AFP GOLDEN GATE CELEBRATES

NATIONAL PHILANTHROPY DAY®

WITH ANNUAL AWARDS LUNCHEON

2015 Honorees announced

Tickets on sale July 13th

Renel Brooks-Moon returns as emcee of awards program

Tuesday, November 10, 2015, 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

 The Westin St. Francis, San Francisco

San Francisco, CA, June 10, 2015 – The AFP Golden Gate chapter celebrates National Philanthropy Day® (NPD) with their annual luncheon and awards program on Tuesday, November 10, 2015 at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco.  

The event will be held in the Grand Ballroom and starts at 11:00 a.m. with a welcome reception followed at 12:00 pm by a luncheon and awards program. Renel Brooks-Moon will serve at the emcee for the second year in a row.  Tickets and table sales begin on Monday, July 13^th through the AFP Golden Gate website (http://www.afpgoldengate.org). A limited number of early bird tickets will be available for a short time only.

“National Philanthropy Day® is a special time to recognize and pay tribute to the great contributions that philanthropy — and those active in the philanthropic community — make to our lives, communities and world,” said event co-chair Susan Corlett.

“This is our opportunity to celebrate inspirational Bay Area individuals, organizations and businesses who generously give their time, talents and resources to all that philanthropy makes possible. It’s important work that benefits our community on so many levels,” added event co-chair Iris J. Fluellen.

Philanthropy is “the love of humankind,” and National Philanthropy Day®—November 15—is the day that thousands of people around the world come together to both (1) put that word into action and (2) recognize the change that word has brought to our communities.

NPD is both an official day and a grassroots movement. Every year, since 1986 when President Ronald Reagan first proclaimed November 15th as National Philanthropy Day®, communities across the globe have celebrated by hosting events to recognize activities of donors, volunteers, foundations, leaders, corporations, and others engaged in philanthropy. (From the NPD website: http://www.afpnet.org)

Confirmed Award Recipients as of June 10, 2015:

I.                 Lifetime Achievement Award: Bernard and Barbro Osher

II.                Outstanding Philanthropist: Bob and Randi Fisher

III.              Hank Rosso Outstanding Fundraising Professional: Theresa Nelson

IV.             Outstanding Fundraising Volunteer: Carlota Texidor del Portillo

V.               Outstanding Corporate Grant Maker: Zendesk

VI.             Outstanding Foundation or Community Grantmaker: The Kenneth Rainin Foundation

VII.            Outstanding Foundation Professional: Richard Avanzino

VIII.          Vineyards Award: Beyond Differences

IX.             Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy: Wyeth Coulter

WHAT:       AFP Golden Gate celebrates National Philanthropy Day with annual awards luncheon.

WHEN:       Tuesday, November 10, 2015

11:00-12:00 - Welcome Reception

12:00-1:30 - Luncheon Celebration and Awards Program

WHERE:     The Westin St. Francis, San Francisco

WHO:         2015 National Philanthropic Day AFP Golden Gate honorees, Bay Area philanthropic community members and civic leaders.

WHY:         National Philanthropy Day® is a celebration of philanthropy—giving, volunteering and charitable engagement—that highlights the accomplishments, large and small, that philanthropy—and all those involved in the philanthropic process—makes to our society and our world.

NPD15 Co-Chairs

Susan Corlett, The Center for Environmental Health, AFP Golden Gate Board Member

Iris J. Fluellen, Public Policy Institute of California, AFP Golden Gate Board Member

About AFP Golden Gate:

Founded in 1971, the Association of Fundraising Professionals Golden Gate Chapter provides professional support, education, and career enhancement opportunities for Bay Area fundraising professionals and with nearly 500 active members, is one of the largest regional chapters of AFP in the nation.

About Renel Brooks-Moon:

Renel Brooks-Moon returns to NPD as emcee! She is the official voice of the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park and hosts the morning show on 98.1 KISS-FM. She has been recognized by the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame as the first female announcer of a championship game in professional sports. Dr. Brooks-Moon is a founding member of the nonprofit Friends of Faith, Inc., a lifetime member of the Little Sisters of the Poor Auxillary, serves on the advisory board of Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir and is a supporter of the Glide Foundation.

AFP Golden Gate and San Francisco Commonwealth Club Bring Top Thinker on Fundraising to the Bay Area.

San Francisco, CA – The Association of Fundraising Professionals, Golden Gate Chapter, and the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco are bringing acclaimed author, trainer, presenter, and president of Cygnus Applied Research Penelope Burk to the Commonweath Club’s new home on February 19 as part of her new “Donor-Centered Leadership” book tour sponsored by Abila (www.abila.com), a leading provider of software and services to nonprofits and associations.

Burk will present new research – about why good fundraisers move on prematurely and what it will take to keep them on the job longer – to AFP Golden Gate’s Leading Edge Forum that brings provocative thought leadership from the fundraising field. And her book is nothing if not provocative. “Game-changing books don’t come along often, so this could be the most important book about fundraising that you’ll buy,” says Ken Burnett in his review for SOFII. Like many books on fundraising, Burk explores retention and attrition rates: but unlike most of those books, Penelope looks inwards, at retention rates for the fundraisers actually doing the work, rather than the funders and donors themselves.

“The supply/demand ratio in our business is a nightmare for employers,” says Burk, “but a boon for search firms and job banks, it seems. Senior Development professionals say they are approached for another position, on average, in about ninety days after starting a new job. So, it’s not surprising that 87% of top Development execs agree that the rate of staff turnover in fundraising is a problem.”

Penelope has over forty years of experience in not-for-profit management, fundraising, and research. A native of Montreal, Canada, she began her career in market research, public relations and fundraising, becoming known as a “turn-around specialist” who advocates innovative solutions to improve revenue and institutional performance. Penelope and her company, Cygnus Applied Research, Inc., are known for their leading-edge research with donors and their skill in helping clients adapt their fundraising operations to reflect donors’ changing needs and preferences.

Penelope presents her research live and engages with participants in an idea-packed three-hour session. With her trademark clarity and humor, she shows how employers can easily measure the real cost of premature staff turnover and the financial benefits of bringing this pressing problem under control.

“We’re so thrilled to be able to share Penelope Burk’s expertise and research with AFP chapters,” says Krista Endsley, CEO, Abila. “Our partnership with Cygnus Applied Research, Inc. has opened up an opportunity to showcase well-respected research and best practices for retaining and attracting the best and brightest staff and board members possible. We are dedicated to educating the not-for-profit community on the trends and tools they need to succeed. This high-level series with Penelope is a great resource for all fundraising leaders.”

But AFP Golden Gate’s Leading Edge Forum is not just for employers and decision-makers. Donor-Centered Leadership reveals what young fundraisers want, illustrating an urgent need to help them gain experience and realize their goals more quickly to address the coming exodus of top fundraising managers already on the verge of retirement. With this in mind, AFP Golden Gate is reaching out to Young Professionals both within the Chapter and in the general community with special rates. And the expectation is that this event will be a significant draw among fundraisers: when Burk presented at the AFP International Conference last year, it was standing room only.

·        What: A Forum with Penelope Burk on Donor-Centered Leadership: What It Takes to Build and Sustain a High Performance Fundraising Team

·        When: Thursday, February 19, 2015 from 1:00-4:00PM, with reception and book signing from 4:00-5:00PM

·        Where: The Commonwealth Club of California, 555 Post Street in San Francisco

·        Tickets: $65 General Community, $35 for Young Professionals (to age 30), 40% discounts for members of Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP)

·        Pre-Registration is strongly encouraged: http://www.afpgoldengate.org

·        Book Tour Offer: 20% Discount on the book Donor-Centered Leadership (optional, see registration for details)

ABOUT AFP Golden Gate
Founded in 1971, the Association of Fundraising Professionals Golden Gate chapter provides professional support, education, and career enhancement opportunities for Bay Area fundraising-related professionals. With more than 450 active members, AFP Golden Gate serves as one of the largest chapters of AFP in the U.S. Our friendly and inclusive chapter inspires a high level of volunteer participation. We are a peer-driven organization, with an executive director and a highly engaged board of directors to lead the way in shaping and producing our dynamic programs and services. We are grateful for the generous contributions of Bay Area foundations, corporations and individuals who make our professional programs possible.

ABOUT PENELOPE BURK
Penelope is a highly sought-after educator and public speaker whose training sessions and forums are widely acclaimed as unique, engaging and among the most effective in the third sector. She has written more than sixty seminars, training programs and dramatic plays, all written specifically for non-profit organizations. Her firm, Cygnus Applied Research, is an international company of senior fundraising consultants providing strategic advice and research services to the sector. With offices in the US, UK and Canada, Cygnus is recognized as the innovator of one of the most important modern-day fundraising philosophies, Donor-Centered Fundraising, and for leading-edge research that has transformed stewardship, donor relations and fundraising management.

Understanding the #IceBucketChallenge

You must have heard about the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge by now. But in case you’ve just returned from the North Pole, or Mars, or some such, here it is in a nutshell: dump a bucket of ice-filled water over your head to promote awareness of the ALS disease, then challenge someone else either to do it themselves or donate money to the ALS Association. Couldn’t be simpler, right? And it’s gone viral, being perfect YouTube and Vimeo material, a bunch of celebrities have done it, and it’s raised millions for the cause.

It’s also had its share of copycats, and as is often the case with campaigns that attract large amounts of attention, it’s had its detractors as well. Snopes.com recently claimed that only a fraction of the money raised goes to the cause, with the remaining 73% “going to fundraising, overhead, executive salaries, and external donations.”

Meanwhile, claims freep.com, internet scammers have latched on to the popular stunt, offering “e-mails with titles that promise amazing videos of the Ice Bucket Challenge, but they’re actually attempts to embed spyware and other data-stealing programs in your computer.” (I won't comment on the suggestion that the challenge is a Satanic Ritual.) All of this has led to the notion that: a) the Ice Bucket Challenge is a fraud and a scam; and b) the money is not going to support ALS. Meanwhile, there are reports that the ALS Association is seeking to trademark the phrase “Ice Bucket Challenge” to prevent the spate of similar challenges popping up all over the place.

The Association has seen fit to respond to the 73% criticism on their website, noting that “The ALS Association spent 79% of our annual budget on programs and services last year, which includes 28% on research, ONE of three main pillars of our charitable work. If a donor would like 100% of their donation to go to research, he/she can simply check a box on our online donation form.” This is an argument — that nonprofits have overheads like any other organization — that has been circulated widely within the industry, but still continues to escape reaching the consciousness of the average donor, who imagines that if he or she gives $100 to a cause, then the whole $100 must go to the cure/victims/crisis in question, and that if some of the money is spent on enabling the nonprofit to continue its work, that’s a bad greedy nonprofit that does not deserve our support.

But ultimately, does any of this really matter? As numerous commentators have noted, how many of us had heard of The ALS Association before this challenge? As Forbes.com demonstrate: “Ideas that are big and selfless spread. But ideas that are also simple spread quickly. The Ice Bucket Challenge was instantaneously ubiquitous. Like the Super Bowl, there was the feeling that everyone was watching this happen together, in real time. There were celebrities. There was humor. There was press at every turn. All of these qualities made it impossible to ignore.”

We’d love for you to share your thoughts on this issue. Have you had the "Go figure out how we can create our own ice bucket challenge" conversation in your nonprofit? Does the volume of donations and publicity outweigh the volume of uninformed criticism that is also generated? Share your thoughts on Twitter: @Goldengateafp or www.facebook.com/afpgold.

Andrew Alvarez
AFP Golden Gate Chapter

Crafting Your Social Media Strategy: Tips from Victor Garcia

Whether your non-profit organization is large or small, social media marketing is a must. Just about everyone is on social media in some way, shape or form — whether it's viewing YouTube videos, sending the 140 character Tweet or posting the photo of their favorite food on Instagram.  Social media marketing includes not only sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, but Pinterest, LinkedIn and many, many more — too many to mention in a single article. The medium can no longer be ignored. Ignoring social media is equal to ignoring potential outreach and assistance avenues which ultimately lead to donations to help your organization's cause.

So what's an organization to do to get started on social media? Social media can seem like an overwhelming maze of information to newbies and experts alike. What to post when? Where to post it? Do I post the same content on multiple channels?

The first thing an organization must do is identify the networks where your donors and benefactors reside. Facebook is an obvious choice, as the majority of people tend to be on Facebook. The majority, though, may not necessary represent the majority of people who are involved with or sympathize with your organization's cause.  An organization can get a picture of their social media landscape either through email surveys or, better yet, word of mouth — simply ask at a major event or gathering.  Also, it is beneficial to perform searches on the major social networks to see where your organization's name may be popping up.

Make social media fun. Like any medium, no one likes dull and boring. If your organization is holding an event or fundraiser, encourage people to post to their social media channels using a predetermined #hashtag. Have someone at events and fundraisers, even if they are performing other duties as well, dedicated to social media. Live Tweet the event and share photos on Facebook. Let attendees know the event will be on social media. Most will likely go to your pages looking for photos of themselves to share. One of the primary rules of social media is go easy on the traditional marketing. Most folks on social media do not go there for information that is blatant marketing. I always say at least 70/30, 70 percent engagement, 30 percent marketing. Find topics that allow you to inherently promote your organization without making it blatantly obvious.

Management of social networks can be a tedious task. Thankfully, there are tools out there such as Hootsuite, SproutSocial and many others that allow companies and organizations alike to see snapshots of most of their major social networks at any given time for a nominal fee. These tools are not only good for management of social networks, but for important analytical data that allows you to build on your social networks.

Above all, use common sense when using social media. Post things that are fun and relevant to your cause without being outlandish. It's important to keep it real and build trust on social media.
Still have questions?  There are many social media specific organizations out there, such as Social Media Club to assist you in your journey to social media success.

You can find me on Twitter at @educationnews1.




Victor Garcia has more than eight-years of experience in communications as a journalist for Gannett newspapers and in various marketing roles. He is currently the Social Media Coordinator for a global industrial automation company based in Bakersfield, Calif. Garcia is also a board member of Social Media Club Los Angeles.