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The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Western New York Chapter has been named a 2021 Ten Star GOLD Chapter and an IDEA Champion Chapter.

Every year, AFP, the largest association of professional fundraisers in the world, honors chapters for achieving goals that align with key objectives in its long-range strategic plan. Chapters receive the Ten Star GOLD Award for performing specific activities designed to increase professionalism within fundraising and public awareness of the importance of philanthropy. A list of several goals is published annually by AFP Global Headquarters, and chapters must accomplish 15 of these goals during the year to be honored.

Less than 20 percent of AFP’s 200 professional chapters earn the Ten Star Gold Chapter recognition, making the Western New York Chapter one of the association’s leading chapters around the world.

The Western New York Chapter has also been named an IDEA Champion chapter for the second year running.

IDEA stands for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access. Chapters receive the IDEA Champion Award for completing seven AFP International goals designed to increase diversity within the fundraising profession and public awareness of the importance of philanthropy in all cultures.

Chapter president Kate Heidinger, CFRE stated: “I am thrilled that the Western New York Chapter has been honored by the Association of Fundraising Professionals for our work this past year. While it was a challenging one for each of us, the fundraising professionals who volunteer and engage with AFP WNY worked diligently to uphold the highest standards of fundraising and support one another during the most trying times.”

For more information on the Ten Star and IDEA Champion Award processes, please visit www.afpglobal.org.

AFP-WNY Chapter is continuing the AFP-WNY Young Professional Scholarship Program for its 2020-2021 program year!

The Scholarship provides a Young Professional with the opportunity to join our chapter and we will cover the first-year membership dues of $95.

A Young Professional is a person 30 years old or younger. They must subscribe to the AFP Code of Ethical Principles and Standards and its bylaws, promote the Donor Bill of Rights, and be employed or have been employed by an organization that provides benefits to society.

The new member will be asked to join one of our committees: Membership, Professional Advancement, External Relations, National Philanthropy Day or IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access.) They will also be asked to participate in the Mentor Partnership Program.

If you are a young professional, or know one, who meets the criteria, please fill out the application FOUND HERE and submit it by July 15, 2020 to Emily Knapic, Chapter Manager, at afpwny@afpwnychapter.org. Scholarship recipients will be notified by August 3, 2020.