First International Organization for Donor Relations Professionals Established

The Association of Donor Relations Professionals has been created to meet the professional needs of fund raising officers in the field of donor relations and stewardship.

(PRWEB) August 5, 2004 -- The Association of Donor Relations Professionals has been created to meet the professional needs of fund raising officers in the field of donor relations and stewardship.

According to its founders and board of directors, ADRP will provide education, professional development, and networking opportunities for its members and promote the professional status of donor relations and stewardship officers in the development community. The association serves professionals stewarding resources and donors in a wide variety of settings, including the arts, community organizations, academic institutions, and other non-profit agencies.

Donor relations is one of the fastest growing sectors in the development world," says Joe Donnelly, president of ADRP and director of stewardship at Northeastern University. As institutions recognize the importance of stewardship in the fundraising cycle they are allocating more dedicated resources to donor relations. ADRP supports these activities by providing professional education and access to others in the business."

ADRP is an international, non-profit business league incorporated in 2004, with more than 145 members. It began through efforts of volunteers over 12 years with the annual New England Stewardship Conferences, hosted by fourteen New England and New York colleges and universities, which donor relations and stewardship professionals all across the U.S. and Canada attended. These conferences grew as they provided education and credibility for a crucial aspect of fundraising activities.

The first ADRP Conference will be held in Syracuse, New York, on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 28 and 29, 2004, hosted by Syracuse University and Hamilton College.

For information on association membership and for details about the conference, please visit www.donorrelations.org.

Contact:
Joe Donnelly, Director of Stewardship, Northeastern University
President, ADRP
(617) 373-5671
j.donnelly@neu.edu