The Board of Directors of the San Luis Obispo County Chapter of AFP was proud to announce the creation of the Matthew Cottle Fellowship at our 2019 National Philanthropy Day celebration.
Matthew Cottle was a lifelong fundraiser and a true believer that philanthropists can “change the world with a giving heart”. A Certified Fundraising Executive, Matthew was a frequent conference speaker for AFP and served as a member of AFP’s Professional Advancement Division. He was one of the founders of our local AFP chapter in 2015. In fact, this chapter would probably not exist without Matthew’s persistence, vision and commitment to the calling and career of professional fundraising, and to the importance of philanthropy to our world. Matthew passed away in May of this year after a long illness. His presence in our community is keenly missed.
Matthew was a strong supporter of education and believed in encouraging the development of young fundraising professionals through the programs and resources of AFP. As our board of directors brainstormed ways in which we could honor Matthew’s memory, the answer quickly became obvious: create a scholarship for young professionals that will underwrite their membership in AFP and allow them to participate in everything this international organization has to offer.
Thanks to generous funding provided by the Hughes Charitable Foundation and Joy Swann Cottle, and with additional support from CCS Fundraising, we are pleased to announce the creation the Matthew Cottle Fellowship.