Coaching

AFP Rhode Island Coaching Program

Rhode Island is home to some of the finest fundraising minds in the country. A handful of them have volunteered to help strengthen the local charitable sector by sharing their expertise, hard-won through years of experience, with members of the AFP-Rhode Island Chapter.

Members of AFP-RI can use this page to request a 1-hour coaching session with one of the local experts in our coaching pool. We highly recommend reading through the bios before making a request, and being specific about the project or query you would like to discuss. (AFP-RI Coaches have complete discretion on which requests they accept—they are volunteering their valuable and limited time)

Gayle Gifford, ACFRE

Gayle came up through the nonprofit trenches, organizing for peace, environmental conservation, human and civil rights. She served as Director of Development and Communications at PLAN USA, as Deputy Director/Director of Development and Marketing at Save The Bay, and as Director of Development at CityYear RI before launching Cause & Effect in 1996 with master communicator (and spouse) Jon Howard.

In 2002, she earned the advanced fundraising credential, ACFRE, from the Association of Fundraising Professionals. She is an expert in weaving fundraising strategy into crucial but often neglected high level processes such as strategic planning or executive review.

Carol Golden

Carol launched her consulting practice as a philanthropy advisor in September of 2020 after a long career at the Rhode Island Foundation marked by notable successes. During her 28-year tenure at the Foundation, Carol helped grow the Foundation’s assets to over $1 billion, making it one of the largest and most influential community foundations in the U.S. Carol held numerous positions including senior vice president for philanthropic services, executive vice president, and chief operating officer.

Carol is a former board member and past president of the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning of Rhode Island. In 2010, Carol was honored with the Fundraising Professional of the Year Award by the Rhode Island Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Carol brings an invaluable funder perspective to the AFP-RI coaching program.

*Available starting July 12, 2021*