All About Supporting Philanthropy aasp

Celebrating Our Wins through the Annual Aspire Awards
Fellow Advancement Service professionals share their perspectives and experiences with the annual Aspire Awards, designed to recognize colleagues for their accomplishments. Become inspired and get ready to document your achievements after receiving advice from both sides of the award process. Robin and Sholanda will motivate future submissions by explaining how to best describe an innovative, complex project and measure success through impact. The size of your team and the size of the project may not matter as much as you would expect it to. It is the size of your story and the impact your project had on your foundation that matters most.
 
0.00 Intro: Tell your story
1.30 Diamond Award Winner Intro, Robyn Doughty
3.00 How to Start the Submission Process
7.30 Describe the Impact of Your Improvement
10.05 Budgeting Time and Effort
13.25 Selecting a Project
14.40 Click Submit, and Then What Happens?
18.20 Is It Worth It? 
24.55 Juror Intro, Sholanda Martin
27.43 Becoming a Juror
28.40 The Juror Experience
29.50 What Does a Juror Look For?
34.05 Advice on ‘Worthy’ Ideas
43.28 Apply and See What Happens

Chelsea Lamego and Alejandro Stevenson-Duran, co-founders of Fundminer, discuss their journey in building their company and the challenges they aim to solve in the fundraising and advancement services industry. They share how they met and started working together, the development of their product, and their experience attending the AASP Summit. They also highlight the importance of self-service and scalability in their platform, as well as the role of artificial intelligence in automating repetitive tasks. They offer advice for others looking to build their own solutions and emphasize the value of community and mentorship.

Dr. Becky Frantz is the Executive Director of Customer Service for Development and Alumni Relations at the University of California at Davis. She shares her journey in philanthropy and involvement with the Association of Advancement Services Professionals (aasp). She emphasizes the benefits of volunteering and offers advice for pursuing professional development and volunteerism. Becky also discusses the aasp mentorship program and the value of finding mentor matches in the same or different industry. She highlights the importance of formal education in philanthropy and suggests areas for degree programs or courses. She also recommends aasp's best practice webinars and the aasp Connect platform as valuable resources for learning.

- Volunteering in the advancement services field can provide valuable learning opportunities and personal growth.
- The aasp mentorship program offers a platform for individuals to connect and learn from each other.
- Formal education in philanthropy and nonprofit management is becoming more available and can provide in-depth knowledge and skills.
- aasp provides resources such as best practice webinars and the aasp Connect platform for continuous learning and professional development. 
- aasp is an inclusive association that welcomes organizations from various sectors and sizes.
- aasp Connect and best practices resources are valuable tools for advancement professionals.
- Volunteering with aasp offers opportunities to contribute and learn from others.

Data Science for Fundraising by Ashutosh Nandeshwar and Rodger Devine is a comprehensive book that covers topics such as learning R, predictive analytics, and data visualization. The book provides step-by-step instructions and guidance on implementing these concepts. It is written in a casual and approachable language, making it easy to follow along. The authors also provide additional resources and citations for further exploration. Overall, the book is highly recommended for anyone interested in data analytics and fundraising.

Summary
In this podcast episode, Meg Padovani discusses the book 'The Little Book of Gold: Fundraising for Small and Very Small Nonprofits' by Eric Hanberg. She highlights the approachability and value of the book, emphasizing its relevance for both small and large organizations. Meg explores the importance of making fundraising goals approachable and shares insights on starting small and building relationships. She also appreciates the casual and supportive tone of the book, which makes it feel like a conversation with the author. Meg concludes by emphasizing the significance of human connection in successful fundraising and the hope and inspiration the book provides.
 
Takeaways
Fundraising goals should be approachable and focus on building relationships.
Starting small and cultivating relationships is key to successful fundraising.
The book 'The Little Book of Gold' is valuable for both small and large organizations.
The casual and supportive tone of the book makes it an enjoyable read.
Human connection is at the heart of successful fundraising.

Staying Connected with Mark DeFelippis
A leader in the Advancement Services industry, Mark DeFelippis shares familiar career comforts within his professional journey, starting with falling in to a position and finding a home. This personal perspective is a story of evolution and engagement, highlighting the importance of human connection in today’s virtual world.
 
00:00     Intros & Background
3:00        Mark’s entry in to professional organizations
8:40        History and evolution of AASP and Advancement Services
13:30     Technology revolutions and finding value
17:40     Working to connect
20:30     Understanding the art of fundraising
23:15     A.I. and the Human Factor
27:30     How to build and maintain relationships virtually
32:20     Understanding your role, creating the future
36:15     Value of volunteering