Fundraising Professionals of Year Look Back: 2012 Lifetime Achievement

By Joe Boland

[Editor's note: The submission period for the 2014 Fundraising Professionals of the Year Awards is now open, with the winners announced in the February issue of FundRaising Success. Leading up to the awards, FS will highlight past winners.]

The 2012 FundRaising Success Fundraising Professionals of the Year Awards Lifetime Achievement honoree was Geoff Peters, president of CDR Fundraising Group.

Gail Battle, senior consultant at the Browne Innovation Group, nominated Geoff Peters for his "assiduous dedication to advance and protect the rights of the nonprofit industry," and we had to agree.

Geoff's long (35 years) and very public association with the fundraising sector stretches far beyond his role as a consultant who helps nonprofit organizations raise money to further their missions — though as president and CEO of CDR Fundraising Group, he certainly has done his share of that.

He is an internationally recognized expert on the regulation of nonprofits in the U.S. and Europe, and is well-known in North America as a volunteer attorney litigating landmark cases on behalf of nonprofits. In 2004 he won a five-year battle with Pinellas County, Fla., over its regulation of nonprofits, representing the Direct Marketing Association and DMA Nonprofit Federation, as well as other industry groups. He donated the awarded legal fees of more than $250,000 to a nonprofit public-interest law firm that continues to represent nonprofits.

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: