Social Media Icons: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr          Learn More & Join AFP      E-Newsletter Signup
Membership

Mentor Guidelines

The purpose of the mentoring program is to match experienced development professionals with those seeking guidance in their career growth, development experience or seeking general advice.

Click here to complete the online mentor application

Participant requirements:

Mentors:
  • AFP Member with a minimum of five years of development experience.
  • Commitment to participate for at least six months to one year.
  • Initiate the first contact with your assigned mentee.
  • Meet with assigned mentee regularly (see suggestions below) as mutually agreed upon.
  • Willingness to complete a program evaluation periodically.
Mentees:
  • AFP Member with less than five years of development experience.
  • Commitment to participate for at least six months to one year.
  • Meet with your assigned mentor regularly as mutually agreed upon.
  • Willingness to complete a program evaluation periodically.

Suggested time commitment: 2-4 hours a month as jointly determined by mentor and mentee.

Please direct your questions to Melissa Jones by emailing mjones@sluh.org or calling 314-269-2186.

The Mentoring Committee will review all applications and match mentors and mentees according to common interests and skills.

The Role of Mentor

As a mentor, it is anticipated that you will share your experience and advice on topics such as:

  • Integrated nature of development programs
  • Board development and relationships
  • Annual giving
  • Capital giving
  • Planned giving
  • Event Planning
  • Volunteer Management
  • Grant Writing
  • Creating an environment for philanthropy
  • Development program evaluation
  • Career development
  • AFP Code of Ethical Practices and Standards of Professional Practice

While this advice pertains to the career field of development, your advisory relationship to your mentee may include other topics, such as meshing a career with a personal life and family or changing career paths.  In return, your participation in the program should expand your professional contacts and, possibly, lead to the establishment of new collaborative opportunities, and is an important contribution to your role in our AFP St. Louis Chapter and to your profession.

Some general suggestions:

  • Take the initiative in the relationship.  Invite your mentee to talk, suggest topics to discuss, and ask if you can offer advice.  Ask about and encourage accomplishments and ask if you can make a suggestion or offer criticism.
  • Respect your mentee’s time as much as you respect your own. Be explicit about your own needs and limits, specifying times you wish not to be disturbed or ones that are good for communication.  Request the same of your mentee.  The use of email greatly alleviates having to set a specific time to talk.
  • Be explicit with your mentee that you are only offering suggestions and that they should be weighed along with advice received from others.  You should encourage your mentee to seek out advice from others, depending on the topic or issue being discussed.
  • Make only positive or neutral comments about your mentee to others.  Your mentee must trust that anything said to you will be held in confidence unless instructed otherwise.
  • When criticism is offered, it should be followed by constructive advice for improvement.  If possible, specific examples should be offered.  It’s not a bad idea to allow the mentee to think about your comments and then come back together to discuss them.
  • If, after a period of time, you don’t believe that either you or your mentee are able to participate in an effective mentoring relationship, then don’t be adverse to discussing this with him or her and possibly ending the relationship.  Such a decision need not reflect badly on either of you.  Please contact Laura Rossman, Chairperson of the Mentoring Committee, if this happens.

Potential Pitfalls:

  • Limited time.  Experience has shown that finding the time and energy for a mentor and mentee to get together is a great obstacle.  Take advantage of email, the telephone, etc. as ways of staying in touch. 
  • Lack of knowledge/skills.  After you have accepted a role as a mentor, you may discover that there is not the common ground between the two of you that was expected.  Or, your mentee may need advice in an area in which you do not feel competent to advise.  In this situation, feel free to either contact a member of the Mentoring Committee or to contact another AFP member who may be more helpful for his/her specific need.  Encourage your mentee to be open to taking the initiative to find another person to get a different point of view.
  • Over-dependence.  Over-dependence can go in either direction in a mentoring relationship.  However, it is not wise for the mentee to become over-dependent on you as a mentor.  It should be everyone’s goal to grow in professional development although it is valuable for the former mentee to have someone to contact for advice in the future.

Evaluation:

Periodically during the agreed to commitment period, mentors and mentees will be asked to evaluate their mentoring match.  The AFP St. Louis Chapter Mentoring Committee uses this information to track successes and the mentoring program, as a whole.  We appreciate your involvement in the mentoring program and your input to promote its continued success.