As National Philanthropy Day approaches, I wanted to take this time to remind each of you of the important work we do as fundraisers. While the pandemic has caused our sector to rethink how we hold events, meet with donors, and share our passion for the mission of the organizations we represent, each of you in your own way have continued to be focused on one similar issue – our donors. Yes, national philanthropy day is about recognizing great contributions of philanthropy and those who are active in the philanthropic community. It also about celebrating our donors, each other, and the collective work that we endeavor in creating change in our communities.
As our chapter celebrate this year through our monthly program topic Philanthropy Day: Appealing to our Donors with national speaker Steven Shattuck of Bloomerang, I encourage you to reach out to a donor, a colleague, or just a friend, and say thank you for being a part of the change. Your thank you will help them continue to see the importance of our collective work, but more importantly, their contribution that they make with their gifs of time, talent, and treasures. As leaders in this work, I thank you for continuing to give of your time, talents, and treasures. Our collective work is made all the better because you also lift up this work through your own individual commitment.
As we reflect on this month and celebrate together, I encourage you to look back on how impactful our work has been particularly in the face of this continuing pandemic. While COVID-19 has ravaged our communities, our work has continued because we know that we must be the change we want to see. To that end, I also want to encourage you to watch the video put together by AFP regarding National Philanthropy Day. You can view and download the video here: https://vimeo.com/641229600.
While locally we will celebrate National Philanthropy Day on the November 10, I encourage you to celebrate all month long. Make calls to donors to say thank you, send a note of thanks, or just show up to a donor’s home with a small thank you gift. These are all great ways to say thank you.
Thank you for your continued commitment and dedication to our communities! Have a wonderful, impactful month.
Terry Langston, Chapter President
AFP-Capital Area Chapter