"In the week before Thanksgiving, the Bluegrass Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) saw fit to show its appreciation to 30 individuals and organizations that have helped further the cause of philanthropic efforts throughout Central Kentucky.
The honorees, including individual volunteers and financial donors as well as major corporations, were recognized during the group's luncheon celebration of the 20th Annual AFP National Philanthropy Day.
The efforts of the honored contributors ranged from personal involvement and financial support to philanthropic corporate partnerships. Lexmark International was honored for its contribution of funds and volunteer hours to the Girls Go Tech program of the Girl Scouts Wilderness Road Council. God's Pantry recognized The Kroger Company for its efforts to encourage support and build awareness, in addition to its contribution of a million pounds of food in the past five years alone. Hospice of the Bluegrass took note of years of leadership and financial help from 3M employees as well as retirees.
Other organizations chose to highlight the volunteer efforts of individuals. Lexington Children's Theatre selected local dentist John Denison in appreciation of the free dental care services he has provided for LCT professional performers, staff and their families. The Lexington Humane Society honored Tammy DeArmond, a longtime Sunday afternoon volunteer who makes it a personal mission to arrange adoptions for abandoned Weimeraners. The Explorium of Lexington recognized Zelda Gall, a volunteer staple at its registration desk, who has given both time and money to their cause over the years.
"It gives nonprofit organizations this great public forum," said Sara Holcomb, executive director of the Explorium of Lexington and co-chair of the Bluegrass Chapter's National Philanthropy Day event. "There's no better way to say thank you."
The national day of recognition also gives nonprofit groups the opportunity to create awareness within the community about themselves and the needs they fulfill, Holcomb said. Attendance for the local event grew from 350 participants last year to roughly 430 this year.
This year, in addition to the recognition of community contributors by individual local nonprofit organizations, the Blue Grass Community Foundation (BGCF) was honored with the AFP Bluegrass Chapter's 2006 Distinguished Philanthropy Award. The chapter took note of the BGCF's steady growth and financial support of community efforts since its establishment in 1967. In 2006, the organization awarded more than $1.6 million in grants and scholarships, a 64 percent increase over the previous year.
"Never in the history of our world have more people had more money and more willingness to give their money and time than today," said Paulette Maehara, president and CEO of the Association of Fundraising Professionals International, who served as the keynote speaker for the Bluegrass Chapter's luncheon event.
Maehara, who cited Giving USA in reporting that more than $260 billion was given to philanthropy in 2005, said that philanthropy has become "cool" and "the thing to do" in today's world.
"There is no law mandating that people have to give. There is no law that says you have to volunteer. So why do people do it? People want to make a difference, they want to change the world, and they want to be connected and they want to be involved," Maehara said.
The AFP is a professional association that represents more than 27,000 members in 180 chapters across the United States, Canada, Mexico and China. Tim Burcham, vice president for advancement of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System and a 20-year member of the AFP's Bluegrass Chapter, has been selected to chair the organization's board of directors in 2007. The AFP's Bluegrass Chapter includes more than 100 members.