Peggy Calhoun, ACFRE

Peggy Calhoun enjoys over 40 years as a full-time fundraising professional.   She is President and CEO of Miller, Calhoun and Company, a firm credited with having been involved in over $1,00,000,000 raised for over 350 charities since 1997.

Before entering the consulting world, her experience included raising $3.7 million in nine months for an art museum and over-seeing a $60 million national campaign for the University of Miami-School of Medicine.  While concluding a capital campaign for The Salvation Army in Fort Lauderdale, Peggy simultaneously increased the endowment from $3 million to $55 million.  As a development officer, Ms. Calhoun has also raised annual, capital and endowment funds for the Boy Scouts of America, YMCA, and United Way.  She began her career as Executive Director of a 24-hour crisis intervention agency serving the AR-LA-MS area.

Ms. Calhoun is a former Adjunct Professor to St. Thomas University teaching a Masters level course in Fundraising in the School of Business.  She has also taught at Nova Southeastern University, Barry University, Rollins College, Hodges University and four nonprofit resource centers.  As faculty and Master Trainer for AFP, she conducts workshops and sessions throughout the U.S. including the CFRE Review Course.

Ms. Calhoun has been recognized for her expertise: receiving the Outstanding Fund Raising award given by the AFP – Broward Chapter; the Creative Fund Raising Award from the Grantsmanship Center; and the Woman of the Year in Fund Development from the Association of Women in Communications. In 2022, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from AFP Broward Chapter. Upon her most recent mission abroad to Africa, she was bestowed as an Honorary Member of the Massai Tribe.

Ms. Calhoun helped found two Florida AFP chapters, and served as President of the Broward Chapter of AFP.  In 1997, Peggy became the youngest ACFRE, a lifetime conference earned by only 115 of 34,000 AFP members.

She graduated from Southern Illinois University as a Presidential Scholar with three undergraduate degrees at age 19.  Later, she earned a Master of Arts in Philanthropy and Development from St. Mary’s College in Minnesota with a straight 4.0 grade point  average. Ms. Calhoun, a mentor to many, a published author, and frequent contributor to Major Gifts, NonProfit Times, and AFP. She was lead author for AFP’s Ready Reference Series – Securing Major Gifts.