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Association Of Fundraising Professionals

The Association of Fundraising Professionals South Sound advances community driven philanthropy through connection, professional development, collaboration and innovation. 

Join us for &quot;From First Gift to Forever&quot; with Lynne Wester. Hosted by the South Sound Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), this session focuses on guiding fundraisers in building lasting donor relationships.Connect with fellow professionals to explore ethical, effective strategies that ensure first-time donors become lifelong supporters. Enhance your skills, share experiences, and bolster community impact through ethical philanthropy. Secure your spot by signing up today. Elevate your fundraising approach and contribute to a brighter future. If you&rsquo;ve ever worried about losing donors after their first gift, you&#39;re not alone. According to AFP&rsquo;s Fundraising Effectiveness Survey, only ~18% of first-time donors are retained year-over-year. Translation? If you don&rsquo;t make an impact early, you lose your chance at a meaningful, long-term relationship&mdash;and you can say goodbye to that future major gift. In this data-backed, sample-rich session, we&rsquo;ll walk through a jaw-dropping case study: how the Donor Relations Group (DRG) helped a client welcome 250,000 first-time donors to their nonprofit family in one month and built a mass communications strategy designed not just to thank them, but to keep them giving year after year. Whether you steward 25 or 25,000 new donors a month, you&rsquo;ll leave with:- A framework for retention-focused donor journeys- Real-world samples of donor communications that build loyalty- Scalable ideas you can implement right away- Tips to move from reactive to proactive donor relations &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;For this extended workshop format, we&rsquo;ll take the core concepts presented and then and move into guided application. After walking through each step of the proposed first-time donor journey, participants will have structured time to outline the basics of their own journey including key touchpoints, audience segments, and simple communication drafts. Exercises and small group discussions will help participants translate ideas into practical next steps to take back to their shops, regardless of size or team capacity. Beverages and pastries will be offered before the presentation. When registering for the event, you can ignore the tip option to Zeffy.<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1767729231/wysiwyg/rejsui36vwlwfwsmfxms.png" style="width: 102px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto 5px 0px; text-align: left; position: relative; max-width: 100%; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; user-select: none; box-sizing: inherit;" fr-original-style="width: 102px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto 5px 0px; text-align: left;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">We&#39;d like to thank <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.mca-marketing.com/about-us" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: initial; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">MCA Marketing</a> for their partnership in helping us with the venue at Tacoma Armory!&nbsp;About the Speakers Lynne Wester and Colton Withers:For over two decades, Lynne Wester has been a dynamic force in the fundraising world, redefining how organizations think about and engage with their donors. A bold believer that donor relations is the secret sauce to fundraising success, Lynne champions the idea that the donor experience should be just as intentional and strategic as the ask itself. Renowned for her ability to challenge the status quo in all the right ways, Lynne steps in when organizations are facing pivotal moments &mdash; whether navigating a crisis or seizing an opportunity. Her approach? Smart strategy, authentic connection, and fearless innovation. As the founder and principal of DRG, Lynne leads a powerhouse team of experts who work with nonprofits of all sizes to transform their fundraising outcomes.

"From First Gift to Forever: Turning First-Time Donors Into Lifelong Supporters" with Lynne Wester from Donor Relations Group

AFP South Sound's 2nd Annual National Philanthropy Day Awards

We know things are hard right now. Everywhere you turn, there are new stories of violence against immigrants, revoking of LGBTQ+ rights, funding roll backs, and a whole host of other fresh horrors.&nbsp;<p dir="ltr" fr-original-style="line-height:1.2;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;" style="line-height: 1.2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0px; width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> What is our role as fundraisers and nonprofits when it feels like society is falling apart around us? This question has plagued many of us over the past year, and become more prevalent in recent weeks.&nbsp;<p dir="ltr" fr-original-style="line-height:1.2;background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;" style="line-height: 1.2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0px; width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> Join AFPSS as we host a panel of local fundraisers and nonprofit leaders to discuss what their organizations are doing to protect their staff, action items your organization can take, and ways to think about what it means to fundraise in this moment. You&rsquo;ll walk away with concrete ideas of what you can do within your own role and how to start having the conversation within your organization.&nbsp; Facilitator: <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1770318334/wysiwyg/odhqqngie0dqzgxojmah.jpg" style="width: 120px; display: inline-block; vertical-align: bottom; margin-right: 5px; margin-left: 5px; text-align: center; max-width: calc(100% - 10px); cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; user-select: none; position: relative; box-sizing: inherit;" fr-original-style="width: 120px; display: inline-block; vertical-align: bottom; margin-right: 5px; margin-left: 5px; text-align: center; max-width: calc(100% - 10px);" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">Jesse Bohlin (they/them),&nbsp;a fundraiser within the Arab diaspora, often reflects on how they can support their community and other BIPOC communities in changing the systems and structures of philanthropy to increase access to the funds needed to build stronger community-based resources. At RVC, their role includes leading thought leadership work, building community-centric fundraising practices, and generally taking a lot of notes. Panelists: D&eacute;bora Oliveira (She/They/Elle/Elu) <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1770318106/wysiwyg/sc6v2mekpyjncucaa3aa.jpg" style="width: 99px; display: inline-block; vertical-align: bottom; margin-right: 5px; margin-left: 5px; text-align: center; max-width: calc(100% - 10px); cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; user-select: none; position: relative; box-sizing: inherit;" fr-original-style="width: 99px; display: inline-block; vertical-align: bottom; margin-right: 5px; margin-left: 5px; text-align: center; max-width: calc(100% - 10px);" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">Lee Warnecke (he/him/his) &nbsp;is a community builder who grew up on the Oregon Coast and has called Tacoma home since 2017. A Certified Fundraising Executive and Chartered Advisor of Philanthropy, he assists modern movement funders as Southern Poverty Law Center&rsquo;s Senior Development Officer. He is Past President of the Association of Fundraising Professionals South Sound chapter and a member of the South Sound Planned Giving Council and Seattle Philanthropic Advisors Network. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1770768883/wysiwyg/nnhc5hwuxspq1g5y3eqv.jpg" style="width: 145px; display: inline-block; vertical-align: bottom; margin-right: 5px; margin-left: 5px; text-align: center; max-width: calc(100% - 10px); cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; user-select: none; position: relative; box-sizing: inherit;" fr-original-style="width: 145px; display: inline-block; vertical-align: bottom; margin-right: 5px; margin-left: 5px; text-align: center; max-width: calc(100% - 10px);" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">Daniel Ensley (he/they)&nbsp;&nbsp;is a queer, transmasculine person of color whose identity and lived experiences deeply inform his work and offer a unique perspective on equity issues. As a member of the QTIPOC (Queer/Trans/Intersex People of Color) community, Daniel is deeply committed to equity in his personal and professional life and works to uplift and support those most affected by systems of oppression.&nbsp;Daniel has been with Oasis Youth Center for eight years and currently serves as Director of Development and Partnerships. Oasis is the only LGBTQ+ youth center in Pierce County, Washington, and provides leadership, prevention, and advocacy programs for youth aged 11&ndash;24. In addition to his development role, Daniel has also been the organization&#39;s lead professional development facilitator, delivering LGBTQ+ competency training to organizations across Washington during his tenure. Daniel has also participated in several panel discussions about Neurodivergence and how he has navigated his personal and professional world as someone with ADHD who was diagnosed as an adult.&nbsp;Daniel holds a Bachelor&rsquo;s degree in Psychology, focusing on gender and sexuality. He lives in Tacoma with his wife, two dogs, and two reptiles. Daniel enjoys cooking, photography, video games, and spending quality time with family and friends.

Association Of Fundraising Professionals

Association Of Fundraising Professionals

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