The Nonprofit FAQ

Are there membership associations for fundraisers?

Tim Mills-Groninger wrote to Nonprofit@rain.org on August 22, 2003: Roger Peterson asked about associations for fundraisers. From a personal perspective, I can suggest: Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) http://www.afpnet.org/ is the primary general fundraising organization. Previously known as the National Society of Fundraising Executives (NSFRE), it became the Association of Fundraising Professionals a few years back. While the annual meeting is worthwhile, most folks view their local chapters as the make-or-break member benefit for education and networking. Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement (APRA) http://www.aprahome.org/, in the spirit of name changes, went from American Prospect Research Association to Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement - either way, they're still APRA. APRA is generally more concerned with getting the facts right than the narrative side of grantwriting, but the best grantwriters will understand the importance of professional research. There is a strong set of local chapters. Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) http://www.case.org/ maintains standards and practices that are the most comprehensive and rigorous of all the professional fundraising organizations, especially in my field of advancement services. The regional meetings are quite good. Center of Philanthropy at Indiana University http://www.philanthropy.iupui.edu/ operates fundraising school with numerous offerings around the country. I've done a couple projects with staff, and have found them to possess a wonderful balance of academic rigor in research and analysis of trends and direct hands-on experience with all aspect of giving. A variety of local associations also exist, some of which are excellent, so it is worth asking around in the community and doing a quick search online for them! Connecting to fellow fundraisers via Web 2.0 Perhaps the best place to connect with a broad range of fundraising professionals is on the professional networking site LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com). Some of the aforementioned associations, such as AFP, have groups on LinkedIn that you can join without being a formal member of the association. Other groups, such as The Non Profit Network, may exist solely on LinkedIn. But in either case, joining them is a great way to meet other fundraising professionals, seek advice and contribute to community forums. Updated 2/25/09 -- YBL