Scholarships

AFP Chamberlain Scholarship  |  The Mitchel Sloan Honorary Scholarship  |  Diana C. Meyers Scholarship

AFP Chamberlain Scholarship

Your AFP Santa Barbara/Ventura Chapter is proud to participate in the Chamberlain Scholarship Program, offered by the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy.

Designed to help individuals serving nonprofit organizations develop their knowledge and skill in fundraising, the annual scholarship is a $500 award to attend the AFP International Conference on Fundraising.

The Chamberlain Scholarship Program honors Ralph Chamberlain, CFRE, a longtime fundraiser and supporter of AFP. Mr. Chamberlain helped to form one of AFP’s first chapters, the Greater New York Chapter, and served as chair of both the association and the foundation. He spent a great deal of his career with the Salvation Army as director of development, and was a deeply committed philanthropist and volunteer as well. The AFP Board of Directors renamed their Conference Scholar Program in 2000 to honor Mr. Chamberlain’s memory and commitment to the Association.

The AFP Santa Barbara/Ventura Chapter selects the Chamberlain Scholar based on the following criteria:

  • Candidate is employed as a fundraising professional or, if candidate is an executive director, a substantial amount of time must be devoted to fundraising.
  • Candidate has never attended an AFP or NSFRE International Conference on Fundraising as a registered participant (unless as a member of the Conference Host Committee).
  • Candidate must agree to complete an online evaluation form about his or her experience at International Conference.
  • Only one individual from any local organization or institution may be selected.
  • Applications are available year round and are due October 9th, 2009 for the April 2010 conference.

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The Mitchel Sloan Honorary Scholarship

The Santa Barbara/Ventura Counties chapter of AFP is pleased to offer members of the Board of Directors an additional scholarship opportunity. This scholarship is named in tribute to our immediate past president.

This tribute scholarship is made available to members of the Board of Directors to help them build on leadership skills and professional development. The scholarship is restricted for use at the International Conference on Fundraising.

Mitchel Sloan
Mitchel Sloan has been a development professional since 2002. His experience includes annual fund development, gift solicitation, donor group management, volunteer management, and strategic planning.

Most recently, at California State University Channel Islands in the Division of University Advancement, he served in a number of capacities, including Director of Development, Director of University Affairs, and Director of Sponsorship where he oversaw corporate partnerships, fundraising programs, and outreach.

Mr. Sloan is an active member and immediate past president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Santa Barbara/Ventura Counties Chapter, and serves as the chair of the Steering Committee for the Ventura County Leadership Academy. He volunteers for multiple community organizations including Habitat for Humanity, National Alliance on Mental Illness, United Way, and USA Track & Field.

In 2003, Mr. Sloan was named to the “40 Under 40” by the Pacific Coast Business Times.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Southern California.

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Diana C. Meyers Scholarship

The Santa Barbara/Ventura AFP is blessed to have the annual Diana C. Meyers Scholarship. The annual scholarship goes to a deserving member each year to pay for Education Day registration fees. The scholarship is funded by the Diana C. Meyers Endowment Fund that was raised immediately following Diana’s death in 1998.

One of the founders of our AFP Chapter, Diana was thoroughly committed, personally and professionally, to philanthropy. A very large part of that commitment was devoted to mentoring and encouraging others entering the profession. Many development professionals in our chapter today owe their careers to Ms. Meyers. Diana was recognized with several awards for her outstanding work, which included many hours of donated services. In 1993, she was named Professional Fundraiser of the Year by the Santa Barbara/Ventura Counties Chapter of the National Society of Fund Raising Executives.

Born July 27, 1939, in Bremerton, WA, Dana moved with her family to Santa Barbara in 1951. She was a 1955 graduate of Santa Barbara High School and, in 1960, graduated from UCASB with a bachelor’s degree in English and history.

Diana was an integral part of the Santa Barbara community. She worked for several local businesses before becoming public relations and development officer for the Cancer Foundation in 1976. In 1984, she opened Diana L. Meyers Consulting Services specializing in public relations, fundraising, and grant writing. Through her successful business practices and contacts, she helped many nonprofits to achieve their fundraising goals. She also donated time for fundraising training and was a contributing author to many publications.

In December 1997, Diana was diagnosed with stomach cancer; she passed away on January 14, 1998. Her memorial service at the Unitarian Church overflowed with friends and admirers—her tributes were many and heartfelt. Everyone who knew Diana respected her integrity, sense of fairness, wisdom, and sense of selflessness. She will be remembered for her extraordinary capabilities, her insistence on excellence, and her capacity for friendship. Diana was a model mentor. The Board of the Santa Barbara/Ventura Counties NSFRE Chapter voted to establish its first endowed scholarship in her honor – the Diana L. Meyers Professional Scholarship awarded on Education Day, held annually in July.

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