Since 1987, your local chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) has been supporting the philanthropic landscape in Chattanooga and the surrounding area. AFP members are representatives of the nonprofit organizations that do so much good in our community. We support each other through education, collaboration and available resources to meet the needs of our vibrant community. We know that you serve on our boards, advisory and event committees, write the checks and help raise the funds that make our nonprofit community one of the most generous anywhere.
Right now, we find ourselves facing an unprecedented challenge that is changing every day, often hour by hour. Many nonprofits are facing dramatically increased needs for their services as the coronavirus pandemic begins to affect the health, safety and livelihood of our neighbors. At a time when many of the ways we might typically raise operating funds has been sharply curtailed or prohibited, our ability to maintain operations and be there for those we serve is under duress.
AFP is working with our members to support them throughout this unprecedented challenge but as a professional association, we don't have the financial resources to fill the gap. Fortunately, many of our community organizations and foundations are hard at work to step into the breach, and we're hopeful that their work will be a tremendous help to us all. Even as they do, we know it is unlikely to be enough to fill the gap that is being caused by this pandemic.
In the meantime, some of our treasured organizations have been forced to suspend operations; others have drastically reduced their services or taken heroic steps to continue meeting the needs in our community while keeping their own staffs safe. Our human services agencies really can't stop; they are needed more than ever. But let's not forget that while our human services agencies are on the front lines of this pandemic, our cultural and educational organizations are going to need help too.
One day soon we're going to want to go to museums, the symphony, the theater or a concert, take our kids or visitors to the Tennessee Aquarium or the zoo, send our kids to camp, take a hike or go to the park and have our outstanding college and university campuses filled with life.
Our membership represents both the nonprofits responding to the pandemic and the cultural and educational organizations working hard to be there for us on the other side of this pandemic. When this is over, we're going to want to make new memories again at any of the dozens of places that make Chattanooga uniquely ours.
We need your support now to ensure we'll be there when you're able to get back out. On behalf of our members and the organizations they represent, I urge you to consider making an extra gift to a charity in support of their operations during this difficult time. No gift is ever too small. It will truly make a difference for the entire community.
Thank you for everything you do to make Chattanooga one of the best places in the country to work in the nonprofit field. It matters!
Phil Trammell is president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Southeastern Tennessee.