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AHP Rockies and Southwest Regional News "One person with passion is better than forty who are merely interested."
Hello fellow Rockies and Southwest Region members! You just never know when Mother Nature will surprise you with a turn in weather. I’m currently looking at more than 12 inches of snow and the most beautiful landscape…. Now, before you think that another natural disaster has struck south Texas, let me explain that I’m sitting in Washington DC’s Reagan National Airport…which is closed. Those of us who have the honor of serving you as Regional Directors convened in Georgetown on Friday, February 10th for our first board meeting since the Vancouver International Conference. We joined national board members to get an update on current activities nationwide with AHP and to learn of new programs under development. We covered a lot of ground in a short period of time, leaving plenty of time to discuss tactical ideas for meeting our organizational objectives. We should all take great pride in the strategic plan that has been developed for the organization, working to implement the following goals:
Our region already has begun to work on these objectives as evidenced by the tremendous amount of activity around planning for upcoming regional and international conferences, Cabinet appointments, and establishing our targets for annual fund and membership totals. We’re fortunate to have an amazing wealth of talent in our region and many have answered the call to volunteer their time to help AHP remain at the forefront of organizations established to serve the fundraising profession. My sincere thanks to the following members who have agreed to serve our region on the Cabinet:
We have a few gaps in state representation. The primary focus for the state representatives is to help raise awareness for AHP in your state through roundtables, workshops, seminars, or other means you can create for getting the word out about the organization and encouraging membership. Although the responsibilities are manageable, the work is vital. Without representation from each state, we miss the opportunity to give voice to each area of the region informing us of issues and concerns that might be specific to the area, and providing educational opportunities. I welcome word from anyone willing to serve in this capacity. Before I leave the topic of this spirit of volunteerism among our members, we owe a great debt of gratitude to Barbara Larson who is serving as a Core Curriculum Co-Chair for the AHP Foundation and to Franci Hart who agreed to be Education Track Dean for the Foundation Management Track at the AHP International Conference. This is a considerable commitment and we’re very proud to have our region so capably represented at the national level. Speaking of conferences, you won’t want to miss this year’s Rockies and Southwest Conference to be held in Colorado Springs, Colorado. We return to the Antlers Hilton for another opportunity to experience the ‘highs’ of the Rockies with educational sessions that are designed to meet the needs of both small and large shops. Kimberley Britton is our Conference Chair this year and my hat is off to her. She and Kathy Friend – Education Chair – are putting together a stellar program. I hope to see all of you there. Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t recognize the extraordinary job done by John Drake in his service as Regional Director. John has done tremendous things to enhance the effectiveness not just of our region, but for the AHP organization nationwide. His creative ideas and insightful wisdom have helped raise the bar for us all. Great work, my friend! And my very best to you all! Lisa Kennedy
Alright, everyone put on your gear and start the climb. I will meet you at the top! Kimberly M. Britton, CFRE
Fundraisers asking fundraisers? Now that’s a challenge! But as fundraisers we all know it is always an easy ask when you believe in the cause. And this year, it is easy to believe in our cause. This year’s AHP Annual Fund will benefit the Resource Information Center - something we can’t live without! Your pledge to the 2006 Annual Fund directly supports the Resource Information Center (RIC); far and away the most popular of AHP’s services. RIC handles over 3,000 requests annually. It is the most consulted and most comprehensive resource our members have to answer all their questions about fundraising. This year’s Annual Fund proceeds will support many areas of the Resource Information Center - - library materials, best practice research, Ask AHP and AHP Listserve. In addition, the Annual Fund supports scholarships to our colleagues for continuing professional education. Last year eight scholarships were awarded thanks to the AHP Annual Fund. Won’t you decide now to give? Be prepared for when you receive our phone call requesting your support of this year's campaign. All AHP members will be contacted personally to consider a gift. We hope all members will make a pledge this year; and discover how good it feels to help our friends and colleagues in a profession that has given us so much. Take up the challenge! Your pledge will matter; decide right now to support RIC and the AHP Annual Fund. Just how many times do you get the chance to serve so many…. with a single “Yes”? Julie P. Johnson Haffner, CFRE
The Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential provides a way to demonstrate your achievements, integrity and commitment to the philanthropic fund raising profession. In today's not-for-profit sector there are 1.8 million organizations registered, which employ 12 million people with more than 100 million adult volunteers. According to CFRE International, there are currently 4,700 CFRE certificants worldwide. Approximately 62% are female, 38% are male and the average age of a CFRE certificant is 44 years. There are 699 CFRE certificants who have declared they are members of the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP). Of those 699 a full 528 (97%) reported their ethnicity as Caucasian. Less than one half of one percent of CFRE candidates reported another ethnicity and only 2 individuals reported being African American. Why should I become a CFRE? As an African American woman, I’ve been fundraising for eleven years and, for me, having the CFRE credential is the next step in proving I have the knowledge and understanding necessary to grow within this profession. It is my responsibility to perform to the best of my ability and to help set an example to keep the door open for people of color in professional and management positions within the not-for profit sector. Approximately 76% of first-time CFRE candidates are successful. If I don’t pass in May, I will continue to pursue this dream because I believe this is a great career! For more information visit www.cfre.org. Editor’s Note: Tanya was a newcomer at the AHP Regional in June 2005 and has enthusiastically participated in AHP during the past year. If you haven't yet heard the latest buzzword in the industry, you will soon. It's all about "transparency." As healthcare and fundraising both come under greater scrutiny from the public it's important that the information they have about our organizations is accurate. My organization, INTEGRIS Health, has chosen the proactive course and is publishing statistical information (surgical outcomes, cardiac care outcomes, risk-adjusted survival rates) in the local newspapers with future plans to include outcomes on our website. When was the last time you checked GuideStar to see what it says about your organization? I hope you've done so recently and all the information was accurate. If not, and you're like me, you may need to get them up to date about your organization. Why? Because today GuideStar comprises more than 1.5 million nonprofits, 2.4 million Form 990 images, and digitized information from 1.9 million returns. GuideStar is asking that you update your information. Again, why is it important? Because last year they had 7.6 million user sessions on their website averaging 21,000 users per day. Some of those 21,000 users today are likely checking on you. You can update now at www.guidestar.org.
AHP Rockies and Southwest is the best region!
All Hands On Deck!!! Let's make a concentrated effort to encourage each other to renew… after all we need each other. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions about your membership or renewal. Thank you for all you do to continue to support AHP and the most noble profession! Rick Resnik, CFRE AHP Fundraising Performance Benchmarking Program update AHP, in partnership with Growth Design, launched its joint benchmarking program in 2004 based on member and industry need. The AHP Fundraising Performance Benchmarking program now has 30 health care organizations participating and continues to grow. The program itself has evolved as well. The original concept of creating several independent Learning Circles with Learning Circle Leaders has been replaced — there is now only one Learning Circle. This provides participants with access to a larger pool and gives professionals more credibility. Recognizing that the world of your board members, CEOs, and CFOs — one that involves strategizing based on benchmarks, financial modeling, performance data, and best practices — is quite different than that of a fundraiser, AHP member organizations created the “Learning Circle” concept in order to demonstrate the power of philanthropy. By developing health care philanthropy benchmarks and best practices, this ground breaking industry effort positions health care philanthropy on an equal playing field with the other components of the health care organization. Participants come away with specific and measurable outcomes for their organization, not a generic plan. Program results are analyzed for: Annual Gifts, Major Gifts, Planned Giving, Public Support, Special Events, Other Fundraising Sources, Fundraising Administration, and Non-Fundraising Administration. As the Benchmarking Learning Circle develops and grows, AHP and Growth Design are compiling the data into a searchable database that participating organizations can use in their strategic planning process. Long term, AHP member participation will significantly impact health care's philanthropic efforts enabling health care organizations, large or small, to provide improved services to more people. For more details about the program and how an organization can join, email AHP at ahp@ahp.org. Also, you can visit the AHP members only section of the Web site (user name: go-ahp, password: trustee) at http://www.ahp.org/members-only/benchmarking-program/index.php for more information.
The AHP Rockies and Southwest region continues to urge our members to submit to the RIC your new
or updated policies and programs, campaign case statements, policies
related to HIPAA implementation and any other development information that could be of use to another AHP member.
Do you have a good example of one of these "most wanted" documents? Please e-mail them to ric@ahp.org!
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