2026 Professional Mentoring Program!Now in its 30th year, the AFP Greater AZ Chapter's nationally recognized Professional Mentoring Program is designed for professionals that are newer to the field (1-5 years) – whether a young professional or one making a mid-career change. This year, we were pleased to welcome mentees from a variety of organizations around the State of Arizona.
KEY DATES FOR REFERENCE:
► AFP Mentor-Mentee commitments will begin in January 2026 and completed November 2026
► Mentee applications: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2025
► Mentee/Mentor assignments will be communicated: FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2026
► Required Orientation for Mentor and Mentee: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2026 (2-5 pm)
► Mentee Final Presentation and Graduation, Mentor Recognition will be in November 2026
2026 AFP Mentoring Program for Both New and Advanced Professionals!
Most of us didn’t grow up dreaming of being fundraisers. Or study fundraising in college. When you ask a fundraising professional how they got into the field, more often than not, you’ll hear some variation of, “Well…I just fell into it!”
So, it makes sense that most fundraising professionals learn on the job. With this in mind, over 25 years ago, the Greater Arizona Chapter developed the Mentoring Program for professionals new to the field. Now adopted as a model by AFP International, this year-long program helps give fundraising professionals the foundation they need for a successful career. This program is a good fit for professionals that are newer to the field (1-5 years) – whether a young professional or making a mid-career change!
Over the course of a year, Mentoring Program participants will:
- Take workshops in various fundraising topics (including Annual & Monthly Giving, The Case for Support, Capital Campaigns, Career Development, Donor Stewardship, Making the Ask, Major Gifts, Membership Programs, Prospect Research, Special Events, Volunteer Management and more!)
- Be matched with an experienced professional mentor.
- Grow their network in the fundraising community.
- Plan and tackle a fundraising-related project for their organization.
- Develop a solid foundation for a successful career in the fundraising field!
The Mentoring Program also offers an Advanced Program Track for more seasoned development professionals. This is the ideal program for those looking to make a change to a new specialty or just want to learn more about one particular aspect of development. This track is a good fit for professionals with 5+ years of fundraising experience.
This customized track will allow participants to:
- Enhance and broaden knowledge and skills
- Be paired with a professional mentor to help them through customized skill-building
- Grow their specialist professional network
- Participate in relevant class workshops, as recommended by their mentor
- Start the path towards pursuing their CFRE and publish an article
Questions? Please contact:
Lindsi Baldwin, CFRE, Chair
Submit Online Payment for Program Participation