Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome Aboard!
By Joseph K. Goepfrich, CFRE

	Joseph K. Goepfrich, CFRE, is vice chancellor for advancement, Purdue University North Central, in Westville, Ind. He is the current chair of the AFP Diversity Committee.

If you travel frequently for business or pleasure using public transportation, at some point during the journey you probably have heard the phrase “welcome aboard” from another person or through some prerecorded, effervescent announcement. I suspect most people hear the greeter talking, but really don’t pay much attention to what is being said. After all, they are a quick two words as common in the service industry as “have a nice day.”

However, “welcome aboard” should hold real meaning for us as members of the fundraising profession, as well as members of the human race. “Welcome,” according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, means “received in gladness.” “Welcome aboard” is a way of saying you, and all that makes up who you are, are happily accepted by the group.

Right now those of us involved with diversity initiatives, especially through our AFP connections, are tuned in to conversations and ideas that help us grow in our understanding of and appreciation for a wide variety of experiences, perspectives, opinions and cultures. Unfortunately, this is not true for everyone in the fundraising profession or even every member of AFP. Therefore, our collective challenge is to alter that mind-set and reach, one by one, everyone with these important diversity initiatives. The objective is to do it respectfully, with a good measure of patience and determination. The Diversity Workshop and the Diversity Art Showcase at the AFP International Conference on Fundraising are good opportunities to make connections with members. So, too, are the diverse communities discussion groups that bring together people with common experiences. Nevertheless, I suspect our greatest opportunity to promote the diversity message rests with better chapter-level programming.

Therefore, the AFP diversity committee is creating a new task force that will be charged with contacting chapters directly to offer suggestions and assistance on diversity initiatives. We recognize that each chapter is unique, but we also know that every chapter can at least take one step forward in the understanding and appreciation of diversity in our profession. The chapter contact task force is being appointed now, and we hope that its members will find success in their efforts, laying the groundwork for growth in diversity activities in every chapter.

Staying tuned in to a message is not an easy task. More often than any of us care to admit, we are distracted by outside factors and miss opportunities to enrich our knowledge.

So I leave you with a challenge. During the next few months as you travel on business or pleasure, take a moment and listen once again to something you think you’ve heard before. See if there is a deeper, more positive meaning to the message being delivered. Through the right filter, phrases such as “how may I help you?” and “enjoy your time with us” can mean a lot. And as you board that plane, train, bus or boat to take you on your journey, remember to listen to the greeter’s message: welcome aboard.

Joseph K. Goepfrich, CFRE, is vice chancellor for advancement, Purdue University North Central, in Westville, Ind. He is the current chair of the AFP Diversity Committee.