The Bluegrass Chapter of AFP was established in early 1985 by a small group of fundraising professionals in Central Kentucky. By the end of that first year, ten members had enrolled, and in April of 1986 enrollment jumped to 20 professionals, representing non-profits from Louisville to Northern Kentucky. Several years later, due to strong interest expressed from the Louisville area professionals, the Bluegrass Chapter encouraged and supported the creation of the Greater Louisville Chapter. Then the Greater Cincinnati Chapter expanded and incorporated additional northern Kentucky non-profit organizations to further encompass and serve the state's many fundraising professionals. Over the next 18 years, the Bluegrass Chapter continued to increase its own membership and define its boundaries. Currently the chapter has approximately 100 members.
The current membership represent a wide variety of non-profit organizations and fundraising expertise throughout Central and Eastern Kentucky. The Bluegrass Chapter has enjoyed great success in its first stages of growth, but is now deemed the appropriate time to grow again by further striving for excellence in the services and professional development opportunities provided by the Chapter. There are more non-profit organizations that can be identified and served and much work to be done to collaborate with all the other AFP chapters in the Commonwealth to maximize resources and to promote the profession statewide. The Association for Fundraising Professionals Bluegrass Chapter is an official chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), a nonprofit 501(c)(6) organization that represents more than 33,000 members in more than 241 chapters throughout the world, working to advance philanthropy through education, training, mentoring, research, credentialing, and advocacy. The association fosters the development and growth of fundraising professionals and promotes high ethical standards in the fundraising profession. For more information or to join the world's largest association of fundraising professionals, visit www.afpglobal.org.
For more information about membership, contact the VP of Membership.
To advance its mission, AFP:
- Fosters the development and growth of fundraising professionals committed to the preserving and enhancing philanthropy;
- Establishes a code of ethics and professional practices;
- Requires member adherence to a professional code of ethical standards and practices;Provides training opportunities for fundraising professionals;
- Implements programs that ensure cultural and social diversity in our membership and leadership;
- Collects, researches, publishes, and disseminates historical, managerial, and technical information on philanthropy and philanthropic fundraising;
- Promotes public understanding of philanthropy and philanthropic fundraising;
- Conducts activities that maintain and develop legislation favorable to philanthropy;
- Enlists, organizes, and supports members to achieve our purposes;
- Fosters international cooperation, knowledge exchange, and education among fundraising professionals worldwide;
- Uses all necessary and proper means to accomplish our purposes; and provides a valid and reliable certification program for fundraising professionals.