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Good morning, Milwaukee! It’s a beautiful sunny day, flowers are blooming and the birds are chirping. Let’s channel this moment through meditation. Join me. Sit in a comfortable position. Open your heart to ease and relaxation. Surrender to the moment…

There are so many focus areas of awareness during the month of April: environmental causes including Earth Day, various health causes, and, of course, it's National Volunteer Month. Volunteers play an indispensable role at every nonprofit. Even where they don't help deliver programs, volunteer leaders make up every nonprofit board.

Last month’s ‘On Philanthropy’ column outlined the inherent drive to help one another. Now, just in time for Valentine’s Day, it’s time to dig deeper into the concepts of love and altruism and their role in our daily lives.

Without question, fundraising is an important, noble practice that allows nonprofits to do a lot of good in the world. But if fundraisers’ goal is to raise funds at all costs, we’re missing the point – and maybe doing harm in the process.

Each year, approximately 40% of Americans create New Year’s resolutions. Life goals to be healthier, happier, and overall better than the previous year. As we enter 2022, we face a start much like 2021- we are still in the ebbs and flows of health and economic uncertainty. As a result, resolutions on health, diet, and exercise continue to dominate national trends. This year’s trends also include resolutions to improve personal financial situations.

Approximately 270 people gathered together to celebrate eight individuals that made an impact by Meeting the Moment. These 2021 National Philanthropy Day Award Recipients, supported by family, friends, and colleagues shared their stories and gratitude. Gratitude was the highlight of the event on Tuesday, November 9th at The Pfister Hotel. Gratitude for loved ones, for the honor, for the opportunity to serve, for the supportive community, and for greater Milwaukee Area  non-profits. It was a truly rewarding event.   

These days, everybody’s talking about social equity. It’s an uncomfortable conversation for many – like my brother-in-law.

As the COVID-19 crisis continues to affect the nonprofit world, it’s necessary to revisit principles and best practices. Fundraisers gathered Dec. 9 for roundtable sessions covering a myriad of topics in light of our current fundraising environment. Hosts covered six topics.

This Veteran’s Day, find your own way to honor our veterans Yesterday, a donor dropped off over 400 homemade masks for our students. I opened the package, the red, white and blue masks flashing before my eyes. 

The annual Association of Fundraising Professionals of Southeastern Wisconsin (AFPSEWI) National Philanthropy luncheon is back! After convening virtually last year due to the pandemic, local community leaders will gather in person on Tuesday, November 9 at the Pfister Hotel to celebrate the power and impact of philanthropy. This year’s theme, Meeting the Moment, pays tribute to the philanthropists, volunteers, organizations, and development professionals who rose to the occasion—in the midst of the pandemic—to make our community a better place for all. A highlight of the event will be the awards presentation honoring…

As I researched fundraising topics for this article, a social media post pop-up distracted me. The post occurred on an informational platform for families of students at my child’s university. Social media has become an important tool for non-profit professionals like me, but today I saw first-hand the potential danger of this digital world.  

When AFP Global presented the challenge to its chapters to weave inclusion, diversity, equity, and access (I.D.E.A.) into everything they do, our chapter embraced the challenge because we want our chapter to reflect the diverse richness of the community.  The Association of Fundraising Professionals of Southeastern Wisconsin has never been an exclusive organization.  And yet our chapter is predominantly and culturally white.  The chapter doors are open, but invisible barriers might still exist keeping people of color, the LGBTQ community, and many others outside. 

Register today for AFP’s National Fundraising Day Series! This annual event has been transformed from a one-day offering to a series of five webinars with optional corresponding community conversations to engage participants virtually. The event culminates on Thursday, October 14th, where participants will have the opportunity to join colleagues in-person for chatter and beverages at Miss Katie’s Diner.

Is it time to give nonprofits a break regarding “mission creep”? “Mission creep.”  As every nonprofit leader knows, it’s bad thing to be accused of.  But is the stigma justified?  Or do corporate and foundation funders need a new perspective?  

Program for 2021 promises to be the best in chapter history!   I’m excited to inform you that our 2021 mentoring program is officially underway. 

Are you ready to lead? COVID has opened doors for those with preparation, focus and grit. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the workforce in insurmountable ways. It has been a trying 19 months but finally, the economy is rebounding. According to the US Labor Dept of Statistics, there were 9.5 million job openings in May 2021. If you are looking to make a change, and are ready to level up to a leadership role, now is the time.   

This time of the year is full of celebrations. Events commemorating our nation’s heroes on Independence Day. Ceremonies honoring academic graduates. Wedding festivities to bless the union of couples. Sporting events to cheer on the successes of favorite teams. Fairs and festivities that celebrate our sense of community.

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.

Remember last year when we were all just going to stay close to home and limit contacts for two weeks? If only it had been that simple…

There’s a friendly debate among seasoned AFP members about who has been a member the longest.  Membership records don’t always clear up the confusion.  (If you’ve ever tried to renew your membership after lapsing for even a short time, you’ll understand why.  This is also a good reminder to renew your membership now if you’re lapsing this summer!) Regardless of who holds the “official” title, there’s no debate that Michele Weinschrott, Director of Development at the University of Milwaukee College of Nursing & School of Public Health, has been an AFP member for a very long time.  According to AFP Global, she’s been a…

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.

Is morality the same everywhere?  And does it inevitably lead to philanthropy? Insight on those two intriguing questions comes from a recent University of Oxford study of ethics across 60 societies.  Researchers concluded that seven morals -- remarkably uniform throughout humankind – evolved in every culture to promote social cooperation.

Our members are amazing! Every day they do things that make a huge impact in our community and the world. See what AFP Southeastern fundraisers have been up to.

AFPSEWI Chapter Scholarship committee is now accepting applications for membership scholarships.  This year our Chapter is pleased to open this opportunity up to active and lapsed members as well as the usual new members. Apply via email by June 11 for consideration. 

The past 14 months have been scary. Our lives have been turned upside down, with everything we love and value endangered. But one thing never changed:  the willingness of communities, donors and volunteers to come together to meet our collective challenges.

Did you know that 85-90% of planned gifts come from bequests? AFP’s virtual program “The Art of the Legacy Ask” explored the importance of a strong legacy gift program.  Ligia Pena, CFRE, explored how non-profits should be promoting their legacy gift programs, and how a legacy gift ask is different than a major gift ask.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to announce our Chapter Administrator, Erin Richardson, has resigned to pursue new career opportunities.

When we are up against such large challenges, it’s more important than ever to cling to the wisdom of our colleagues, lean on our professional network, and think about our work in new ways.

In the world of philanthropy, there is one crucial area of giving that is undeniably the most valuable. This priceless act is the act of giving of one’s time.