New Board Chair for the AFP U.S. Foundation for Philanthropy, Catherine M. Connolly, CFRE, MBA
(Arlington, VA) Catherine M. Connolly, CFRE, MBA will begin a two-year term as the chair of the AFP U.S. Foundation for Philanthropy Governing Board. Ms. Connolly has owned her own firm since 1996, specializing in direct marketing fundraising. She has been a member of AFP since 1994 and has previously served in numerous positions on the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy Board, the AFP CA, Capital Chapter, the AFP Political Action Committee, and the AFP Global Board.
"I’m honored to be stepping into this role as the chair of the AFP U.S. Foundation for Philanthropy, to continue toward our vision to be a leader in addressing the nonprofit sector’s greatest issues through research and investing in solving our most-pressing challenges," said Connolly. "This work is only possible with the support of the high quality professionals on our Governing Board and the strong volunteers on our Fundraising Board. While we might not know what the future holds, I know that we have the people and process in place to make meaningful progress toward our mission."
The AFP Foundation for Philanthropy Mission Statement.
Our mission is to advance philanthropic investment and impact in the nonprofit sector. We accomplish this by:
- serving as a catalyst for the nonprofit sector to address the sector’s greatest issues
- acting as a convener between the professional fundraiser and the philanthropist to solve society’s most-pressing challenges
- conducting and supporting in-depth research leading to strategic insights and innovative thinking in philanthropy
The officers for the Foundation for Philanthropy Governing Board for 2025 will include:
Catherine M. Connolly, CFRE, MBA: Chair
Heidi Droegemueller, CFRE: Chair-Elect
Melissa Ryan Penland, MPA: Immediate Past Chair
Michael Buckley, CFRE: Secretary/Treasurer
Other members of the AFP U.S. Foundation for Philanthropy Governing Board include:
- Roger Ali, MBA, C.Dir., CFRE: AFP Global Board Chair
- David M. Coyne, CFRE: AFP Foundation for Philanthropy Fundraising Board Chair
- Christine Eckoff, CAP, CFRE: At-Large Member
- Beth Fischer, CFRE: At-Large Member
- Mike Geiger, MBA, CPA: AFP and AFP Foundation for Philanthropy President & CEO