Welcome New and Renewed Members! 

Laurie Ballard

Founder/President, LMB Development Consulting LLC

Stacey Grady, CFRE

Interim Vice President for Institutional Advancement & External Relations, Hartwick College

Sharon Holbrook-Ryan

Advancement & Communications Director, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany

Marna Redding

Chief Development Officer, American Camp Association

Rebecca Walker

Director of Strategic Fundraising & Communications, Columbia Land Conservancy

Save the Date for Capital Region Fundraising Day! 

Mark your calendar for Thursday, November 6, 2025, at the Training Center at Northern Rivers in Albany. Capital Region Fundraising Day is the region’s largest conference for fundraising and development professionals, featuring a full day of education sessions, networking, and collaboration with peers. Early bird registration opens next week with rates of $100 for members and $135 for future members.

Stay tuned for keynote and program details.

Book Club is back TONIGHT! We’re diving into the groundbreaking read Nonprofit AI: A Guide to Responsible and Effective Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Social Sector by Nathan Chappell and Scott Rosenkrans.  As AI continues to transform every industry, this book offers a timely and essential look at how nonprofit professionals can harness this powerful tool with intention, ethics, and impact. Learn more at the button below.

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Meet Amari Duncan, Director of Philanthropic Impact at Girls Inc. of the Greater Capital Region 👋

What’s one piece of advice you received - or learned through experience - that you wish you had known as an emerging fundraising professional?

"When I first got into fundraising, I thought the goal of every meeting was to walk away with a “yes.” Yes to the donation. Yes to the table sponsorship. Yes to whatever I had planned and rehearsed.  A no? That meant I’d failed.

Maybe I hadn’t articulated it well enough. Maybe I wasn’t persuasive enough... But now? I love a no. A no tells you where the edge is. A no, when followed up with one more question, "Can you share more about that?" or "What would make this a yes next time?" can unlock things a “yes” never could.

Over time, I realized fundraising had less to do with materials and more to do with moments. The right question, the right pause, the right gut feeling - it all adds up. It’s knowing when to pause and when to press. I’ve learned that “no” doesn’t mean never. It often just means not yet, or not like this, or not without X in place. And if you’re brave enough to ask why, you might just strike gold! 

But here’s the thing no one tells you early on: you’re not powerless. Sometimes we walk into donor or corporate meetings with this subtle belief that we should just be grateful for the time, that we shouldn’t push too hard, or that asking too many questions. But if you’re in the room, you have power. You have something valuable. You are not begging - you’re building something worth investing in. SO ASK! 

Ask what’s holding them back. Ask what would need to change for this to be a fit. Ask what kind of impact actually excites them. Ask if the timing’s wrong, if the budget feels off, or if they just aren't connected to the program, event, or mission.  Take every “no” as an opportunity to get better, smarter, to refine your pitch, to build the relationship, and to come back stronger and prepared for a YES! One question can change the whole game. Don’t leave the meeting without asking it."

Have a tip or a piece of advice that helped shape your own career journey that you'd like to share with others? We'd love to hear it! 

Celebrating the 2024-2025 Emerging Professionals Cohort 🎓

On August 21, AFP Hudson-Mohawk celebrated the Emerging Professionals Cohort with an evening of networking, refreshments, and a heartfelt toast from Laurie Ballard of LMB Development Consulting.

Congratulations to our graduates: Elly Bauman, Tori Colarusso, Colleen DeGroat, Julianne Lewis, Brielle Long, Chinira Lovick, Megan McCane, and Ollie Otty! 👏

This milestone marks not just a graduation but the continuation of a journey in ethical fundraising, inclusive leadership, and donor stewardship. The cohort provided space for deep learning, reflection, and relationship-building, made possible by mentors and supporters who helped shape the experience.

Save the Date! General registration for the 2025-2026 cohort opens on September 19. Click here to learn more.