PEER MENTORING

The Peer Mentoring Program is one of the benefits that your membership in AFP Chicago offers. The program pairs a seasoned development professional to mentor a protégé for one year, providing encouragement, advice and counsel. The result of your voluntary participation in the program advances your professional skills through learning, one-on-one coaching and networking opportunities. Individuals interested in applying to become a protégé must be currently employed (in a non-consulting position) and have a minimum of one year experience working for a non-profit organization. The ideal candidate is interested in advancing his or her skills toward a leadership career in non-profit.

What sets this program apart from other peer mentoring programs is that it offers an opportunity for establishing a personalized peer development relationship that can provide a deeper and broader one-on-one connection for people early in their fundraising careers. AFP Chicago is uniquely positioned to assist in building these relationships and is committed to strengthening the Chicagoland philanthropic community through the outreach efforts of this program.

In 2008, the program will continue to incorporate tailored relative programming for fundraising professionals. Two cycles of mentor/protégé matches will be made, one in January, and one in June. Important dates for these cycles is as follows:

Cycle 1*: January 2008 Class - (IN PROGRESS)
Please click here to view our January 2008 event photo gallery.

Application deadline: Friday, November 30, 2007
Kickoff meeting: Thursday, January 24, 2008
Closing meeting: Thursday, January 22, 2009

Cycle 2: June 2008 Class
Application deadline: Friday, May 9, 2008
Kickoff meeting: Thursday, June 12, 2008
Closing meeting: Thursday, June 11, 2009

Please click below to view the cycles currently in progress:

** Cycle1, January 2008 participants

** 2007 Cycle 2, June 2007 participants

During the kickoff meeting, mentors will have an approximate one hour orientation meeting. Protégés will have an approximate one hour orientation during the same period, after which protégés and mentors will meet with their coaches to develop a plan, goals and schedule for their year together.

Closing meetings will occur in the late afternoon/early evening on the same day as the kickoff for the next year’s class. For instance, on June 12, 2008, there will be a working kickoff meeting with the second 2008 cycle. That same day, there will be a graduation for the second 2007 cycle.

Mentors and protégés will not be responsible for attending additional group meetings. Should mentors and protégés attend other AFP Chicago functions, they will receive nametag ribbons that identify them as mentors and protégés.

Also, if you are a seasoned professional with five or more years of fundraising experience and would like to mentor someone, please visit the website to complete an application. We welcome your participation!

Click below to access Protégé and Mentor applications:

Protégé application

Mentor application

To help facilitate the matching process, please EMAIL your completed application with a copy of your current resume to peer-mentoring@afpchicago.org

For more information about this program, please contact Peer Mentoring Committee Chair Molly Rand at (312) 896-8898 or Vice-chair, Michele Bacon at (630) 665-1365.

Peer Mentoring….another valuable AFP Chicago member benefit!