Bob Bayne
Melissa Whitby (fourth from right) presents the Youth in Philanthropy Group Award to St. Mary’s Community Fund.
Take a quick scroll through social media and it’s difficult not to be inundated with a deluge of national “celebrations.” Consulting a “National Day Calendar” for early November provides quite the roundup of holidays; the first week alone throws out gems such as National Calzone Day, National Fried Clams Day, or even the oddly specific National Bittersweet Almonds with Chocolate Day.
And while the gears of corporate marketing spin ever onward in an effort to sell, sell, sell, it’s important to remember that amid all the clever product placement, many important causes are worth celebrating. There are plenty of initiatives in the local community designed to improve Memphis as a whole, so mark your calendars for November 15th, when National Philanthropy Day celebrates the individuals and organizations who work tirelessly to improve Memphis.
The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) is an international organization whose membership comprises individuals in the fundraising business. There are chapters all over the world, and the Memphis chapter is approaching its 35th anniversary next year. The local branch has about 175 members representing more than 100 organizations. Larger companies like ALSAC or Ducks Unlimited may have multiple employees who join the organization.
Melissa Whitby, current president of AFP Memphis and vice president of development at BRIDGES, knows a thing or two about philanthropy, and uses her platform at the AFP to recognize and boost newcomers and veterans of the industry.
“Our job as a chapter is to provide professional development at the local level year-round,” says Whitby. “We also do monthly luncheons and bring in various speakers from the industry. For example, last month we had a funder’s panel to hear from organizations about their funding priorities and new grants or guidelines.”
Originally started by the AFP, National Philanthropy Day has been an annual occurrence since 1985. Each year, the Memphis branch of the AFP has hosted the Crystal Awards luncheon, where the membership base nominates donors and funders for “Funder of the Year.” In addition, the awards also recognize a “Nonprofit Executive of the Year.” However, having done the same type of event for decades, Whitby and the AFP thought it was a good time to mix things up.
With the annual Philanthropy Day event in a transition year, November’s luncheon switches the focus from the donors to the fundraisers. “We wanted to do something fresh and more representative of the community,” says Whitby. “This year, we’re doing an event to honor the fundraisers and to celebrate those who raised all that money.”
While philanthropy might look simple on the surface, the whole profession is an incredibly complex layer of interactions that can sometimes take years to come to fruition. Leanne Kleinmann, who runs the Kleinmann Consulting Firm and has extensive experience with fundraising and development, wants to clear up any misconceptions about how much work fundraising takes.
While finally receiving a sizable check might seem like sampling ambrosia, it’s not just a matter of picking up the phone and calling someone with deep pockets. Just like in the sales business, relationships with potential funders often need to be developed over a period of time.
“When I worked at St. Mary’s School, we had a pretty defined community and it was pretty clear what story we wanted to tell,” she says. “That’s how fundraising works. For many local organizations, however, you need to both understand and convey your mission to others who may or may not understand what it is you’re trying to do.”
Kleinmann also stresses the act of simply reaching out to potential funders. “It’s a hard thing to do,” she says, “asking someone if they want to donate, say, $5,000 to your fabulous organization.”
While finally receiving a sizable check might seem like sampling ambrosia, it’s not just a matter of picking up the phone and calling someone with deep pockets. Just like in the sales business, relationships with potential funders often need to be developed over a period of time. That gives fundraisers and developers the opportunity to learn about who they’re asking for donations, while potential donors are able to learn about a nonprofit’s mission and if it aligns with something they’re trying to improve in Memphis.
“This is something that fundraisers sometimes struggle with,” says Kleinmann, “because it takes a while for people to understand the nuances of your mission.”
Whitby and Kleinmann both agree that Memphis is a very generous city when it comes to philanthropy. While corporations and community foundations provide a large amount of assistance to organizations, fundraisers also pay close attention to getting individuals and families in the community more involved. And even though the end goal may be the same, approaching an individual is much different than reaching out to a big corporation.
“I feel like people generally want to come see programming happening and meet the people running the program. “It’s that sense of joy that someone gets when they do make a gift; they want to be there and be able to see it.” — Melissa Whitby
When larger companies have grants or funds available, they usually provide specific guidelines on their websites for what kind of programs they will or will not fund. Typically, says Whitby, the corporations are a tougher nut to crack. “It’s harder to build a relationship with a company,” she says. “That’s why it’s really important to have board members who are connected to these larger companies and can get you in the door. To start, you need to work with whoever is accepting applications. You can’t just, generally speaking, cold turkey submit an application. If they haven’t heard of you before, that generally doesn’t work in your favor.”
After being approached by fundraisers, it’s common for corporations to maintain an interest once they’ve written a check. Using the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure as an example, many sponsors have a continued presence with the initiative they’ve supported. Sponsor employees are frequently spotted either participating in the race, volunteering at the event, or just attending to cheer others on. It’s highly unlikely that someone will write a check and then simply walk away.
On an individual level, donors are more attracted to “boots-on-the-ground” events. “I feel like people generally want to come see programming happening and meet the people running the program,” says Whitby. “It’s that sense of joy that someone gets when they do make a gift; they want to be there and be able to see it.”
Despite the rigorous effort and relationship-building intricacies involved with the work, Whitby has seen a lot of young Memphians gravitate towards the profession. “This is such a growing industry,” she says. “There are a lot of young professionals who are members of the AFP and have purposely chosen this field to work in.”
But what is it that attracts millennials and other young workers into the philanthropy and nonprofit world? For Virginia Carr, project coordinator at The Collective, there were a variety of reasons. While graduating college in 2018, her job search led her to The Collective’s booth at a career fair. “What drew me to The Collective, specifically, was the people I interviewed with. The CEO, Sarah Lockridge-Steckel, and vice president, Sabrina Dawson, were both young, dynamic, very smart, and engaging women who are really trying to tackle the poverty issue.”
The Collective hosts a year-long program for 18- to 30-year-olds who have been out of work or school in the past year and works to build both personal and professional skills, along with other training like team and community building. Utilizing partnerships with local community colleges and trade schools, the organization works to get participants certified for the workforce.
In addition, The Collective pursues policy change in local government so that the issues it focuses on can be resolved for the rest of the community. “They were really tackling the issues that mattered,” says Carr, “and I was drawn to it for that reason. The way they were approaching these issues felt different from other initiatives and the way other people talk about poverty and workforce development.”
Tackling social issues and finding donors is a tough ask, but Carr relishes the puzzles of her profession. “The allure of this work is that it’s challenging and dynamic. Since the issues are so big, it keeps you on your toes. What I do week to week, or even day to day, might change, so there’s never a dull moment.”
With so many driven young professionals like Carr flocking to the industry, it’s inevitable that there will be changes within Memphis’ philanthropic scene. But that aligns perfectly with the AFP’s mission to change as well. In addition to the Crystal Awards reboot, the board is bringing in new leadership to act as chair of the association’s National Philanthropy Day celebrations. Gaskill Strategies’ Linda McNeil, who won the 2011 Crystal Award for Fundraising Executive of the Year, has been helping advise on changes to the awards and will continue to lead the event’s revamp going forward.
As always, however, the AFP wants to make sure that whatever direction it takes matches what’s best for the community. “We could tell that some of the luncheons didn’t represent the community,” says Whitby, “so whatever we decide going forward, we’re going to make sure that the people in the room are representative of Memphis.”
National Philanthropy Day / Memphis AFP Crystal Awards
Thursday, November 14, 5-7 p.m.
LEO Events, 411 Madison Avenue
The event is free and open to the public, but attendees must register ahead of time. Register and learn more here.
