You Would Make a Great Mentor or Mentee, Check It Out!
WOW! What a year! AFP Greater Madison’s mentorship program saw continued growth with our largest cohort yet in 2023: 19 mentee/mentor pairings! And mentorship can be beneficial for anyone, not just for folks who are new to fundraising.
Details below:
-
Applications Open: March through Sunday, May 5
-
Cohort kicks off in June and formally runs for 1 year
-
Time Commitment: Min. 1 hour/month – otherwise flexible, dependent on mentor/mentee pair
-
Qualifications: You DO NOT need to be member of AFP Greater Madison to participate, looking for both mentors and mentees, all areas of fundraising and development
-
Questions? Email Mentorship Chair Pete Schwieger at pjschwieger@gmail.com
This year, participants included individuals working in all areas of development: planned giving, annual giving/membership, corporate/business development, and mid-level/major giving; new Executive Directors looking for guidance as they adapt to their changing role; and even volunteer board members/fundraisers supporting organizations they love on their own time.
If you’re looking for some extra guidance from a seasoned fundraiser, or think you have some wisdom/knowledge to share from your years on the job, we’d love for you to get involved in an experience that’s incredibly rewarding for both mentees AND mentors!
From your application, the committee uses a variety of criteria to help make effective matches:
-
Areas you’re seeking guidance in/are able to provide guidance about
-
Annual Giving, Board Development, Marketing & Branding, Sponsorship, etc.
-
-
Subsectors
-
Arts & Culture, Education, Environmental/Conservation Causes, etc.
-
-
Demographics
-
A mentee who is a member of the LGBTQ+ community who would prefer a mentor who is also LGBTQ+, etc.
-
-
Meeting time/setup preference
-
Morning In-Person Meetings, After-Work Zoom Meetings, etc.
-
The time commitment is very manageable, with the expectation that you’ll meet with your partner at least 1 hour per month. Some participants prefer virtual meetings or getting together over coffee or lunch. My mentee and I usually opted for a walk and talk at the UW Arboretum. Whatever works best for you!
Are you interested in being a part of the upcoming mentorship cohort? Applications can be found here:
Please share with other fundraisers you think may be interested – both as mentees or mentors! If you have any questions, please email Mentorship Chair Pete Schwieger at pjschwieger@gmail.com.
Hear from mentors/mentees themselves!
Soumi Gaddameedi: The AFP Madison mentorship program has been a valuable resource to me as an early-career fundraising professional. My mentor has provided tons of learning opportunities and advice to navigate this stage of my career. As an eager newcomer, I am grateful for this unique program to bridge the gap between school and starting a new job in fundraising.
Angela Wallace: It has been great to have someone to bounce ideas off of or get recommendations from their outside perspective. I am trying to listen and learn as much as I can. While we can't implement every idea right away it is good to know I have those ideas in mind for when I can introduce them. I am sharing the knowledge I get from my mentor with volunteers and board, so they understand it is not just me saying something – it is coming from another source with invaluable experience.
Steve Goldberg: We try to keep the meeting schedule somewhat consistent with a bit of last-minute flexibility. We generally meet each month at the same time & location approximately 4–5 weeks apart. Angela keeps me posted on any major developments/news from her organization in between our regular meetings, and she occasionally sends me questions regarding fund development, governance, and other issues. She brings a list of updates and questions to every meeting, which I start by asking "What's happening?" and "What are you excited about?" or "What's keeping you awake at night?"
