Insights from AFP-NJ member, Janis Blayne Paul

As a new member, I was asked to write about Member Benefits. AFP’s mission statement, vison and purpose offer compelling reasons to be a part of the premiere organization serving fundraising professionals throughout the world.

Yet I felt there was more to say….

Sure, you can check out all of the “Member Benefits” on the AFP web site.

Yet, it’s this simple sentence that really hit home for me:
“Fundraising support when you need it most.”

Over a year into the pandemic, I wonder if AFP knew just how profound that statement would be. I cannot imagine a time of greater need.

The challenges we face can be daunting and seem insurmountable. One constant in the midst of the unknown is this: AFP is our community. Fellow members are experiencing similar challenges, are faced with personal crisis, and encounter organizational hurdles, transition and upheaval.

As a member, volunteer and board of trustee for various professional organizations throughout my career, I know that just showing up is not enough: You need to be a part of the community to really benefit.

How? Get involved. As an engaged participant, there is a symbiotic relationship between you and the organization that benefits us all. That is when you become more than a member: you become an ambassador for the organization, a valued resource invested in our collective success. It is this opportunity that keeps me inspired and motivated.

AFP NJ encourages discussions, collaborations and sharing with colleagues around the world or around the block. The interaction can be both inspirational and enlightening, renewing one’s enthusiasm for the profession in the process.

At no time has this been of greater significance: Nonprofit professionals have answered the call in new, unforeseen ways, reinventing, reimagining and coming together to face new demands.

We all need a roadmap for success. There are days I am sure my map flew out the window. That my GPS has been reprogrammed and detours abound. I just need to remember that AFP offers the roadmap.

“AFP membership and support from the fundraising community is essential to any fundraiser, even in the best of times. But in the toughest of times-AFP membership is critical.”

Living through “the toughest of times,” far too many of us know first-hand how true this statement is. These four words used by AFP simply convey “the benefits of membership:”

Guidance. Experience. Community. Leadership.

AFP Global is the largest association of professional fundraisers in the world. Our worlds and the work we do are more connected than ever. Join the community, lend a hand and a voice. Around the world and around the block. Together.