ABOUT KATHY RABON Kathy has served the Tampa Bay region for nearly 30 years in nonprofit fundraising and executive leadership roles. Among her many accomplishments:
She most recently held the roles of Chief Philanthropy Officer and President of the Suncoast Hospice Foundation (part of Empath Health).
Throughout her career, she has held leadership roles such as Executive Director of the Performing Arts Center Foundation at Ruth Eckerd Hall; Deputy Director of Development for the Salvador Dalí Museum; Vice President of Development & Communications at the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA; Chief Development Officer for the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida; and President/CEO of the Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce.
She is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) and holds a Certification in Fundraising Management (CFRM) from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University.
Her volunteer and leadership service spans numerous boards and organizations—Leadership Pinellas (Outstanding Alumni Award recipient), Junior League of Clearwater-Dunedin (past President), St. Petersburg College Board of Advisors, United Nations Association Board, Clearwater Jazz Holiday Foundation, Clearwater Marine Aquarium Board, Suncoast Family YMCA Governance Board, and others.
Among her recognitions: National Association of Community Leadership’s Distinguished Leader Award; YWCA Tribute to Women in Tampa Bay; was honored to carry the Olympic Torch on behalf of her community service in 1996.
The program will only be offered in-person. Please indicate when registering your meal choice for meal planning purposes.
AFP Tampa Bay aims to be accessible and inclusive to all of our members and guests. If you require special accommodations, please let us know via email so we can plan to make adjustments to the program
AFP Tampa Bay recognizes the importance of personal connection, but your health is our priority. We continue to monitor the community level for our area and follow CDC recommendations.
We ask that you not attend if:
Session 1 | Slow Fundraising: A Calmer, More Effective Approach to Sustainable Development
In a world where fundraisers are constantly pushed to do more with less, burnout is real—and results can suffer. What if the key to better fundraising wasn’t working harder, but working smarter and slower?
Join fundraising master trainer Chad Barger, ACFRE, ACNP, for an insightful and empowering workshop inspired by Cal Newport’s Slow Productivity. You’ll explore how fundraisers can embrace a calmer, more focused approach to development work that prioritizes impact over busyness. This session will introduce three transformative principles: do fewer things by focusing only on high-return fundraising activities, work at a natural pace that aligns with donor readiness and your organizational rhythm, and obsess over quality by elevating the strategy and execution behind every touchpoint.
Session 2 | Cutting Through the Noise - What’s Working NOW to Spur Donor Engagement
10:00am | Networking and Check-In
10:30am | Session 1
11:30am | Networking and Lunch Service
12:00pm | Session 2
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Chad Barger [BAR-jur] helps nonprofit professionals fundraise more efficiently and effectively. He is a top-rated speaker, master trainer and coach. Chad owns the firm Productive Fundraising which specializes in teaching the latest research-based fundraising tactics and making them approachable for small to mid-sized nonprofit organizations.
Chad earned his ACFRE (Advanced Certified Fund Raising Executive) credential in 2024 and is proud to be only the 117th person in the world to hold that (VERY) hard to achieve credential. He earned his Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential in 2007. Chad is also an Advanced Certified Nonprofit Professional (ACNP), and therefore also a CNP (Certified Nonprofit Professional).
To many nonprofit professionals he is better as “fundraiserchad,” social media personality and host of the popular Productive Fundraising free monthly webinar series. On his website, productivefundraising.com, Chad curates top notch fundraising templates and samples designed to fast track the implementation of fundraising best practices. He’s also a bit of a personal productivity nerd and loves to share tips to help busy professionals work more efficiently and effectively.
Chad has spent his entire career as a fundraiser. He has worked in large shops and small in a variety of sectors (including higher education, social services and the arts). The campaigns that he has worked on have raised in excess of $155 million dollars for the charities that he’s had the honor of serving.
Chad serves as an Adjunct Instructor at both Messiah University and Temple University, where he teaches the 10 Week Online Fundraising Certificate Program. As a Master Trainer for the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), he is a frequent keynote and workshop presenter at nonprofit conferences across the US and Canada. Chad is an active member of AFP, currently serving as chair of its Editorial Advisory Committee at the international level, and he is a past president of the Central Pennsylvania Chapter.
Chad is a regular columnist for Advancing Philanthropy and has also been interviewed for articles in the Chronicle of Philanthropy. In addition to his contributions to these two leading publications in the field, he was the 2018 recipient of the Nonprofit Leadership Excellence Award granted by Central Penn Business Journal.
Chad is a graduate of Slippery Rock University (SRU) where he got his fundraising start as a student phone-a-thon caller. At SRU, Chad served as an AmeriCorps member leading fellow students on community service trips across the country, which shifted his career focus to the nonprofit sector. He currently serves on SRU’s Philanthropy and Nonprofit Program Advisory Council.
When he’s not on the road for speaking gigs, Chad keeps all of these balls in the air from his home just outside of Hershey, Pennsylvania (where they make your chocolate bars). He and the lovely Mrs. Barger are busy raising two teen boys. Chad is a practicing office nomad known to work from the forest, local parks, libraries and coffee shops just as much as his home office. He’s an adventurous eater, avid hiker, trail maintainer, scout leader, travel buff and arts lover. And he’ll do just about anything for you in return for a jumbo sized bag of jalapeno kettle cooked potato chips (which aren’t allowed in the Barger house for the sake of his waistline)!
But in the end, he’s just a productivity nerd that wants to help you raise more funding for the cause that you passionately serve!
Join AFP April 26-28 in San Diego for 100+ expert-led sessions and countless opportunities to connect with your community.
Full conference registration comes with:
And so much more!
Florida’s premier fundraising conference—happening June 15–17 in sunny Naples, Florida!
This must-attend event brings together nonprofit professionals, fundraisers, consultants, board members, and changemakers from across the state for three power-packed days of:
✨ Cutting-edge education
✨ Motivating keynotes
✨ Meaningful networking
✨ And fun, fresh ideas, and meaningful connections by the beach!
Snag VIP Early Access to full conference registration for just $550—includes a ticket to the Planet Philanthropy social event!
This exclusive early bird deal is only available through August 1, 2025!
