Mike’s Monday Message: A Governance Roadmap for 2024

Happy New Year, and welcome to 2024!

We’ve made it through another year-end giving season! I just want to take a moment to recognize all of your hard work and say “thank you.” It is because of your dedication and passion that your organizations are able to make such an astounding impact.

It is also this commitment that has helped AFP grow and change, to better reflect the needs of the fundraising profession.

We certainly have not been perfect, but we’re committed to putting our ideals into practice so inclusion, diversity, equity, and access are values that are visible throughout every aspect of AFP’s work. Importantly, this extends to the policies and governance structure that serve as the underpinnings of our organization.

Over the last few years, AFP volunteers have been conducting research and surveying members to create an updated Code of Ethical Standards that incorporates IDEA and reflects the lived experiences of the entirety of the AFP community. The proposed changes were approved by the AFP Global Board of Directors in December and will be introduced this year, officially going into effect in 2025, to coincide with another policy change that is underway — implementation and enforcement of the recently updated AFP Member Fair Behavior Policy.

AFP Global Board Chair Birgit Smith Burton appointed a task force in December of 2023, charged with reviewing and enhancing the current process for handling member complaints within the AFP community, and updating this process to increase transparency, accessibility, and fairness. This task force will be responsible for outlining the next steps once a member files a complaint, determining how the policy is implemented, and establishing a framework for effective follow-through.

Their recommendations will be presented to the AFP Global Board of Directors for approval. If approved, these changes will go into effect in January of 2025 alongside the recently updated Code of Ethical Standards and the new AFP Global strategic plan.

Oh yeah, we’ve also been busy drafting a strategic plan.

You may recall a Mike’s Message Takeover in December from Roger Ali, MBA, C. Dir., CFRE, and Adrienne Longenecker, CFRE, sharing what we learned from a survey we conducted, where we asked for feedback on how AFP could better serve you. That survey generated some fantastic insight that is being incorporated into not only a new strategic plan, but scenarios for the future of AFP chapters, volunteer management systems, and our leadership structure.

We expect the strategic plan to be reviewed and approved by the AFP Global Board of Directors in April and shared with YOU and the general public in summer of 2024.

There has been so much work taking place behind the scenes over the last few years. I don’t know if members are aware of the extent to which our staff and volunteers—on these task forces, committees, and our board—have taken your feedback to heart and tried to incorporate the entire profession’s thoughts, feelings, and experiences into these changes.

These updates are for each and every one of you. So you feel like you are a valued part of this organization. So you feel heard in this community. So your interests are represented and your identity is respected.

Thank you to everyone who worked on these projects and everyone who provided feedback through surveys and interviews. I can’t wait for everyone to see these long-awaited efforts come to fruition this year. 

As always, if you have any questions, or there is anything I can do to help as you kick off the new year, don’t hesitate to reach out to me via email at Mike.Geiger@afpglobal.org or on X at @AFPMikeGeiger. I’d love to hear from you.

Mike Geiger, MBA, CPA