On September 18, Deborah Peeples will present "Managing Up/Managing Down: Leading a Turn Around to Raise More Money" to the Washington D.C. Metro Area Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). It was through AFP International that she was granted her designation as a certified fundraising executive in 1987, a status which she has maintained throughout her career. She will share strategies for how organizations can turn their development departments around to raise more money.

Peeples will draw from her own experience and discuss how she was instrumental in transforming a department that suffered from the effects of a revolving door of directors. "By bringing a new culture of philanthropy, a higher level of development practice, and a new vision for performance and results, I was able to triple the level of financial support within three years," she explains.

Peeples will share her experience to help other professionals institute recognized best fund raising practices that are foundational to success. Some of the topics that she will discuss include: creating a vision of growth; applying a campaign philosophy to annual fund raising; developing a rationale for departmental reorganization; use of metrics, data, and benchmarking; working with executive leadership; providing organization-wide training; and incorporating tried-and-true development practices.

"By implementing best practices, strategies and approaches, nonprofit organizations will become more successful," says Deborah Peeples. "It is important that a strong internal structure exists that supports the development program and operates from a donor-centric philosophy. Fundraising is central to the viability of nonprofit organizations so having a well-trained and skilled department leading these efforts is essential." Deborah Peeples is a frequent presenter at professional conferences and through her consulting practice and mentoring shares her insight, knowledge, and experience with others.

ABOUT:

Deborah Peeples is a recognized leader in the fundraising industry. She has more than 25 years of experience in the field and has helped dozens of organizations to turn their programs around. In 2008 she was recognized as the Outstanding Fundraising Professional of the Year for the Washington D.C. Metro Area Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Some of her areas of experience include governance, recruitment, board development, and motivation of staff. She is a strategic and innovative thinker who is always striving to come up with ways to help organizations to not only meet but exceed their goals. Throughout her career she has helped organizations raise millions of charitable dollars.