Karla A. Williams , MA, ACFRE
Principal , The Williams Group
      Karla A. Williams is an accomplished executive, with more than 35 years of professional fund development experience. She is recognized as a national leader in the philanthropic field, an innovator of organizational development models, originator of the philanthropic culture concept, and an advocate for donor-focused practices. She is principal of THE WILLIAMS GROUP, a North Carolina firm that serves clients across the country.
      Most of her professional work is in the classroom, giving presentations or writing about development trends and issues. She serves as faculty for The Fund Raising School at Indianapolis/Center for Philanthropy, St. Mary’s University of MN Master’s program in Philanthropy and Development, the Center for Nonprofit Management at University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, and is a member of the AFP Faculty Academy and Master Trainer.
      She has an M.A. of Philanthropy and Development from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota where her Masters thesis “The Importance of Donor Research and Segmentation to Advance Annual Fund Theory and Practice” was the impetus for her best-selling book, Donor Focused Strategies for Annual Giving by Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Inc.
      She was a member of the first class to receive the designation of Advanced Certified Fund Raising Executive. She has twice received the Outstanding Professional Fund Raising Executive, first by the MN AFP Chapter and second by the Charlotte AFP Chapter. She is a former national board member of AFP, former dean of AFP’s Executive Leadership Institute at the Center on Philanthropy, and former president of the Minnesota AFP Chapter.

      As a development professional, you may not be in the top “leadership position”, but you must “manage the leadership” of those above and below you to be successful (board members, executive directors, administrators, volunteers, development staff). Learn about the theory and practice of leadership, determine how to apply it to your situation, develop attributes and behaviors that are valued by followers, and identify how to develop a strong philanthropic culture so that everyone is eager to participate in fund raising, with you.