We want fund development professionals from across the Atlantic provinces and have made the decision to extend Early Bird Pricing!  The new deadline for taking advantage of these reduced rates is Wednesday, AUGUST 28th.

The conference remains hybrid with options to attend in-person or virtually. 

Here are your options to join us:

Early Bird - $125 for AFP Members

Early Bird - $155 for Non-Members

Early Bird - Group Registration of $625 (6 for the price of 5)

Virtual Registration - $60

Emerging Professional Registration - $95

We are also pleased to offer an IDEA Rate at no-cost to those who self-identify as Mi'kmaq, Indigenous, African Nova Scotian, Black, Person of Colour, as having a disability, a member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and those who have historically faced barriers to professional development opportunities. This rate is made possible through support from our IDEA Champion sponsor LUME Leadership.  

Your September 16 MFC registration includes:

• Light breakfast (coffee, tea and muffins)
• Keynote speakers and breakout sessions 
• Catered lunch by RCR Hospitality
• Access to Exhibitor Showcase to network with and learn from sponsors and vendors
• Optional networking event in the evening sponsored by the Donor Motivation Program. Light fare and a cash bar will be available.

What's the Big IDEA?

AFP strives to cultivate a diverse pipeline of future leaders who reflect the communities they serve, Birgit will offer valuable insights into recognizing and addressing our own biases. She will share personal stories from her journey and highlight AFP's ongoing efforts in the IDEA space, focusing on the barriers that fundraisers face in both entering and succeeding in the profession.

About Birgit

Birgit Smith Burton is the Chief Executive Officer of AADO, the African American Development Officers Network, which she founded at Georgia Tech in 1999 to provide professional development, education, employment support, mentorship, and networking opportunities for fundraisers of color. She is a well-regarded speaker on the topics of fundraising and diversity and has authored articles on diversity in the fundraising profession. Birgit co- authored the book, The Philanthropic Covenant with Black America, contributed to the book Five Minutes for Fundraising, A Collection of Expert Advice, and tells her personal story in the book Collecting Courage, which shares the lived experiences of Black women and men working in the nonprofit and charitable space (published fall 2020). 

During her 26-year career at Georgia Tech she led her team in raising over $700M from private philanthropic foundations to support programs, scholarships, and capital projects. Birgit was selected to participate in the first cohort of Leading Women @ Tech and was a recipient of the team award for Outstanding Achievement in Research Program Development for the Marcus Center for Therapeutic Cell Characterization and Manufacturing. 

For over a decade, she has served on the global board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and has the distinction of being the first African American woman in AFP’s history to be voted chair of the AFP Global Board. Birgit received the Opportunity and Inclusion Award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education which recognized her leadership in fostering inclusion and diversity within the fundraising profession. In 2020 the R.I.S.E. Fund was established in Birgit’s honor with a mission to advance women of color in fundraising by providing Resources, Inspiration, Support, and Education. 

Confessions from Frontline Fundraisers

Fiona Valverde, CFRE,  Whitney Maclean, CFRE, Kirstin Ling, Niambi Martin-John, Muneeb Syed

This panel discussion will feature frontline fundraisers from four distinct sectors including Arts and Culture, Post-Secondary Education, Health, and International Development.

Fundraising Alchemy: The Science and Art of Integrated Campaigns

Holly H. Paulin, CFRE and Brock Warner, CFRE

Join direct response and digital innovation nerds Holly and Brock for an engaging session on the science and the art of integrated fundraising campaigns. 

Good Grief! How Grief Impacts Fundraising

Jaya Mootoo

Join Jaya for a discussion on how grief impacts our organizations, and our fundraising practices more than we realize.

Inclusive Fundraising: Building Effective Communication Strategies through IDEA

Sherrian Garcia

Join Sherrian for an insightful session under the theme "Building Better Practices," where we will delve into the transformative power of an IDEA-focused communication strategy.

Leveraging AI for Fundraising and Communications in Nonprofits

Mike Vautour

This workshop will delve into practical applications of AI for improving productivity in grant writing, social media, and other communication tasks.

Stumbling into Philanthropy: Examining Untraditional Practices using an Africentric Lens

Deanna Mohamed, Barbara Roberts, MSW, RSW

Recognizing that 2024 is the last year of the United Nations International Decade for People of African descent, this workshop will examine how to build and leverage philanthropic practices in developing funding opportunities for underserved populations, namely the African NS community. 

Powerful Partnership Programs

Jessica Cambell

Imagine forging powerful partnerships that propel your organization to new heights. By mastering sponsorship best practices, you can attract top-tier sponsors, deliver exceptional value, and build lasting relationships. 

Following the full-day MFC conference on September 16, AFP Nova Scotia is pleased to offer this exclusive opportunity to expand your fundraising skills during a half-day workshop on September 17. Author of the Globe & Mail best-selling fundraising book, Excellence in Fundraising in Canada, Guy Mallabone, President & CEO of Global Philanthropic Canada will present the workshop Moves Management and Effective Solicitation for Tomorrow’s Donors.

This session will examine how to prepare for successful solicitation of major gifts using the ‘moves management’ process and will provide practical guidance and techniques in building and using strong donor relationships to enhance your ability to raise major gifts.  Key concepts to be covered include: the importance of building relationships through an engagement model by reviewing the fundamentals of moves management; exploration of practical techniques needed to transform connections into support for your mission; strategic overview of gift solicitation and the elements that influence a gift decision; examining the psychology of a successful ask;  and the opportunity to practice solicitation role play.

Registration for Moves Management and Effective Solicitation can be purchased as an add-on to conference registration or as a stand-alone workshop.

The Networking Event is Presented by The Donor Motivation Program and will take place directly following the Maritime Fundraising Conference on Monday, September 16 at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21. This optional, social event provides conference delegates an opportunity to discuss their learnings, connect with sponsors and mingle with friends over passed hors d'oeuvres. There will be a cash bar available.

Do you process information creatively? Then the Maritime Fundraising Conference wants to work with you! We are looking for a handful of “Idea Harvesters” who are interested in sharing their learnings from the conference through any creative medium, and allowing AFP to share it with other attendees. It could be a collection of doodles from a session you attended, a poem about your conference experience, a short video interview, a blog post . . .  the sky's the limit. 

If you want to be involved please let us know by emailing afpnovascotia@gmail.com.

Imagine Canada is offering a new webinar: As we move forward towards truth and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, we recognize the importance of learning from Indigenous communities to foster better relationships and honour their protocols as respectful visitors to their territories. This introduction to Indigenous Protocols for Fundraisers workshop will get you thinking about your own journey, within the social sector and personally.

Building on the success of their recent survey on compensation and well-being in Quebec, which gathered nearly 400 respondents, they aim to achieve equally significant results with this new survey covering all of Canada. Results of this study will be shared for free through a report, webinars, and conferences.

In July 2022, AFP Global, in collaboration with McKinley Advisors, began the process of developing a new strategic plan and updated AFP governance structure to meet the changing needs of the fundraising profession. With the global board’s guidance, two groups were created, the AFP Strategic Planning Committee, which would draft a strategic plan for 2025 and beyond, and the AFP Governance Ecosystem Task Force, which was charged with reviewing the AFP board and committee structures, appointment processes, chapter relations, and management of volunteer opportunities..