Search
Member Login

Our Strategic Plan

The Association of Fundraising Professionals-Greater Austin Chapter prepared our inaugural strategic plan in 2009, with the goal of providing the Chapter with an attainable plan to serve its members and our community and to reinforce our mission to facilitate ethical and effective philanthropy in Central Texas. Since the development of that first strategic plan, our Chapter has continued to reevaluate and update our plan to guide the work we're doing in the years to come.

AFPGAC 2023 Strategic Plan Update

The 2021-2023 strategic plan was developed at a unique time for the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Austin Chapter. The annual strategic planning processes began in 2020 at the end of the prior strategic plan. This plan was created, published, and adopted during a the COVID-19 pandemic, and during a time that our communities – locally and globally – were facing unprecedented challenges.

Across sectors – nonprofit, private, education, government – organizations and leaders were confronted with economic, social, political, and health challenges that had previously been unacknowledged. The AFP Greater Austin Chapter, like all others, was deeply impacted. The organization had to navigate learning how to operationalize our work in a virtual world, how to sustain membership and build community, and how to do it all in a way that responded to the social movements that were amplified during the pandemic – specifically relating to anti-racism and equity.

Through 2021-2023 we’ve made incredible progress, but the Board of Directors felt strongly that there was much in the 2021-2023 plan to be accomplished, and through the work over those years we were equipped with a wealth of tools, knowledge, and training that we wanted to embed into the current plan. 

With that, in 2023 the Board approved an extension of our 3 year strategic plan to become a 5 year strategic plan and continue through 2025. To increase communications and transparency with members and supporters, we are thrilled to launch a new strategic priorities dashboard initiative this year. The dashboard will be updated throughout the year so we can celebrate the organizational vision and progress we are making together. Please see the new organizational dashboard below, and we invite you to review the 2021-2025 strategic plan.

Click to View Strategic Plan Strategic Dashboard, updated 07.01.24

2021 - 2023 Progress

 

PILLAR 1: Promote Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Access (IDEA)

  • IDEA Action Plan adopted and to Board roles and responsibilities
  • Created a separate line item in annual budget for IDEA initiatives
  • Created dedicated membership scholarships for Fundraisers of Color
  • Retained Full Humanity Consulting to conduct climate and culture survey, host two-day IDEA strategic board retreat, and guide development of a Strategic Equity Plan to increase equity in Chapter policies, practices and operations
  • Engaged most racially/ethnically diverse board in Chapter history
  • Launched Fundraisers of Color and LGBTQIA+ Affinity Groups
  • Hosted collaborative events focused on “Decolonizing Wealth”, Community Centric Fundraising, and Understanding and Interrupting Bias in Fundraising

PILLAR 2: Provide Relevant & High Quality Fundraising Education

  • Launched Values & Skills Institute to increase variety, scope and access to additional education offerings
  • Led successful Legislative Action Day in Spring 2021 and Spring 2023,  in partnership with other regional and statewide philanthropic and nonprofit advocacy organizations
  • Relaunched in-person Chapter Meetings and One-Day Conference and established partnership with Nonprofit Austin at ACC to host education programs, and Huston-Tillotson University
  • Simplified membership scholarship application 
  • Doubled budget for membership scholarships and expanded them to include free admission to all AFPGAC education programs

PILLAR 3: Increase Capacity & Strengthen Community

  • Mentorship program re-envisioned and launched as Member Matching Program
  • Established quarterly “Get to Know Your Chapter” virtual orientation sessions to build community and increase awareness of AFP Global and local resources
  • Increased membership by 15% in 2022 and 4% in 2023
  • New member onboarding currently in development
  • Relaunched in-person community building events (monthly coffees, happy hours)
  • Philanthropy Day continues to be highly visible, more diverse, and well-funded event for chapter

PILLAR 4: Champion Ethical Fundraising Practices

  • Value & Skills Institute hosted virtual session on CFRE certification and hosted a Chapter Meeting focused on CFRE in 2023
  • Implemented process to ensure every AFP education program provides CFRE credit
  • Raised profile of fundraising ethics through annual participation in October Ethics Awareness Month
  • Thank you notes mailed to EDs/CEOs acknowledging their commitment to ethical fundraising practices through investment in AFP for staff

Get Involved

AFP’s Strategic Planning Committee is actively seeking new members to support implementation of our plan. For more info or to get involved, please email Director of Strategic Planning at [email protected]