Crime novelist Leslie glass peeks inside the world of Sarasota philanthropy.

Goodbye, 2009. You won't be missed even a little bit. After the financial rampages of Art Nadel and his father-son Moody team, Beau Diamond, the stock market crash and the real estate slump, to name but a few catastrophes, you'd think Sarasota's giving world would have spun off its axis last year, along with everything else. But you'd be wrong.

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On Nov. 17, 400 friends and members of the Association of Fundraising Professionals squeezed into the ballroom at Michael's on East to celebrate the 24th anniversary of National Philanthropy Day. AFP, we learned, is the largest fund-raising organization in the world, with some 30,000-plus members. The celebration at Michael's was one of 200 regional events in 12 countries on the same day that gave awards and thanked their donors and volunteers. With Philanthropy Day cochairs Amanda Marshall and Peggy Olsen organizing, and Phil Mancini doing his usual food magic, it was a doozy of an event.

Reading my assignment wrong, however, I thought I was going to National Philanderers Day and was eager to see who dared to show up. Imagine my surprise when absolutely everybody was there. In case you didn't already know it, giving is Sarasota's most reliable industry. We practically live to give, and happily that isn't likely to change no matter what financial storms shake us.

Goodwill's Zoltan Karpathy, who is president of AFP's Florida Chapter, told the attendees that AFP's 150 members raised $100 million for this community last year. "Giving in the nation topped $306 billion, down just 2 percent from last year," he reported, which is remarkable considering the state of the economy.

That's not to say that local nonprofits aren't scrambling this year. Development people agree that donors were more careful in 2009. Donors stuck with their favorite charities but cut back on the size of their donations, several told me. Nonprofit execs said that expectations are scaled down this 2010 season, too, so everyone is working harder to keep up. Nonprofits have to be especially creative these days because, as Zoltan said in his welcome speech, "Failure is simply not an option."

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The important thing to know about the $100 million raised here is that the $100 million stays here. Nonprofit revenues actually support this city in services to children, seniors, arts organizations and even the job market. Hundreds of people are employed by nonprofits, and the impact of the organizations is felt in every sector.

Where the economy has taken its toll is in local businesses, and the week of the AFP award luncheon, local food banks were worried there wouldn't be enough turkeys and staples in Sarasota and Manatee counties to help the Thanksgiving effort.

Alex Young of United Way explained that while this is a resort town with many wealthy residents, there is a wide diversity of income and need both in urban and rural areas. Did you know that the numbers of hungry people here are above the national average?

I was thinking about that when I drove into the parking lot at Michael's, looking for my first philanderer. A Maserati arrived ahead of me. The driver got out and forked over some green for a special parking space by the entrance. I figured this had to be my first sighting and took out my notebook. Before I had time to get that philanderer's name, however, I saw Deb Trimble of the Asolo, Jan Chester of Planned Parenthood, Margaret Wise of absolutely everything. OMG, Charlie Huisking? Betty Schoenbaum, a major donor. Gerri Aaron and her friend, Marvin Albert, Flori Roberts, ditto on the Heavy Hitters list.

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Wait just a little minute. This was not a group of philanderers. I was surrounded by development people and their favorite givers. Michael's was absolutely crawling with divas, donors and their nonprofit minders. I quickly put on my philanthropy hat and considered calling out to that fancy car owner still lingering by the entrance, "Lose the Maserati and feed the poor."

But that would have been rude. Thankfully, Jan Chester, an AFP board member, took me in hand. "AFP is a 50-year-old individual membership organization advancing philanthropy through education, training and advocacy based on research, a code of ethical principles and standards of professional practice," she told me. They network, train, and share information, as well as mentoring new organizations and professionals.

For Awards Day, member organizations made the nominations, and a panel of judges, including Scott Anderson from Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice, Paul Hudson from Northern Trust, Tom Waters from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and Tana Sandefur, who was last year's Outstanding Fundraising Volunteer, awarded the winners.

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Tana said, "Choosing the finalists was so hard because each is so special in what they do. But we're pleased with our decisions." Tana presented this year's Outstanding Volunteer award to Paulette Schindler, who was nominated by the Salvation Army.

Tana encouraged everyone to get out and volunteer. "It's a labor of love. How could anyone live here and not volunteer?" she said. No one disagreed.

Amber Levita, winner of the Youth in Philanthropy Award, joined the Teen Volunteer program at Tidewell Hospice two years ago when she was 15 and a Manatee High School sophomore. She has since taken on so many projects and done so much good for so many people that she's a philanthropy star before graduating from high school. Mary Ann Robinson, who has chaired countless events, donated so much and bullied so many friends into purchasing tickets for fund raisers, won Outstanding Individual Philanthropist. She was nominated by Community Aids Network.

Mary Ann said, "I believe everyone should give back." She learned to give from her brother, and her first philanthropic act as a child was to give away all her clothes to school friends. She has been "hoping to make lives better for others" ever since.

Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, Inc., which supports arts organizations, conservation efforts, roads and parks, won the Outstanding Corporate Partner award; and the Sudakoff Foundation won for Outstanding Foundation. There was so much good feeling all around you would never think these professionals were fishing in the same pond of donors.

The high point of the lunch for me was when I got to meet Russell Gant, classical musical director of WUSF, who said a few words of welcome and told us that WUSF is expanding its reach to Sarasota with a new studio here, so it can record and broadcast our concerts. Isn't that cool? This year I'm definitely going to make a contribution.