AFP Colorado Chapter

⏰ National Philanthropy Day Award nominations close July 17!

Every day across Colorado, generous individuals, businesses, foundations, volunteers, fundraisers, and youth leaders strengthen communities through philanthropy, service, and advocacy. National Philanthropy Day is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate those making a meaningful difference.

AFP Colorado is now accepting nominations for the 2026 National Philanthropy Day Awards, including categories such as Outstanding Philanthropist, Outstanding Volunteer, Outstanding Business, Outstanding Foundation, Outstanding Youth, and more.

Do you know someone whose generosity, leadership, or commitment to community deserves recognition? Now is the time to nominate them.

📅 Nomination deadline: July 17, 2026

Learn more and submit a nomination: https://community.afpglobal.org/afpcocoloradochapter/npd48/new-item

🌟 Member Spotlight: Amy Murin 🌟

In May, we featured Amy Murin, Development Manager at Spark!, an organization that has spent 47 years inspiring change through volunteerism across Colorado.

In 2025 alone, Spark facilitated 58,000 volunteer hours through programs focused on mental wellness, healthy aging, and community engagement. Amy plays a key role in strengthening donor stewardship, building funder relationships, and supporting sustainable growth for both Spark and its strategic partner, Project Helping.

One story that inspires Amy is the impact of Spark's older adult volunteers, who collectively contributed thousands of hours helping community members maintain independence, connection, and well-being. As one volunteer shared, “One good deed gives birth to another good deed.”

Amy credits AFP Colorado with helping her grow as a fundraising professional through peer learning, networking, and practical conversations that spark new ideas and solutions.

Thank you, Amy, for your dedication to building stronger communities through philanthropy and service!

Interested in influencing the future of AFP and the fundraising sector, while gaining valuable volunteer leadership experience? Submit your nomination today for the 2027 AFP Global Board of Directors.

The deadline for submission of completed nominations is June 10, 2026.

Learn more & submit a nomination: afpglobal.org/boardnominations

🌟 Mentorship Program Spotlight 🌟

This spring, we celebrated the completion of our 2025–26 Mentorship Program, featuring seven mentor-mentee pairs who spent six months building connections, sharing knowledge, and growing together.

For mentee Cydnee Dossey, Philanthropy Officer at Denver Rescue Mission, the program provided valuable guidance, encouragement, and an outside perspective during a career transition. Through conversations on major donor engagement, communications, and professional growth, she gained practical tools and renewed confidence.

For mentor Nancy Slyter, CFRE, Senior Philanthropy Advisor at CrossPurpose, the experience reinforced the importance of creating space for emerging leaders to feel supported, heard, and empowered.

As Nancy shared, mentorship is one of the most meaningful ways we can invest in the future of our profession—sharing lessons learned while helping the next generation of fundraising leaders thrive.

Thank you to all of our mentors and mentees for making this year's program a success. We look forward to launching our next cohort in October 2026!

P.S. - make sure to sign-up for Thursday Thoughts, our e-newsletter, to read the full interviews with all of our mentor-mentee pairs! https://bit.ly/4oz89vr

Check out this month's message from Lizz Helmsen, AFP CO Chapter President!

"Welcome to June. Over the next several weeks, we’ll highlight some of the many celebrations and remembrances that mark this change in seasons, beginning with Pride Month. Did you know that Pride Month began in Colorado in 1974 with a group of 50 people in Cheesman Park?

Today, Pride Month not only offers an opportunity to celebrate but also invites us to reflect on how we are creating a professional community in which every fundraiser can participate fully and authentically. It reminds us that belonging is not a destination we reach or a statement we make. Rather, belonging is something we create together through our daily choices, conversations, and behaviors.

Last month, we discussed AFP’s new FORGE framework, which is designed to help us actively build belonging through Fairness in our actions and decisions, Openness to new perspectives and experiences, Respect for the diversity of identities within our profession, Grace as we learn and grow together, and Empathy for the unique journeys of our colleagues.

We spend our careers helping donors, volunteers, and community members feel connected to something larger than themselves. During Pride Month, and throughout the year, let’s bring that same intentionality to our AFP Colorado community.