AFP Tampa Bay Conference
Spark & Strategy:
Elevating Presence and Powerful Conversations in Fundraising
Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Brio Italian Grill
2223 N. Westshore Blvd. Tampa FL 33607
✨ Post-conference happy hour!
Join us near Brio at International Plaza after the conference to connect with peers, share drinks, and tackle real-world ethical fundraising dilemmas together.
Conference Schedule:
11:30 a.m.
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Headshots, Networking
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| 11:45 a.m. |
Welcome - Opening Remarks
Lunch Service
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| Noon |
Career Catalyst: How Certification Supercharges Your Fundraising Journey
CFRE Panel Discussion
Moderator: Mandy Cloninger, CFRE, CFRE Ambassador
CEO & Owner, Relentless Partner Consulting
Panelists:
Cathy D. Cessna, RHD, MPA, ACFRE
Principal at Nonprofit Consulting, Inc.
Julia Crawford, CFRE, CFRE Ambassador
Senior Manager, Individual Giving
Straz Center for the Performing Arts
Jessica Fugate, PhD, CFRE, CFRE Ambassador
Director of Development
Academy at the Lakes
Join a powerhouse panel of seasoned fundraisers—with 75+ years of combined experience and CFRE and ACFRE credentials—as they share personal stories, practical insights, and real-world benefits of professional certification. Whether you're just starting out or ready for your next big step, discover how earning your CFRE or ACFRE can unlock new opportunities, elevate your credibility, and accelerate your career growth.
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| 1:00 p.m. |
Break |
| 1:15 p.m. |
Honing your Executive Presence
Karen E. Osborne
Executive presence is about projecting an image of capability and competence that inspires trust and respect, ultimately contributing to your ability to influence, inspire, and succeed.
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| 2:45 p.m. |
Break |
| 3:00 p.m. |
The Enduring Power of Asking Strategic Questions and Listening to Understand
Karen E. Osborne
How can the right question unlock a major commitment? This workshop, aimed at CEOs, board members and gift officers, draws on Karen E. Osborne's exceptional expertise in major gifts and donor satisfaction, and explores how well-crafted, strategic questions can deepen donor engagement, uncover motivations, and lead to lasting and generous commitments. Learn how to lead discussions with purpose, strengthen trust, and build relationships that go beyond the gift. A practical, interactive session to refine your approach and elevate every major donor exchange.
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| 4:30 p.m. |
Ethical Fundraising Happy Hour Social
Following the AFP Tampa Bay One Day Conference, join colleagues for an engaging post-conference happy hour. Small groups will gather at restaurants near Brio in International Plaza to connect with peers and collaboratively explore how to approach and resolve ethical fundraising dilemmas. This casual yet meaningful setting offers an opportunity to exchange ideas, deepen your understanding of ethical practices, and strengthen professional connections. Unfamiliar with the ethics of fundraising, don’t worry! Industry experts in fundraising Duggan Cooley (Pinellas Community Foundation) and Nicolette Rea (Community Foundation of Tampa Bay) will help moderate the discussion and provide valuable insight on how to navigate sticky situations.
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Conference Fee: AFP Members $99, Guests $130
(includes digital headshot, and lunch)
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Lunch Menu
- Strawberry Balsamic Chicken Salad
- Vegetarian Strawberry Balsamic Salad -- No Chicken
- Pasta alla Vodka -- No Pancetta
- Mezza Grilled Chicken Marsala with Asparagus & Garlic Mashed Potatoes
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Thank you to our Sponsors!
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PRESENTING SPONSOR:
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Speaker Bios
Mandy Cloninger, CFRE
CFRE Ambassador
CEO & Owner, Relentless Partner Consulting
Mandy relentlessly pursues relationships to help nonprofits grow their major and capital gifts. She is a nonprofit leader, charismatic spokesperson, and a results-driven executive. With 20 years of experience raising hundreds of millions of dollars, Mandy has built capacity, scale, and scope in higher education, health care, and community-based nonprofits.
Cathy D. Cessna, RHD, MPA, ACFRE
Principal at Nonprofit Consulting, Inc.
Cathy has 35 years of diverse leadership experience spanning the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, including advancement, education, television production, and international marketing. She earned her CFRE in 2003 and ACFRE in 2015. Cathy has served on the boards of the Greater Philadelphia and Brandywine Valley Chapters of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and mentors ACFRE candidates.
Julia Crawford, CFRE
CFRE Ambassador
Senior Manager, Individual Giving, Straz Center for the Performing Arts
Julia Crawford is the Senior Manager of Individual Giving at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa, Florida. A Tampa native and proud University of South Florida graduate, she oversees the donor relations program and leads cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for the Straz’s leadership annual gifts, managing a portfolio of mid- to high-level donors.
Jessica Fugate, PhD, CFRE
CFRE Ambassador
Director of Development, Academy at the Lakes
Jessica has spent nearly 18 years helping schools and nonprofits strengthen relationships and fundraising programs. Her work spans independent schools, higher education, and social services, where she’s led major campaigns, enhanced outreach and engagement, and built lasting partnerships. She brings a thoughtful, mission-driven approach to every aspect of her work, along with a heart for service and community impact.
Karen E. Osborne
Senior Strategist of The Osborne Group, Inc.
Author and Podcast Host
Karen believes in the power of philanthropy, generosity, and service. She built her career around these passions not only as a major and principal gifts officer, vice president, speaker, teacher, consultant, and coach, but also as a donor, volunteer, and board member.
For eighteen of Karen’s forty-seven professional years, she held leadership positions–Director of Major Gifts, Director of Development, and VP for College Advancement–at colleges and universities. For the past 29 years, Karen served first as President and now Senior Strategist at The Osborne Group, an international management, consulting, and training firm. For seven years, Karen was an adjunct faculty member at Johns Hopkins University, teaching in their graduate nonprofit management program.
Karen enjoys a rich volunteer life. She presented at the IFC in The Netherlands for 11 years. Provides international webinars including recent sessions for AFP Quebec and AFF France. The Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) awarded her the Crystal Apple for Outstanding Teaching and Public Speaking, and the Ashmore Award for Outstanding Service to the Profession. A founding member, she’s on the faculty of The CASE Academy for emerging leaders. In addition to volunteering for professional organizations, she’s a member of the governing board of Easterseals Florida, volunteers in her community and is an Elder of her church.
Karen is an award-winning, and Kindle best-selling suspense, historical, and mystery writer of five published novels -- Getting It Right, Tangled Lies, Reckonings, True Grace, Justice for Emerson. Her weekly Vlog, What Are You Reading? What Are You Writing? showcases authors and other creatives.
www.TheOsborneGroup.com
Karen@TheOsborneGroup.com
www.KarenEOsborne.com
WriterKarenEOsborne@gmail.com
