L to R: Our own Jen Peeters, Tammy Geenen, Carolyn Desrosiers, Megan Mulholland and Dave Horst at the National Philanthropy Day event in Neenah, sponsored in part by the Community Foundation.

Today is National Philanthropy Day, which provides an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of giving and all that it has made possible.

Tammy Geenen, vice president of community engagement at the Community Foundation

Specifically, today we:

• Celebrate the endless daily contributions individuals and organizations make to countless causes and missions.
• Show appreciation for all that has been accomplished in the name of giving.
• Allow philanthropists to step into the spotlight for a brief moment and remind our communities that the spirit of giving is alive and well.

The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Northeast Wisconsin Chapter recognized National Philanthropy Day with an all-day event at Bridgewood Resort and Conference Center in Neenah sponsored by the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region and our foundation partners in Green Bay and Oshkosh.

Image Studios of Appleton, nominated by the Community Foundation and United Way Fox Cities, won the Outstanding Philanthropic Corporation award at the luncheon ceremony for nonprofit professionals. Over the years, Image has been a strong supporter of the community, offering creative services for free or minimal cost to dozens of nonprofits.

L to R: Mary Rhode, vice president of marketing and communications, United Way Fox Cities, Scott Ehlers, business partner, Image Studios, Donna Gehl, president and CEO, Image Studios, Megan Mulholland, director of marketing and communications, Community Foundation

The nomination states:

“The photography Image provides has graced our annual reports, brochures, web site and social media. Doing United Way and Community Foundation photography has meant traveling to many locations, early shoots, late evenings – whenever and wherever events are happening. Everyone at Image embraces the projects and encourages us to think creatively about the best way to communicate our message. It has been exciting to see how they have developed a passion for our similar missions of building a stronger, more caring community.”

“We not only have the opportunity to give back to the community by offering our creativity and dynamic visuals, but it’s an opportunity for us to learn more about the community we live in,” says Image owner Donna Gehl.

The other award recipients include:

• Sue Bellin – Outstanding Fundraising Volunteer Award (Green Bay)
• Harold Eichstadt and the late Sally Eichstadt – Outstanding Lifetime Philanthropy Award (Oshkosh)
• Mark Kasper – Outstanding Philanthropist Award (Green Bay)
• Lucas Smith – Youth in Philanthropy Award (Manitowoc)

Keynote speaker Laura Fredricks shared how we can confidently and successfully ask as nonprofits and philanthropic professionals and breakout speaker Adam Clevenger talked about the day the donors quit: stewardship lessons from Crayons.

Founded in 1992, the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Northeast Wisconsin Chapter has been providing opportunities to develop and hone the skills of fundraising professionals throughout our community. Today the AFP Northeast Wisconsin Chapter welcomes more than 100 members annually, who represent a wide variety of nonprofits and philanthropic areas including health care, education, human services, arts and culture, animal welfare, environmental conservation and religiously affiliated organizations.

What does a Community Foundation do? Glad you asked! Learn more here.