Howdy from the AFP Western Fundraising Conference
I’m in Calgary right now at the AFP Western Fundraising Conference. So far, it’s been interesting. Highlights: a presentation on development audits, a storytelling session, and a donor panel with three Calgary philanthropists. The philanthropists had some advice:
- On the thorny question of whether boards should have to fundraise: Don’t continually pressure your board members to fundraise, some people just won’t/can’t do it and if you push too much you will alienate them. Just because they won’t fundraise doesn’t mean that they can’t be great board members and donors.
- On the next generation of philanthropists (i.e. 30 and 40 year olds): Don’t be disappointed by modest giving from these people. Be patient. They are probably in the midst of figuring out how much they need for their family and future, and may not be completely sure of how much they can give away. They are also aware that once they make a substantial gift, it is hard to go back to being anonymous or a smaller donor (because of the expectations that charities will put on them).
One of the speakers today talked about a clever advertising campaign by the Calgary Zoo that I hadn’t seen… awesome ads! The campaign has been very popular.
Related Posts:
- Insights from the AFP International Conference
- Tip of the Week: AFP Toronto’s online resources
- Are you spending more than 35 cents to raise a dollar?
- Corporate philanthopy moves towards sponsorship
- Capital campaign trends, from the AFP international conference
