Fundraising Professionals of Year Look Back: 2012 Fundraiser of the Year

By Joe Boland

While it's never easy for FundRaising Success to choose the winners for our annual Fundraising Professionals of the Year Awards given that there are way more worthy candidates than we can possibly acknowledge, there are times when certain honorees jump right out. Two years ago was one of those times, as Sue Woodward, then vice president of development at the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) — and now vice president of development at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children — did a masterful job leading IFCJ's 2011 fundraising.

IFCJ's e-mail file size grew in 2011 with a 74 percent increase, and first-time online donors grew in 2011 with an increase of more than 49 percent under Woodward's leadership. Also, online fundraising grew 34 percent in 2011 for the organization while IFCJ acquired more donors and raised more through direct-response television as well.

Click here to read more about 2012 Fundraising Professional of the Year winner Sue Woodward.

And that reminds me — the deadline for the 2014 Fundraising Professionals of the Year Awards is less than one week away!
To nominate a peer, colleague, co-worker, employee, staff member, volunteer, client or agency partner for the 2014 Fundraising Professionals of the Year Awards, just send an e-mail to mbattistelli@napco.com with "FOTY nomination" in the subject line, and include the following information:

Nominee's name, organization, title and e-mail address
Your contact information
A photo of the nominee, if possible
Category of nomination
Explanation of why you are nominating this person (500 to 1,000 words)

This year's categories are:

Lifetime Achievement — For a body of work over the course of 30+ years
Fundraising Professional of the Year — For specific fundraising achievements in 2013
Fundraising Stars — For a body of work, a compelling project or special circumstance, an overall attitude or approach, etc.
Rising Stars — Up-and-comers with fewer than five years in the sector
Live It! Award — For fundraisers who champion causes and support philanthropy in their personal lives
Best Fundraising Blog
Best Industry Speaker

There's no fee to make a nomination, and the nomination deadline is Jan. 13, 2014.