nothing but a plan, a camera
crew, & a deadline no one could pause.
Four hours later, 1,120 nonprofit leaders
would be watching a story they hadn’t
seen yet because we hadn’t filmed it.

by David Langton
President, Langton Creative Group

We see AI being employed everywhere. Yet, not all AI and tech upgrades are better for your donor base. Here’s expert advice from marketers, strategists, and practitioners in fundraising communications on how to effectively build your audience without alienating your key donors. So often, we lose track of our own expertise and use AI and technology to create barriers instead of building bridges. Howard Levy, president of Red Rooster Group, says, “AI can enhance your expertise if you know how to use it. You're not just writing emails or managing social media. You’re telling stories that connect people to a cause. You're raising dollars that change lives. That requires insight, empathy, and creativity. And AI — when used right — can help you do more of that, better and faster.”

by Jennifer Mignarri
Customer Success Manager, RelPro

In today’s fundraising environment, stability feels increasingly elusive. Nonprofits are grappling with shrinking government support, rising operational costs, and a growing dependence on a small circle of individual donors. As economic headwinds persist, savvy development professionals are facing a critical question: How can we future-proof our fundraising strategy?

by Gregory Boroff
Chief External Relations Officer | External Relations, City Harvest

This article is adapted from Gregory Boroff 's acceptance speech for the Ralph E. Chamberlain Award presented at AFP NYC Annual Meeting in February.