News/Blog

by Craig H. Shelley, CFRE
President, Association of Fundraising Professionals – NYC Chapter
CEO, Schultz & Williams

Hopefully, like me, you each will have the opportunity this week to gather with people you care about and reflect on all you have to be grateful for. Professionally, I remain grateful for the opportunity to do work that matters, and I suspect many of you feel the same way.

As I approach the end of my two-year term as Chapter President on December 31st, I’ve been reflecting quite a bit on this experience. It has been an absolute privilege to play a substantive role in our community. These have been tumultuous years in the world around us, but I believe our chapter has consistently delivered the content and connections our members deserve.

by Erin Ward and Bobby D. Ehlert
Co-founders Inspire Hearts Fundraising

If there is one moment in a fundraising event that can transform a nonprofit’s entire year, it’s the paddle raise—“the BIG ask,” “call to action,” “fund-a-need,” "special appeal," or whatever you choose to call it. When done right, a paddle raise doesn’t just raise money—it raises belief, builds community, and ignites generosity at a level no silent auction, live auction, or sponsorship package can match. It is the most direct, mission-centered, and emotionally resonant revenue generator in the room.

But the perfect paddle raise doesn’t happen by luck. It happens by design.

by Jill M. Scibilia, MBA, CFRE
Vice President, Foundation, Northwell Phelps Hospital

Tomorrow, Saturday, November 15^th is National Philanthropy Day—a day set apart to celebrate the impact of generosity. The word philanthropy comes from the Greek and means “love of humankind.”

Philanthropy has the power to drive innovation, alleviate suffering, facilitate healing, and transform communities. Indeed philanthropy makes the world a better place.

By Lynsie Slachetka
Founder & CEO, aJuxt Media Group

As we approach the end of 2025, nonprofit marketing teams across the country grapple with increasingly urgent marketing challenges while competition for donor attention intensifies.

Marketing is no longer optional for nonprofits; it's essential for visibility, fundraising, engagement, and long-term sustainability. However, many organizations still treat marketing as "extra" rather than mission-critical. Let's address some of the key marketing challenges that nonprofit organizations face and more importantly, what you can do about them now.

By David Langton 
President, Langton Creative Group, Ltd.

In his new book, Cory Doctorow describes the decay of social platforms in three stages:

1. We work for the people
2. We work for our backers
3. We work for ourselves.

What if we applied these stages to nonprofits?

by Jason Ellinger
Founder, Beard & Bowler

A board member once asked me something I’ve never forgotten.
They weren’t talking about our work.
They meant the videos their team made in-house.
Maybe you’ve felt that too, pouring your heart into a story that somehow doesn’t land.
That question made me realize how often organizations wrestle with the same challenge, how to make a story feel as powerful as it is.

by Carolyn Vine
Chief Development Officer, Robin Hood

At Robin Hood, we’re fortunate to have a distinguished board that brings both generosity and insight to our fight against poverty in New York City. These are people who could spend their Tuesday afternoons doing just about anything, yet they choose to sit around our conference table wrestling with questions about resource allocation and fundraising strategy. Recently we decided to ask them a simple question. How can we make these meetings more valuable for you?

Their answer caught us off guard in the best possible way. They told us they want less information and more conversation.

by Matthew Weber
CEO, Development Guild

The World is Moving at Warp Speed

Look around. Politics, AI, economics — everything is shifting faster than any one leader, board, or organization can track. Your donors, staff, and community are living in a different reality every six months. The ground is not just shifting under your feet — it’s accelerating.

Meanwhile, your board cycle is quarterly. Your planning cycle is annual. Your strategic plan is five years old and out of date.

And here’s the uncomfortable truth: when the world moves faster than your organization, you fall behind. You lose relevance, trust, and momentum.

Nonprofits are built to endure — but right now, endurance is not enough.

by Justin Kuczma, CFRE
Development Manager, St. John's Senior Services

Growing up, life was often a struggle. We would go days (sometimes longer) without electricity. Having a reliable car was out of the question, and I spent many years wearing shoes that were too small with my toes sticking out of holes in the front. In first grade, despite limited means, my parents signed me up for Cub Scouts. They knew the importance of being part of this incredible organization. I went on to become an Eagle Scout and continue to this day as a volunteer leader with Scouting America (formerly the Boy Scouts of America).

by Dr. Pazit Levitan
Founder, The Path to Impact

The Fall season is upon us. The air shifts, the light softens, and we move toward the close of the calendar year. This is the most vibrant stretch of our work: Giving Tuesday, year-end campaigns and the intensified giving that sustains our mission.

This season is more than deadlines and goals. It is a magnifying lens that reminds us how fortunate we are to work in the space of change-making, where every day brings opportunities to encourage philanthropy, uplift communities and strengthen organizations. Our professional world is filled with donors, community members and colleagues deeply invested in the cause. Few professions give us such a clear view of how compassion and commitment turn vision into impact.