AFP-GTS January / February 2024 Newsletter

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A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT...

Hello everyone and happy 2024 to all, whether you’re a member or friend of the AFP Greater Tri-State Chapter. My name is Cassie Bird, and I’m honored to be serving as President of our chapter this year.

For those whom I haven’t had the opportunity to meet, I am the Associate Director of Stewardship Development for the Archdiocese of Dubuque. I was born and raised in Cedar Rapids but have lived in Dubuque since attending Loras College in 2013. In my free time, I enjoy reading, writing, and walking with my husband, Josh, and our Australian Shepherd, Nana, to grab a cup of coffee from one of the local shops (and a pup cup, of course)!

I look forward to all that 2024 will bring for our chapter and thank everyone who is taking on a leadership role this year to ensure we will continue to offer great opportunities for networking, education, and growing in the fundraising profession. If you ever have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or anyone on the board – we look forward to serving you and the great legacy of the AFP Greater Tri-State Chapter! Thank you for all that you do each day to make our community and our world a better place.

Education Committee

Join us for upcoming Education Events!

January 23: Technology “White Elephant” Exchange

Bring your favorite technology resource to share with the group and leave with a treasure trove of new resources (free or paid!). Beverages will be provided for this “happy hour” style event. Join us Tuesday, January 23rd at 3:30pm in the Keller Computer Center Conference Room at Clarke University! Contact Wendy Sweeney at wsweeney@hillsdales.org with any questions.

February 27: "Lead with Your Strengths: A New Approach to Nonprofit Leadership"

Effective leadership has a lot to do with inspiring, aligning and then activating -- but it doesn't end there. Improving your leadership begins with a focus on emphasizing what you're already good at!

The Gallup Organization calls that leading with your strengths: the things that come naturally to you and that help you succeed daily. When you intentionally apply your strengths as a leader, that's when your life and the lives of those you lead begin to change.

Kait Tysver will lead us through a one-hour overview of strengths-based leadership and how you can begin your journey to learn what your unique approach to leadership looks like in the nonprofit world.
Join us Tuesday, February 27 at 11:30am in the Rose O’Tool room located in Mary Josita Hall at Clarke University! Lunch is included in this event. Event is FREE for members; $25 for non-members and Registration is required at this link. Registration due by February 16. Contact Wendy Sweeney at wsweeney@hillsdales.org with questions or to register.

March 20: Coffee & Conversation

Engage in a candid discussion with fellow fundraisers. Mark your calendars for Wednesday, March 20 at 8:30am at Wayfarer Coffee, Washington Street.

Join the Education Committee!

Be part of the excitement - we’re looking for additional Education Committee members!
Contact Wendy Sweeney at wsweeney@hillsdales.org if you’re interested in shaping our 2024 programming!

See All Upcoming Educational Opportunities

2024 Membership Committee Members: Jeff Schneider (Chair), Cassie Bird, Courtney Leonard. If you’d be interested in joining our committee, please reach out to Jeff Schneider at jeff.schneider@dbqarch.org.

Membership Update: We are currently sitting at 46 members. We’ll likely be adding a few members to this total as we add our scholarship recipients to our membership.

Congratulations to the 2024 Scholarship Recipients:
Bridge Scholarships (2): Angie Herting and Eileen Dushek-Manthe
Young Professional Scholarship: Jordan Hoftender
IDEA Champion Scholarship: Shelby Wartick

Be the Cause 2024:
Our final total for 2023 fundraising for Be the Cause was $965 raised from 20 donors, which is roughly 40% of our membership. Unfortunately, we didn’t hit our low or high fundraising goals this year, however we did achieve 100% board participation, which is a required metric for 10 Star status as a chapter.

If you’re unaware, the ‘Be The Cause’ campaign supports the Chamberlain Scholarship, which allows one chapter member the opportunity to attend the annual conference at a substantially reduced cost. The campaign also supports other scholarships, in addition to the Chamberlain Scholarship.

Each individual chapter receives a percentage of its member’s gifts back to put toward chapter programming. The percentage received is dependent on hitting certain benchmarks, including board participation (giving) and whether we hit our preset chapter fundraising goals.

Later this year, there will likely be opportunities to give to Be the Casue while also earning a $10 match on your gift. Matching gifts also count towards our chapter goals. These matching opportunities typically happen during the AFP International Conference (April 7-9) and LEAD conference (October 17-19). I encourage you to give during these two periods, and even set calendar reminders make sure we take full advantage of these matching opportunities. Blackbaud matches $10 on all gifts of $10 or more during each of those conferences, so if you donate during both, you can generate $20 in matching funds this year, helping us reach our chapter goals.

Speaking of our goals for Be the Cause in 2024, we don’t have them yet, but we should receive those in the next few weeks. When we do get those figures, we’ll share those with you here.

For more information, or to make your gift to the Be the Cause campaign, visit the AFP Website here.

Questions about your membership?
Contact Jeff Schneider at jeff.schneider@dbqarch.org.

Meet Mark Singsank!

Mark has been the Associate Development Director for Divine Word College for 19 years. He’s worked in the nonprofit world for 35 years, with 25 in fundraising.

Mark is from Dyersville and has a Bachelors in Recreation from University of Iowa and a Masters in Sports Management from the United States Sports Academy.

What do you enjoy most about working in the nonprofit world?
Sharing our mission with our benefactors and getting to know them on a personal level, not just a transactional level.

What advice would you give someone who wants to enter this field?
Be a good listener. When you meet with benefactors, it’s important to listen to their stories and understand why they believe in the mission of your organization. It’s important for you to believe strongly in the mission of the organization you are working for as well. Without that conviction, I believe it is difficult to enthusiastically share the mission with others.

What 3 words would your friends use to describe you?
According to my wife: Loyal, Considerate, Knowledgeable

Favorite place or thing to do in Dyersville?
Golfing at Dyersville Golf & Country Club and having a few beers with friends at Textile Brewery

What’s something about you (fun fact) that not many people know?
I have two sets of twin brothers, one set is identical, the other fraternal. They are all older than me. I am the youngest of eight with just one sister.

There have been some recent local employment opportunities. Check out the postings to learn more. For current positions please click here:

Job Opportunities

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