AFP Triangle

Join AFP Triangle next week, Tuesday, April 29 for a morning networking coffee chat in Durham. We will meet at 8:30am at PRESS Coffee, Crepes & Cocktails on 359 Blackwell Street, Durham, NC 27701. Join your fellow fundraisers for a morning coffee before the workday! RSVP here: https://ow.ly/XERo50VEWLm

Join us for the next several Sundays as we introduce our 2025 Board of Directors to you! Charlene Bell, CDE is the Senior Manager of Development and Strategic Partnerships at the American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association (ACPA), where she leads the organization’s vision and strategy for fundraising and global partnership development. Charlene’s passion for healthcare philanthropy is deeply personal. After her daughter was born with a cleft in 2009, she became especially committed to supporting initiatives that enhance the patient and family experience in cleft and craniofacial care. With more than 23 years of experience in the healthcare sector, Charlene brings a well-rounded background in administration, marketing, and fundraising. Her expertise spans the patient experience, donor cultivation and stewardship, strategic communications, and building meaningful corporate partnerships. Prior to joining ACPA, Charlene helped to establish the Foundation for Goshen Health, where she spent a decade advancing fundraising efforts, including launching a successful grateful patient program and a major capital campaign. Her work helped fund a new hospital wing and transform shared patient rooms into private spaces—improving both care and comfort for patients. Currently in her second year on the AFP Triangle Board and Education Committee, Charlene is serving as Chair of the Education Committee in 2025, helping to shape learning opportunities for fellow fundraising professionals. Outside of work, Charlene enjoys quality time with her family—including their beloved dog, Muffin—and loves baking in her spare time. Join us in welcoming Charlene back to the Board of Directors!

As a reminder to all remote and hybrid workers, AFP Triangle will be hosting a co-working day at the Frontier RTP on Wednesday, April 9 from 9:00-11:30 a.m. at a designated table, and then at 11:30 a.m., we will walk over to the Boxyard for lunch. Lunch-only attendees are welcome! RSVP here: https://ow.ly/l6WJ50VrRZ3

Join us for the next several Sundays as we introduce our 2025 Board of Directors to you! This week we're featuring Reid Ricciardi. As Executive Director of Talent Management, Reid is responsible for the development and implementation of a strategic talent management program for the University Advancement division and its partner colleges and units at NC State. He works closely with senior managers to identify and attract top-level talent, improve on-boarding and training experiences, and support job performance and retention through targeted professional development and career planning. Reid draws on over two decades of experience in institutional advancement. From 2012 – 2017 Reid served as Executive Director of Development for the College of Education. Prior to NC State, Reid spent four years as Director of Development at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and 9 years at Purdue University in a variety of major gift, annual giving and stewardship program roles. Currently he serves on the Boards for Triangle AFP and Delta Upsilon Educational Foundation. Reid has a B.S. from Purdue University and an M.A. from Duke University. Join us in welcoming Reid back to the AFP Triangle Board of Directors!

Fundraisers and non-profit leaders: Join us Tuesday, April 8 at 11:00 a.m. for five actionable techniques to help you work smarter, avoid burnout, and maximize impact. This session, led by Dr. Patton McDowell, MBA, CFRE, is based on proven time-management and habit-building strategies. Register here: https://ow.ly/TEHH50Vu8sB

Calling all remote and hybrid workers! Come co-work with AFP-Triangle at the Frontier RTP from 9:00-11:30 a.m. at a designated table, and then at 11:30 a.m., we will walk over to the Boxyard for lunch. We also welcome those who would just like to attend for lunch. RSVP here: https://ow.ly/l6WJ50VrRZ3

Are you looking to balance time and energy in the fast-paced world of fundraising and nonprofit leadership? Join us Tuesday, April 8 at 11:00 a.m. ET for a virtual session with Dr. Patton McDowell, MBA, CFRE on transforming small daily habits into powerful productivity tools. Inspired by Atomic Habits and proven time-management strategies, this session covers five actionable techniques to help you work smarter, avoid burnout, and maximize impact. Register here: https://ow.ly/SGee50VoTG6

Join AFP-Triangle for “Friday Fun” on March 28 as we let loose after a long week! Jaguar Bolera features a wide variety of refreshments and games, like duckpin bowling, shuffleboard, darts, karaoke, giant Scrabble, and classic board games. We’ll have a marked table as our meeting point and will pair off for games from there. RSVP here: https://ow.ly/x5GY50Vntsn

Join AFP-Triangle for “Friday Fun” on March 28 as we let loose after a long week! Jaguar Bolera features a wide variety of refreshments and games, like duckpin bowling, shuffleboard, darts, karaoke, giant Scrabble, and classic board games. We’ll have a marked table as our meeting point and will pair off for games from there. RSVP here: https://ow.ly/x5GY50Vntsn

Join us for the next several Sundays as we introduce our 2025 Board of Directors to you! With over 20 years of experience in development, Lisa Merritt is passionate about realizing a better future for our community and all communities. As Vice President of Investments and Partnerships for My Green Lab, she oversees all aspects of fundraising for individual, corporate, government and foundation donors to solve today's grand challenges and create a positive impact. Lisa is a proven leader, a strategic thinker, and a trusted board liaison. She has successfully developed and executed high-level strategic plans and capital campaigns, and led diverse teams to achieve stretch goals. Lisa has also founded and led a successful small business for over 14 years, providing consulting services to non-profit organizations. She has a strong background in engineering, with a MS degree from Florida International University and a bachelor's degree from Georgia Institute of Technology. Lisa a collaborative leader with excellent relationship development skills and a commitment to diversity and inclusion. Join us in welcoming Lisa to the 2025 Board of Directors!