AFP Houston

Webinar-How to Create a Written Fundraising Plan in 6 Easy Steps

Thu, 23 Feb 2012

How to Create a Written Fundraising Plan in 6 Easy Steps
By Sandy Rees

Many nonprofits struggle to create a fundraising plan and put it in writing, yet the benefits are tremendous. A written plan shifts you from being reactive and dealing with the crisis of the day to being proactive and working purposefully toward the results you want. In this session, you’ll learn how to follow 6 simple steps to put together a written plan for raising the money you need in the coming year. We’ll cover goal setting (using SMART goals), action plans and ways to keep your plan on track, plus you’ll get some worksheets and checklists that will make the process easy.

In this session:

Understand the process for creating a plan.
Be able to begin the process of creating a written plan.

About the Presenter
Sandy Rees is a nonprofit coach and consultant who specializes in showing small nonprofits how to raise money. She has written several books on fundraising including "The Simple Success Fundraising Plan" and she writes the blog "Get Fully Funded."

CFRE Review Course

Sun, 26 Feb 2012

Click here to access the all new Ask the Experts Website.

AFP CFRE Review Course - February 26-27

The Houston Chapter will host the AFP CFRE Review Course on February 26-27, 2012. The faculty list for the 2-day intensive session includes expert educators from across the United States and Canada.

An added bonus for this Review Course is that the tuition includes the Ask The Experts Conference on Tuesday, February 28, 2012. Ask The Experts (ATE) is an annual one-day conference on fundraising hosted by AFP-GHC. The conference features sessions on topics such as: fundamentals of fundraising, advanced fundraising techniques, annual fund, career development, corporate and foundation funding, diversity, executive leadership, internet and technology, major gifts and capital campaigns, planned giving, marketing and communications, research and special event fundraising.

AFP’s revised CFRE Review Course offers development professionals an opportunity to review the main components of a complete fundraising program. It is a two-day intensive program the purpose of which is to provide an overview of skills techniques, and program components based on fundraising experience at the five-year level.

Seating is limited, so sign up now!

CFRE Review Course:
$390 AFP Members (includes registration to ATE 2012)
$490 Non-Members (includes registration to ATE 2012)

For more information, please contact Nerissa Lawford at admin@afphouston.org or one of the following committee members:
Lisa C. Burns , CFRE Conference Chair lcburns@central.uh.edu or 713-743-4886
John Mitchener, CFRE Conference Co-Chair jcmitche@texaschildrens.org or 832-824-6918

Presented By:

Ask the Experts Opening Reception

Mon, 27 Feb 2012

Ask the Experts Opening Reception
Monday, February 27
5:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Hilton Americas Skyline Room

Please join the AFP Greater Houston Chapter for our upcoming Ask The Experts Opening Reception at Hilton Americas on February 27th. The reception will act as a preamble to the “Ask the Experts” conference to be held on Tuesday, February 28th. Even if you are not able to attend the conference, please take this opportunity to meet, greet, and reacquaint yourselves with fellow colleagues in the field of fundraising.

The reception will also feature the presentation of the 1st Annual Youth in Philanthropy Award. The Youth in Philanthropy Award recognizes a high school junior or senior OR student group who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to the community through direct financial support, development of charitable programs and leadership in philanthropy.

There is no charge to attend, but please register on-line so we know how many to expect.

If you have any questions, please call Nerissa Lawford at the AFP Office at (713) 266-2800.

Ask The Experts Conference

Tue, 28 Feb 2012

Click here to access the Ask the Experts Website.

February 28, 2012

The Best Little "International Conference" In Texas!

Ask The Experts (ATE) is an annual one-day conference on fundraising hosted by AFP-GHC. The conference features sessions on topics such as: fundamentals of fundraising, advanced fundraising techniques, annual fund, career development, corporate and foundation funding, diversity, executive leadership, internet and technology, major gifts and capital campaigns, planned giving, marketing and communications, research and special event fundraising.

Attendees will have the opportunity to meet with vendors as well as network with other conference attendees at Affinity Tables which will each present a specific topic open for a round table discussion.

Cost:
AFP Member - $95
Non Member - $125

AFP CFRE Review Course - February 26-27, 2012

The Houston Chapter will host the AFP CFRE Review Course on February 26-27, 2012. The faculty list for the 2-day intensive session includes expert educators from across the United States and Canada.

An added bonus for this Review Course is that the tuition includes the Ask The Experts Conference on Tuesday, February 28, 2012.

Cost:
AFP Member - $390 (includes registration to ATE 2012)
Non Member - $490 (includes registration to ATE 2012)

The Conference Presenting Sponsor is Chevron.

Presented By:

Best Boards: Leadership Conference for Nonprofits

Thu, 01 Mar 2012

Best Boards: A Leadership Conference for Nonprofits

Thursday, March 1, 2012, 9:00 a.m.-3:45 p.m.

Who should attend:

The conference is designed for nonprofit board chairs, board members, CEOs, development officers and other high-level staff members. Because some sessions are geared specifically toward volunteer and professional interaction, it is strongly recommended that teams of board members and staff attend.

Click here for more information.

Rice University campus, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005. Specific location and parking information will be mailed to you upon your registration.

March Monthly Educational Seminar

Fri, 23 Mar 2012

IF you do not receive a confirmation within 24 hours, then we did not receive your registration, please re-register for the event or contact admin@afphouston.org

MARCH EDUCATIONAL SEMINAR

Program:	CFRE Lecture Series *"Who IS Your Organization In All This Clutter? Who, Where, What and Why to Brand in the 'New World Disorder'"* The word “brand” is overused in business and nonprofit management. Today’s communication vehicles have confused all professionals to the point that we’re either avoiding them altogether (especially oral communication) or over-communicating to the point that we are drowning our stakeholders in emails, voicemails, and short-verse networking. Deborah Fiorito, president of 20K Group, LLC, believes it is time to slow down and remember how communication relates to cultivation. She will offer practical tips for identifying the important messages and how to communicate them effectively with the one/two punch.

Location:	The Junior League
	1811 Briar Oaks Lane
	Houston, Texas 77027

Cost:	Members -- $25.00 Guests -- $40.00
Schedule:	Registration and Networking 11:15 to 11:40 AFP Business 11:40 to 12:00 Luncheon 12:00 to 1:00

Speakers: Debbie Fiorito, 20K Group

Deborah A. Fiorito is a communications professional with more than 35 years in corporate and agency public relations. Throughout her career, Debbie has successfully managed campaigns to influence perception opportunities or threats. She has trained senior-level executives, board members and nonprofit leaders to communicate their business messages more effectively. She has also developed and conducted workshops for thousands of field and support staff to deal with the media during times of crisis.

She founded 20K Group in 2002 to fill a niche for highly personalized internal and external brand communications and message development. Prior to forming the firm, she was executive vice president and chief communications officer of Dynegy, Inc.,and before that, was senior vice president, Public Affairs, Chase Bank of Texas (now JPMorgan Chase). In addition, she has held senior-level communications positions at Apache Corporation and Mitchell Energy & Development Corp. (now Devon Energy).

Debbie is past chair of the March of Dimes Houston Division, and past chair of the Houston Downtown Alliance (formerly Downtown Houston Association). She is currently a trustee and member of Executive Committee of the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. In addition, she has served on the boards and/or executive committees of Women’s Energy Network, the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, Houston Image Group, Leadership Houston, Society for the Performing Arts, Houston Grand Opera and is a graduate and fellow of the Center for Houston’s Future. In 2001, Debbie was named one of Commodities Now magazine’s “50 Key Women in Energy.” She has chaired or co-chaired major fundraising events in the city, such as March of Dimes’ WalkAmerica (2003), Downtown Houston Association’s “Heart of the City” Gala (1999), and Crisis Intervention’s “Answer the Call” gala (2007).

She and her husband, Tom, an oil and gas company executive, live in the Museum District.

April Monthly Educational Seminar

Fri, 20 Apr 2012

IF you do not receive a confirmation within 24 hours, then we did not receive your registration, please re-register for the event or contact admin@afphouston.org

APRIL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

Program:	CFRE Lecture Series *"Storytelling: Communicating Your Mission With Infectious Passion."*

Location:	The Junior League
	1811 Briar Oaks Lane
	Houston, Texas 77027

Cost:	Members -- $25.00 Guests -- $40.00
Schedule:	Registration 7:15 - 7:40 a.m. AFP Business 7:40 - 8:00 a.m. Program 8:00 - 9:00 a.m.

Speakers: Alice Ferris and Jim Anderson

Webinar-Online Success Strategies, Tools and Trade Secrets

Wed, 09 May 2012

Online Success Strategies, Tools and Trade Secrets
By Ted Hart, ACFRE

Over the past decade nonprofit organizations have been inundated with Internet services and technology options. This session taught by Ted Hart , one of the world’s foremost experts on Nonprofits and the Internet will focus your organization on how it can integrate offline fundraising with online strategies. Content is based on content from the 5 books he has written on this topic. While nonprofit organizations continue to embrace the use of the Internet for a variety of purposes, the challenge most organizations face is how they can build upon their traditional direct mail, special event and other activities while not being an Internet expert themselves. Following the easy to understand guidance offered by Mr. Hart will help you begin your efforts or enhance what you have already started.

In this session:

How to reach the "new breed" of online givers
How to build community through online social networks
Learn how to stay ahead of the curve from our Internationally acclaimed speaker,author and e-fundraising guru, Ted Hart, ACFRE.

About the Presenter
Ted Hart, ACFRE is considered one of the foremost experts in both online and traditional fundraising around the world. He is sought after internationally as an inspirational and practical speaker and consultant on topics related to nonprofit strategy and board/volunteer development both online and offline. He serves as CEO of Hart Philanthropic Services, (http://tedhart.com) an international consultancy to nonprofits/NGOs, providing serious solutions to nonprofit challenges both online and offline. He has inspired the creation of People to People Fundraising a movement housed online at http://www.p2pfundraising.org. He is also Founder of the international ePhilanthropy Foundation, the global leader in providing training to charities for the ethical and efficient use of the Internet for philanthropic purposes through education and advocacy. Mr. Hart has also taken a leadership role in helping nonprofits become more green by founding the http://www.greennonprofits.org movement.

May Monthly Educational Seminar

Fri, 18 May 2012

IF you do not receive a confirmation within 24 hours, then we did not receive your registration, please re-register for the event or contact admin@afphouston.org

MAY EDUCATIONAL SEMINAR

Program:

Location:	The Junior League
	1811 Briar Oaks Lane
	Houston, Texas 77027

Cost:	Members -- $50.00 Full Seminar $25 Lunch Only $25 Morning Session Only Guests -- $75.00 Full Seminar $40 Morning Session Only $40 Lunch Only
Schedule:	Registration: 8:30-9:00 a.m. President’s Welcome: 9:00-9:05 a.m. Morning Session 1: 9:05-10:05 a.m. Break: 10:05-10:15 a.m. Morning Session 2: 10:15-11:15 a.m. Break: 11:15-11:40 a.m. AFP Business: 11:40-12:00 p.m. Lunch Session: 12:00-1:00 p.m.

Speakers: Tim Burcham

Webinar-Big Gifts for Small Shops

Wed, 06 Jun 2012

Online Success Strategies, Tools and Trade Secrets
By Alice Ferris, ACFRE and JIm Anderson

When you're a small organization, you may look at larger institutions and the gifts they secure as impossible for you to get. But small shops can make connections and build relationships to develop big gifts, too. In this session, we'll review the process of developing a major donor relationship; develop a case for support that inspires big gifts; and pinpoint how you can be strategic in your development approach when you don't have a lot of hands to do the work.

In this session:

Assess organizational readiness and infrastructure needs to secure big gifts.
Prioritize techniques that will work for your organization.
Identify team members for gift cultivation and solicitation.
Develop a workable action plan when you have a small staff and competing priorities.

About the Presenters
Alice L. Ferris, MBA, CFRE, ACFRE and James Anderson are partners in GoalBusters, providing philanthropic leadership services, specializing in outsourced development for small nonprofits; integrated fundraising, marketing and strategic planning; and customized education and training programs. GoalBusters has clients in many sectors, including public and community broadcasting, education, arts and culture, social service, healthcare, and Native American causes. In their careers to date, Alice and Jim have helped raise over $9 million for organizations and philanthropic causes.

Jim Anderson has more than 25 years of sales and sales training experience through his positions with local media and national research companies such as Nielsen Media, Simmons and Scarborough Research. Consistently recognized as a top revenue producer ($30 million+), Jim earned "Sales Executive" and "Negotiator of the Year" awards. He migrated into the nonprofit arena in 2005, and specializes in analyzing donor motivations, implementing marketing and social media campaigns, finding compelling stories for organizational case statements, improving nonprofit communications, and making any special event more effective and fun. In 2010, Jim was selected at the AFP Northern Arizona Fundraising Professional of the Year.

Alice Ferris has over twenty years of professional fundraising experience, and is a two-time honoree as AFP-Northern Arizona Fundraising Professional of the Year. Alice is a member of the AFP International Board, was 2009-2010 Vice Chair, Member Services for AFP International and was the 90th professional in the world to receive the Advanced Certified Fundraising Executive credential. She specializes in strategic and development planning, board development, annual giving, and nonprofit operations.

Alice and Jim, who are both AFP Master Teachers, have presented at AFP Chapters throughout North America and at the AFP International Conference.