Are fundraising "best practices" really what's best for everyone? Join us in September at the 2024 Maritime Fundraising Conference where we'll examine established fundraising best practices through an expanded lens of inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility and anti-racism. We'll evaluate which practices need updating and those that need to be thrown out; providing attendees with better fundraising practices to enhance the impact they are making in their communities. Conference date to be announced soon! 

Want to be a part of shaping the conference? We are looking for volunteers to support support the following committees:

• Event Management
• Communications
• Education
• Registration and Attendee Experience
• Sponsor Relations and Activation

The Association of Fundraising Professionals Nova Scotia Chapter is proud to offer up to $1,000 in grant funding for educational opportunities, as well as six (6) Complimentary Memberships to AFP Nova Scotia! These opportunities are open to members and non-members working in the fundraising profession. Please take the time to nominate a peer today. Self-nominations are encouraged. 

Deadline for nominations:  Tuesday, April 30.

Thank you to all who attended the Mentorship Mixer/Lunch in March! The event was a success, and we already look forward to hosting you again soon so you can mingle with fellow mentors and mentees.

We're recruiting Mentees! If you're a junior fundraiser, with 3 years or less experience in the sector, and want to receive one-on-one coaching and learn more about the pragmatic side of fundraising, we would be happy to match you with a mentor.

As part of our commitment to IDEA and finding ways to remove barriers to inclusion, we are opening up the process to include nominating yourself or others to the board. Representation matters and we are seeking to increase the diversity on AFP NS Chapter’s existing board, particularly those who self-identify as members of under-represented groups. We hope you will consider adding your voice, or someone’s you know, to the table. 

The 2024 board members will assume office starting January 1, 2025. Nominations are due by May 15, 2024.

Similar to our desire to have as much diversity as possible on our next slate of board of directors, our nomination committee should also reflect the values of IDEA and represent the communities we serve. We are seeking AFP members and non-members. If you are interested in learning more please reach out to Whitney MacLean, Chair of the Nominating Committee, at whitney.maclean@nscc.ca.

CAGP Nova Scotia is pleased to announce our upcoming session on all things donor stewardship.

Register now to join us at the QEII Foundation on April 25th for a panel discussion with three stewardship “whizzes” who will talk about stewardship and the impact it has on the donor journey and an organization’s success.

CAGP Nova Scotia invites all members across Atlantic Canada, our AFP colleagues, and guests to join us for this insightful conversation. Registration includes lunch. Virtual option available.

Thank you to our friends at the QEII Foundation for hosting us for what is sure to be an engaging and insightful conversation.

Get refreshed with Impact Organizations of Nova Scotia (IONS) at a gathering meant to foster relationships and learning for people working in Non-Profits in Membertou, NS. Join us May 12-14 for sharing stories, resources, and community connection.

The AFP Foundation for Philanthropy – Canada and AFP Canada Boards of Directors, along with AFP Global, are launching an IDEAA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access, and Anti-Racism) Audit and Sector Benchmarking Research project.

The Working Group is made up of representatives of all three organizations, and we are looking to round out this group with an AFP Chapter Leader and an AFP member.  Ideally the team is looking for members who represent these two areas, and also have lived and learned experience in the area of IDEAA.

An RFP is being released today to find an expert who will assist the Working Group with this work.  Phase I will include an audit that will be conducted between May – September 2024.

If you are interested in serving in one of these roles, please fill out the application form by April 24, 2024.

TakeActionAFP.com was initially created to mobilize our community to hold AFP-GTC accountable for its acts of structural violence against Black people. The website is a complete rundown of all the experiences and communications regarding the anti-black racism experienced by those in the GTC chapter in 2019 to now.

Statistics Canada has released a report, “National Insights into Non-profit Organizations, Canadian Survey on Business Conditions, 2023,” with new data from 8,000 nonprofits and charities. It includes crucial information about demographics of boards and senior leadership, reliance on volunteerism, sources of funding, types of expenses, who the sector serves, fundraising, and service demand.

Charities and nonprofit organizations predominantly function to support those in need, address systemic injustices, and create a better world. These organizations, perhaps more than others, have a specific responsibility to involve those directly impacted by an issue, like mental health, poverty, injustice, and others, in their mission work.

If a major donor gives or is likely to give a sizable contribution, they’ve bought into the importance of your campaign and would probably be thrilled to take their impact even further. How can you actively use your capital campaign to engage major donors and deepen their involvement with your cause? Here are a few recommendations for major donor engagement.