June 2019

A Message from the Chapter President, Wendy Glick

Dear Colleagues, This past week, president-elect Mike Wescott and I convened a nominating committee comprised of past chapter presidents Molly Fox, Kristi Oberg and Jennifer Knight for the purpose of preparing a proposed slate of board members to serve the chapter in 2020. This process is in alignment with the direction provided chapters through AFP International.

I would like to extend an invitation to you and our entire chapter membership to nominate someone to serve on our board OR to self-nominate if you would like to become more involved with the planning and promotion of AFP services to our chapter. A few details about serving on the board that may be helpful to know -

The board meets on the third Tuesday of the odd numbered months from 4-5 p.m. There may be additional committee meetings, depending upon the work of a specific committee. Those meetings typically take place on the off months when there is not a board meeting and at a time and place mutually agreed upon by the members of the committee.

The list below represents the various positions that have been on the board in the past and would most likely serve in the future. If you would like more information about a specific board position please contact me at wglick@catholiccharitieswichita.org. I’d be happy to provide you with a detailed job description. All this will be brought before the nominating committee in August where a proposed slate for 2020 will be created for membership to vote on later this fall.

President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, Professional Development, Professional Development Co-Chair, Membership Chair, Membership Co-Chair, NPD Co-Chair, NPD Co-Chair, Mentoring Chair, Accreditation Chair, Scholarship Chair, “Be the Cause” Chair, Communications Co-Chair, Communications Chair, Government Relations, Diversity Chair, Hospitality Chair, 3 At-Large representatives

Send nominations to Molly Fox, immediate past president, at mfox@goodwillks.org. Nominations will be considered by the nominating committee sometime in August and a full slate of proposed officers will be presented to the chapter for a vote later this fall. Please consider joining the leadership of the Greater Wichita Chapter of AFP. It would be great to have you as a member of the team . . . And GREAT is what we’re going for!

My Best Take Away, MAC 2019: Kree Pena

The professional world of development has been both intriguing and exciting for me these past four months. I have certainly been blessed to have had a wonderful mentor in Mike Wescott, but since I am still relatively new to this profession, there are still moments when I feel somewhat overwhelmed and out of my element when it comes to the task of fundraising. That is why I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to attend the AFP conference which has been of inestimable value to me in my ongoing formation.

Not only was I able to take away a great deal of information and professional insights, but I also was able to acquire a number of social and professional contacts which will, no doubt, prove beneficial in my continual professional development.

The many workshops and keynotes offered provided an abundance of takeaways. As a newcomer to professional development, I especially benefited from the Breakout session titled “The 4 R’s of Major Gift Fundraising and Stewardship.” The 4 R’s are Research, Relationship, Request and Recognition, yet there is also a 5th R, Review, which serves as a reminder for me to continually assess my own progress. Not only were these essential components broken down and explained in great detail, I was also provided with helpful tools such as websites and books to further my learning and comprehension. One result of the “4 R’s” workshop is that I have gained greater confidence and a higher degree of patience in the performance of my job. What at first felt like a sense of urgency to get results and build contacts has subsided somewhat as my confidence grows and I come to have a better understanding that building relationships with donors takes time and should not be rushed. I constantly find comfort by reminding myself of the words I learned in the breakout session regarding relationship building: “Relationships that last take work and time.”

Certainly, I will continue to apply and discern how to use much of the information I obtained from this conference, but it has already proved to be of immense value. I am extremely grateful for the many professional connections I was able to make and for the inspiration I gained from the various presentations. This conference was indeed a remarkable resource to me in my new occupation in professional development.

Interested in being a sponsor for National Philanthropy Day 2019?? Contact Jessica Treadwell at treadwell@kmuw.org

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