November 2022 Scholarship Round
Congratulations to our Scholarship Recipient!!
Ryan Thomas
Chief Financial Officer
Saavi Services for the Blind
“Thirteen years ago my AFP experience was launched when I received the Chamberlain Scholarship, an award from both our Southern Arizona Chapter and matched by AFP International, that provided me the funds needed to attend the AFP International Conference in New Orleans. Although I was already working as Development Director for the Women’s Foundation for Southern Arizona, the conference opened my eyes to the larger career of philanthropy and fundraising. From there I went on to serve as the Executive Director of the Birth and Women’s Health Center, and eventually to start my own business as a consultant. I’ve since served as chair of AFP Membership, Professional Development, National Philanthropy Day, the Statewide Conference, and now as President of the Chapter. Every bit of good luck and good friendship I’ve had in this profession has been due to AFP and my AFP colleagues, and it all started with a scholarship.”
Laura Alexander, MA, CFRE
Alexander Carrillo Consulting, 2014 AFP Southern Arizona Chapter President
“I was thrilled to receive a scholarship for a yearlong membership with Southern Arizona AFP. Being new to the fundraising profession and being very unsure of myself and capabilities, I was hesitant to ask my past employer to pay for the membership, not knowing how this career path would go for me. I am especially thankful that I was awarded the scholarship because my new employer Make Way for Books is very supportive of me being active with AFP. They are a very small non-profit so the fee would have been burdensome. I have been met with a very welcoming and supportive environment within AFP. Ellen Bussing, Deb Dale, Angie Smith, and Jessica Galow have all been very kind to me, made me feel welcome, helped guide me in some difficult decisions, and shown me new ways to look at our work. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to be involved and look forward to helping and mentoring others as I grow in this field.”
Ally Baehr
COO, Make Way for Books
“Receiving a scholarship to take the CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive) Exam years ago when I was the Chief Development Officer at the Primavera Foundation was a definite boost to my career. Holding this credential lets other nonprofit professionals know I take the commitment to this profession seriously.
I am so grateful to those who made that possible years ago, and I continue to
pay it forward through my ongoing financial and volunteering contributions to AFP.”
