Jeffrey D. Byrne Named Officer of the Giving Institute

(Editor’s Note: In his role as CEO of Jeffrey Byrne & Associates and a member of the board of the Giving Institute, Mr. Byrne can provide in-depth comment on the economic impact of recession in Kansas City and nationally.) 

Kansas City, MO. (December 11, 2008) – Jeffrey D. Byrne, president and CEO of the Kansas City-based fundraising consulting firm of Jeffrey Byrne & Associates, Inc. (JB&A), has been appointed treasurer of the prestigious Giving Institute: Leading Consultants to Non-Profits (Giving Institute). Byrne is currently a board member of Giving Institute – formerly the American Association of Fundraising Counsel. JB&A is the first Kansas City organization to be accepted into Giving Institute, and the only firm in Kansas and Missouri.

The Giving Institute was founded in 1935 to promote the need for professional and ethical standards of practice and to influence the creation of laws governing philanthropy. It has been involved in many milestones of philanthropy – developing the widely accepted Standards of Professional Conduct; helping to fund the start-up of the United Way; working with the New York State Legislature to develop and enact the Charity Registration Act. The Giving Institute is the basis for a nationwide model, created the AAFRC Trust for Philanthropy, and initiating the Giving USA Foundation which publishes an annual publication that has become America’s most frequently quoted and widely circulated reference of annual giving and philanthropic trends.

“The Giving Institute has always been very important to the entire fundraising community,” said Byrne. “I am honored to be entrusted with this position and given the opportunity to provide service to such a dynamic group of fundraising professionals.”

A graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia with a BA in political science, Byrne is a leader in the fundraising community and has been an active member of the Greater Kansas City Council on Philanthropy (now Nonprofit Connect), where he was the recipient of the 1998 Excellence in Fundraising Award. He helped lead the strategic plan that resulted in the Council‘s transition to its current form, and co-chaired the Awards Selection Committee for the 2009 Philanthropy Awards Luncheon. Byrne is also a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Mid-America Planned Giving Council. 

Prior to establishing his firm, Byrne was vice president for advancement and public affairs at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Institute. He also led successful capital and major gift campaigns for the YMCA of Greater Kansas City.

About Jeffrey Byrne & Associates
Jeffrey Byrne & Associates, Inc. is a national fundraising firm that specializes in capital and endowment campaigns. JB&A provides innovative and effective fundraising solutions, personalized attention and extensive talent to organizations and associations working to serve their communities and reach their financial development goals. Since 2000, JB&A consultants have provided fundraising and capital campaign planning and management to hundreds of nonprofit organizations throughout the United States.

About Giving Institute: Leading Consultants to Non-Profits
Giving Institute: Leading Consultants to Non-Profits, an international association of leaders in the philanthropic consulting field is headquartered in Glenview, Ill. Its 39 member firms have specialties in all areas of philanthropic consulting, including fundraising, executive search, capital campaigns, feasibility studies and marketing communications. Its mission is to advance the practice of philanthropy through research, education and best practices.

Giving USA Foundation™, founded by the Giving Institute in 1985, advances philanthropy through research and publishes the annual report, Giving USA, which was first published in 1955. It is the premier source of aggregate data on charitable giving in the United States.

For more information on either organization, please visit their respective web sites at www.fundraisingjba.com or www.givinginstitute.org