The AFP Foundation offers every AFP chapter one Chamberlain Scholarship for a local chapter member, which covers the recipient’s conference registration to AFP ICON. The scholarship is available to individuals who have never attended AFP ICON. 

AFPOzarks is also contributing $750 in travel expenses for the individual chosen from our chapter. 

For 2025, the scholarship application opens October 1, with a chapter deadline of December 31st. (AFPOzarks will then determine the winning chapter member and submit their information to AFP Global by January 31st.)

The scholarship will be paid directly to the AFP ICON registration and will not be sent to chapters or scholarship recipients. Chamberlain Scholars are responsible for registering themselves online for the conference by using a special discount code that will be provided via email from AFP Global. Scholars are responsible for making their own travel and lodging arrangements. Chamberlain Scholars who had already registered before they were named a Chamberlain Scholar are required to request a refund in writing. Instructions will be provided in the congratulatory email.   

Candidates are chosen by the following criteria:

• Candidate is employed as a fundraising professional or, if the 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) and is enthusiastic to attend the full conference as scheduled. 

• Candidate must agree to complete an online evaluation form about their experience at AFP ICON. 

• Only one individual from any local organization or institution may be selected. 

• Candidates must be willing to share their AFP ICON experience with their chapter after the conference has concluded. This can be accomplished through a report to chapter leadership, a contribution to the chapter newsletter, or an alternate contribution identified by chapter leadership.   

The Chamberlain Scholarship program honors Ralph E. Chamberlain, CFRE. Mr. Chamberlain had a long and distinguished career of service to the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), beginning in the 1960s when the organization was formed as the National Society of Fund Raisers (NSFR), through the late 1970s when the name was changed to the National Society of Fund Raising Executives (NSFRE), and until his death in 1999. Mr. Chamberlain’s dedication to the organization we now know as AFP never faltered in his long volunteer career with the Association. Because of his long-time support of the Foundation’s annual fund and generous planned gift, the AFP Board of Directors renamed their Conference Scholar Program in 2000 to honor Mr. Chamberlain’s memory and commitment to the Association.