It takes special effort to examine the differences that exist among us. There are untapped partnerships that can enrich our lives, and there are differences that still wrongly divide us. That is why the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) is releasing Kaleidoscope, a quarterly diversity e-newsletter designed to bring to light the differences and similarities of human experience that we so often overlook. As its name implies, Kaleidoscope aims to inspire a vision of inclusiveness and harmony that can be achieved when true differences are respected and false perceptions are forgotten.
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If Not I, Then Who?

by Alphonce J. Brown Jr., ACFRE

"For many years, I have felt the void from the absence of people like me in the professional marketplace—those whose motivation is similar to my own," writes AFP Chair Alphonce J. Brown Jr., ACFRE. Brown shares his desire for diversity to be voiced in print and challenges us to be instruments of change.   Full story

Planned Giving in the Black Church

By Heather Gee, CFRE, CAP

Historically, the black church has been and continues to be the center of the black community. However, most churches have not implemented traditional fundraising strategies or employed professional fundraisers. Heather Gee, CFRE, says acquiring high-level, religiously based fundraising training for the leadership and volunteers might be a good first step, as well as implementing a planned-giving program.   Full Story

Exploring Philanthropy in China

By John Skendall

In May 2006, 12 official delegates led by AFP Chair Alphonce J. Brown Jr., ACFRE, journeyed to China for a People to People ambassador trip. Their goal was to create a greater awareness about charitable fundraising to improve the quality of life in China and to explore the complexity of philanthropy as it relates to the global community. One delegate, Janice Gow Pettey, MNM, CFRE, shares her thoughts and observations about the trip.   Full Story

Community Counselling Service (CCS)

The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) is pleased to recognize and thank Community Counselling Service (CCS) for its generous sponsorship of Kaleidoscope. CCS is a leading fundraising consulting and management firm established in 1947. Headquartered in New York, CCS conducts campaigns worldwide and is dedicated to the recruitment, retention and promotion of diverse individuals to the fundraising profession.  Full Story

Career Track

Lamar Dixon, donor relations manager for United Way of Allen County, Fort Wayne, Ind., is less than a year into fundraising, but he already sees the need for sincerity and credibility within the profession. He says that increasing diversity means accepting other approaches and being creative in that pursuit.
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Author Discusses Her Book,
Uplifting a People

Frustrated with the lack of research on African-American contributions to philanthropy, Marybeth Gasman, assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania, asked a group of young scholars (black and white, faculty and students) to contribute essays to a book that she hoped would illuminate the lives and actions of African-American philanthropists.  Full Story