Do you remember writing current event papers in school? I do. My 9th grade English 
teacher required one every week. Fortunately for me, my dad was a subscriber to the magazine US News and World Report so I had good source material. For this month’s blog, I’m imagining that I’ve been assigned a current event paper. Where will I look first? For source material, I’ve got the wisdom and expertise of our professional association.
AFP’s mission statement reads: “The Association of Fundraising Professionals empowers individuals and organizations to practice ethical fundraising through professional education, networking, research and advocacy.” Every day, our organization is on the front lines of the important issues that impact our daily, professional lives.
This month, I’d like to highlight resources around two current events:
1) Sexual harassment/gender equity
Ann Hale, CFRE, AFP International Chair, and Mike Geiger, MBA, CPA, President and CEO, AFP International, released an important statement on this issue:
https://theafpblog.blogspot.com/2018/01/statement-of-association-of-fundraising.html
2) Changes in Tax Laws
The new tax bill, signed into law in late 2017, has generated much discussion in the nonprofit sector. The full impact on our fundraising is yet to be seen but as you decide how to change your strategies, I highly recommend these resources:
Understanding the New Tax Laws (video from Jason Lee, AFP Chief Advocacy and Strategy Officer) https://vimeo.com/253521264
How to Approach Fundraising in 2018 http://www.afpnet.org/Audiences/PublicPolicyIssueDetail.cfm?ItemNumber=48097
The nature of current events means that new things will come along and demand our attention. Our professional association will be there for us. Just like I had to find a new article in my dad’s magazine every week, you’ll need to be up-to-date on current events.
You can depend on AFP.
Sara Leonard, MBA, CFRE
2017/2018 President – AFP Suncoast Chapter
Sara Leonard Group
www.SaraLeonardGroup.com
(813) 310-2364
Leave a Reply