Virginia Association of Fundraising Executives

VAFRE is proud to be a participating organization with CFRE International. Members receive a 20% discount on certification and recertification.

The next application deadline is TOMORROW January 15th.

From the President

Hello fellow VAFRE members! 

As this is my last note as VAFRE President, I am going to end as I started with more gratitude in the form of a story. At our luncheon last week, Will Glasco kindly reminded me of my early days in VAFRE, which were not that long ago. I began with a summer "Brown Bag" at the invitation of Jane Helfrich. Jane thought I needed VAFRE, and she couldn't have been more correct. I had found my fundraising family, which I am continually grateful for. I was hooked. 

Shortly thereafter, as I tend to do, I wanted to get more involved, and the membership committee sounded interesting and not as daunting as "programs" or "communications." The membership committee was large but friendly and Samantha Charlet and Jennie Romero welcomed me warmly and made me feel at home. I was blown away by how intentional the group was and how seriously they took their task, growing and maintaining membership, so I continued on. 

Around this time, I met other great fundraisers like Ruth Modlin Ellett with her witty southern charm and Nick Sollog with his "lybunt" and "sybunt" lingo coupled with a great collection of bow ties. I was amazed that these folks would be so warm and kind.

Sometime later, I was once again sitting with Jane Helfrich at a meeting where James Wasilewski mentioned that nominations were open for board members. Jane nudged me with her elbow and kindly informed me of my next move, even though I doubt she remembers the brief encounter. Really, I was already taking a mental note to seek nomination, another one of my better life decisions. 

My early experience on our board was so great. James and then Jenn O'Rourke were excellent Board Presidents to serve under, instilling a productive and inclusive environment that spurred great conversations. During this time, I had the pleasure of getting to know Harry Warner who was serving the board as the Treasurer as well as a steady guiding presence.

Around this time, I came to P3. Wow, what a fabulous program! Small ongoing group meetings with the best of the best in development, what is there not to like? This is where I got the pleasure of knowing Dave Johnson, Samantha Marrs, David Thomason, and Maureen Neal as wonderful mentors, plus a host of fellow mentees that I still meet with regularly. What a fabulous program!  I loved it so much I became the P3 Chairperson, continuing to work with Samantha Marrs and my friend Alan Hutson.  Can you tell I am a big fan of P3?

This long story is getting too long, so I am going to skip right along. The pandemic began, and I watched Robinette Tiller skillfully navigate VAFRE through those many decisions, keeping the ship so steady.  I was taking notes as Vice President throughout that entire crazy year. Robinette really was the best person to be running VAFRE at that time, which was truly amazing to observe. Thank you, Robinette. You were so great in a very tough time for everyone. 

My time as President has been amazing; tough at times when pandemic decisions were (are) still looming, but most of all so rewarding. I cannot say how much I am continually amazed by the outstanding committee chairs we have in VAFRE as well as the great people who help behind the scenes. 

Speaking of behind the scenes, I have to give an extra large thank you to Mary Kidd. Mary really made my time as President so much easier. She is the keeper of knowledge, facts, and logistics; her institutional knowledge of VAFRE is so deep, which is key to a great organization. Thank you, Mary.

Well, if you have gotten this far, you are probably thinking that I am dropping a lot of names in here, and I am... for a reason. I name dropped each person because they have meant so much to me over the last few years in VAFRE. I call them my friends, and I would do anything to help any one of them. I wanted their names in this last note, so I could properly thank them and highlight their contribution to this fantastic organization. 

So, finally, I thank you as members of VAFRE for smiling back at me when I took the podium and nervously gave my comments each month. Thank you for being so understanding while we continue to navigate the "new normal," as it applies to VAFRE.  THANK YOU ALL!

David

David Sams,
VAFRE President

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VAFRE will celebrate our 9th class of P3 graduates when we gather on Wednesday, June 22nd at Special Olympics Virginia for our year-end celebration.

All P3 Alumni, including past group leaders, as well as the VAFRE Board are invited to attend this celebration.

Early registration is also now available for the 2022-2023 Professional Partnership Program. Click here for complete details and to register. 

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