AFP Conference
Two weeks ago I had the great honor of representing the Kansas State University American Humanics Program at the Association of Fundraising Professionals Conference - and it was amazing.
Through the conference I attended educational workshops about various fundraising techniques, practices, and opportunities. From how to ask for a raise to how to create a case study, the conference covered everything. The plenary speakers were great, too. I saw Kevin Carrol, Jane Goodall, and Sir Bob Geldof - the creator of Live Aid.
But back to the education series: case studies. Coincidentally, I was gone during my group presentation of our classroom case studies because I was at the conference, but while at the conference I attended a workshop of an hour-and-a-half all about case studies and how to make them. My final analysis? Mine was terrible. Our group did a great job for a first-try at creating the document, but after the workshop I now see where my fault lies. The best advice the presenter gave was to use journalism skills when creating a case study and give it a magazine feel. Why didn’t I think of this? My final advice: in the future, fellow philanthropy students and readers, don’t forget all of our public relations skills! I have a tendency to separate my classes and start fresh each semester, but this approach failed me on this assignment and I just wanted to take a moment to remind everyone that through many classes we have honed our design skills and should not take them for granted or leave them behind.
