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2012 Accomplishments: Year-End Report to Members

I am pleased to present this report of AFP DC activities and achievements in 2012. AFP DC is the third largest Chapter in the world. Our mission is to advance philanthropy in the Washington, DC region by empowering our professional members through education, advocacy, training and volunteering. Collaboration, inclusiveness, integrity, shared experiences, professionalism, and expertise guide all aspects of the AFP DC Chapter. We are committed to providing an engaging experience for our members that allows them to connect with one another, engage in new ideas, inspire creative thinking and achieve great results in their work. I am proud of the progress we made this year toward these goals.

- Jaye Lopez Van Soest, CFRE, 2012 President, AFP DC

Professional Education and Development Programs

Our members represent local, regional and national nonprofit organizations of all sizes throughout the District of Columbia, Northern Virginia and suburban Maryland who are dedicated to the causes they support. In 2012, a total of nearly 600 members and non-members participated in a wide range of Chapter sponsored education programs to learn new skills and develop professionally.

  • The Chapter offered 4 breakfast education sessions, 3 Advanced Executives programs (sponsored by Campbell & Company), 4 complimentary members-only roundtables, a CFRE informational session, a complimentary members-only session presenting the 2012 Giving USA data, 1 brown bag networking webinar and 11 Fundraising Brown Bags.
  • The Chapter held its 2nd Diversity Dialogues session on Fundraising Across Cultures.
  • The seventh annual Bridge Conference was a huge success, with nearly 1,500 attendees. Produced in partnership with the Direct Marketing Association of Washington (DMAW) and co-chaired by for AFP DC board member, David Whitehead, the 2012 Bridge Conference provided cutting-edge educational programming to our members, engaged dozens of members in major volunteer roles, and raised net revenue for the Chapter. AFP DC continued to offer scholarships to help members who lost jobs or whose professional development budgets were slashed.

Networking and Career Advancement Initiatives

A signature element of the Chapter’s mission is to connect members and build community within the Washington region’s nonprofit sector. 2012 programs included the following:

  • Members participated in several informal networking events, including monthly Young Professionals Happy Hours (co-hosted with DMAW) and several networking nights at the Foundation Center’s DC offices, as well as cooperating collection in Arlington, VA and Hyattsville, MD.
  • Members attended the AFP DC Sunset Social, an event to encourage networking and relationship building for fundraisers in the metro area.  This event featured a special reception to thank AFP Foundation for Philanthropy Every Member Campaign donors, as well as AFP DC Chapter Annual Fund donors who donated more than $100 to the Chapter since 2010.
  • The Chapter developed improved member communication through enhancing the monthly newsletter (AFP DConnection) and revamping the AFP DC Website.
  • Members attended Raising the Bar 2012, a complimentary annual volunteer and member recognition reception, and Chapter Annual Meeting. Attendees had the opportunity to network and our committed volunteers were recognized.

Strengthened Our Impact in the Community through Strategic Alliances

  • The eleventh annual National Capital Philanthropy Day, co-chaired by Julie Crudele and AFP DC board member Tycely Williams, CFRE, attracted over 400 nonprofit and business executives and surpassed its financial goal. The Chapter honored six awardees in partnership with co-convening organizations, corporate sponsors and nonprofits that participated in the ever-popular Honor Your Own program and developed partner relationships with 2 new National Capital Philanthropy Day sponsors.
  • AFP DC deepened relationships with the Center for Nonprofit Advancement, the Foundation Center’s DC office, the National Capital Gift Planning Council, YNPNdc, and Booz Allen Hamilton to offer joint programming and leverage marketing opportunities.
  • We are proud to be the home Chapter of Association of Fundraising Professionals which is headquartered in Arlington. Many Chapter members serve on international committees, including former AFP Dc board member, Marshall Ginn, CFRE, who continued his term on the AFP Foundation board, former AFP DC board member and Chapter President, Martha Schumacher, ACFRE who is on the AFP International Board of Directors, and myself who served on the AFP International Board of Directors as the Chapter Presidents Council representative.

Achieved Greater Financial Stability

Thanks to the committed work of involved members, Committee volunteers, Board leaders, and AFP DC Staff, AFP DC increased revenues through sponsorship and prudently controlled expenses to help ensure the Chapter’s financial health and stability.

  • In order to steward our relationships with Chapter sponsors more effectively, AFP DC renewed the Chapter partnership program.  Thank you to all our Chapter Partners: Campbell & Company, Development Resources, Inc., Hazen, Inc., and Impact Communications.
  • Given the expense of meeting space, the Chapter gratefully used complimentary space provided by partner organizations. Special thanks to AARP, AFP International, the Shakespeare Threatre Company and the Harmon Center for the Performing Arts, and the George Washington University’s Gelman Libraries for hosting meetings, to Merrill Lynch for hosting the Advanced Executives programs, to American Institute for Cancer Research for hosting our roundtables, to AWHONN for hosting our CFRE Informational Session and to Venable LLP for hosting our summer reception.
  • The Chapter re-launched our Annual Fund Program to offer members the opportunity to make financial contributions to help the Chapter provide high quality programs and services across the sector.  With the help of the AFP Foundation of Philanthropy the AFP DC Chapter is the first AFP chapter to create a dual EMC/Annual Fund form which makes it easier to make a donation. 
  • Raised $42,000 from sponsors and participants to help celebrate the 11th Annual National Capital Philanthropy Day.
  • Successfully completed our third year in our unique partnership with AFP International in which international headquarters staff provides association management services to the Chapter. This cost-effective solution for the Chapter gives AFP and AFP DC the opportunity to leverage each other’s extensive network of alliance partners to benefit the nonprofit sector as a whole. In addition, the Chapter has benefited from International’s first-rate customer service and their talented staff, who have done a terrific job in placing the Chapter on more sturdy financial footing.

It has been a pleasure serving as your Chapter president this past year.  I am very proud of the Chapter’s many accomplishments.  I congratulate Dayna Kuhar, CFRE as the incoming Chapter President in 2013 and know that she will work tirelessly to enhance member benefits along with the 2013 Board.  Thank you for being a part of the largest association of fundraising professionals in the world.