Dear Fellow Fundraisers,

We are so excited to welcome you to the Maritime Fundraising Conference 2025 next month. This year, we wanted to acknowledge that the world around us is changing—and keep that truth at the heart of our design of this year’s conference.

Our theme for 2025 is The Evolving Landscape of Philanthropy, bringing together engaging conversations on innovative practices, inclusive approaches, building lasting donor relationships in a rapidly changing world, and much more.

This year promises to be packed with incredible sessions, thought-provoking conversations, and opportunities to connect with the fundraising community.

You can register here.

The conference formally kicks off on September 15 with a Welcome Mixer at Good Robot on Robie Street from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., co-hosted by AFP Nova Scotia and AFP New Brunswick.

On September 16, there will be meaningful opportunities to mingle with peers, sponsors, and service providers - from delicious coffee and muffins when you arrive, to a scrumptious catered lunch, to a lively networking event. We know you’ll have a wonderful and memorable time!

We are especially thrilled to welcome Nneka Allen as our keynote speaker. Nneka Allen, CFRE, COC, PCC, is a proud Black woman, a mom, and a daughter of the Underground Railroad. As a relationship builder and leadership coach, she challenges the status quo and inspires oppressed voices to rise. Collaboratively, she crafts stories that demand to be heard.

If you’re considering joining us for these extraordinary sessions, panels, and speakers, please register now before September 12.

We can’t wait to see you there!

Su Khatri and Glenn Massad

MFC25 Co-Chairs

Professional Development is all about building confidence, gaining new skills, staying up to date, networking and growing. That’s just one of the benefits of attending this year’s MFC25. 

In addition to connecting with peers and mentors, you will hear from some amazing speakers, and your attendance earns you CFRE points under the education category.

Don’t miss out - join us Tuesday, September 16, 2025 at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 - Ken Rowe Hall, 1055 Marginal Road, Halifax, NS.

AFP Nova Scotia exclusive high-level workshop presented by Global Philanthropic Canada half-day pre-session, Monday, September 15, 2025 - $100 (limited to 40 seats.)

From any chair in a development office, no matter the size of your organization and your assigned area of accountability, continuous learning and honing of three essential skills will increase your overall effectiveness, influence and impact. This facilitated live-action workshop is designed for all members of the fundraising team (staff and volunteers) at any stage of their journey with your organization. New, emerging and seasoned fundraisers alike will bring wisdom to the room and shape the learning experience. Together, we will explore applications and approaches to teaming, leadership and coaching. Through small group discussion and activities, participants will share and find new ways to bring their top strengths and best selves to their respective roles and priority projects. You will craft a personalized 90-day action plan and have access post-workshop to three monthly group coaching implementation sessions to keep the learning alive throughout the donor development cycle to year-end.

From mastering mental fitness to unlocking the power of partnerships, this year’s speakers bring decades of experience in fundraising, community building, and driving meaningful change. They’re united by a passion for connection, innovation, and helping organizations thrive.

We are honoured to announce that Nneka Allen, CFRE, COC, PCC will be joining us at this year’s Maritime Fundraising Conference as our keynote speaker with her address “The Fragile Commodity of Trust and the Anchor of Kinship”.

Nneka Allen, CFRE, COC, PCC, is a proud Black woman, a Momma, and a daughter of the Underground Railroad. As a relationship builder and leadership coach, she challenges the status quo and inspires oppressed voices to rise; collaboratively, she crafts stories that demand to be heard.

Read Nneka’s full bio here.

In her keynote, Nneka will delve into how the courageous community of Co-Conspirators anchor their activism in trust, strengthening their bonds of kinship as a consequence. She will revisit her difficult experiences with the AFP-GTC Board, highlighting how trust was eroded during this time. But it won’t end there. Nneka will also share how she and the Co-Conspirators actively nurture and continuously work to re-establish trust, resulting in deeper solidarity. These examples are crucial if we too seek to challenge the charitable sector and confront issues of injustice and inequity. Justice must precede love, highlighting that philanthropy is secondary to justice.

AFP Nova Scotia is dedicated to ensuring there are no barriers to attending this year’s conference and is pleased to offer complimentary registrations as part of our commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and access (IDEA) in the fundraising sector. 

Current and future fundraisers/applicants from BIPOC, 2SLGBTQ+, or other under-represented communities are encouraged to apply with a simple questionnaire on our website. 

Once complete you will then receive a coupon code to enter one the registration page. 

Please note: this rate covers the full cost of conference registration, and does not include travel, parking, accommodations, meals outside the conference program, or any other incidental costs.

We are looking for volunteers to support a number of roles during the conference. Please email Glenn Massad or Su Khatri to show your interest.

We are looking for people to help with:

1. Registration Table - be a part of the welcome crew, signing in attendees and sharing conference details.
2. Session Volunteers - help ensure that speakers have everything they need, welcome and thank them for their sessions.
3. Accessibility - be a part of the team that will support attendees who are looking for additional supports throughout the day.
4. Logistics - whether it’s dietary concerns or equipment needs, join the team to help ensure a seamless conference.

Be a part of Atlantic Canada’s largest conference. Sign up to help today.

This year the conference kicks things off, on September 15 with our Welcome Mixer sponsored by the Donor Motivation Program. Join us at Good Robot, located at 2736 Robie St, Halifax from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

We are excited to co-host this event in partnership with AFP New Brunswick.

By attending MFC2025, we all agree to center inclusion, equity, and a sense of connection across all communities and individuals. Our shared priority is the safety and well-being of all participants. We ask everyone to engage with an open heart and mind, curiosity, and respect, so that together, we create an environment where meaningful learning and belonging can thrive.

AFP Nova Scotia is committed to making all events and activities hosted by AFP Nova Scotia as barrier-free and as inclusive as possible. If you would like to request an accommodation or would like to share barriers that could affect your ability to fully participate, please let us know. 

The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 is certified by the Rick Hansen Foundation for accessibility. You can review the full report here.

Our volunteer accessibility coordinators are available to support registrants and review accommodations to ensure everyone can take part with confidence. Please reach out to Krista O’Connor at Krista.OConnorccs@gmail.com if you have questions or concerns.

As this year’s conference, The Evolving Landscape of Philanthropy, draws near, I’ve been reflecting on how my own landscape is evolving—particularly when it comes to IDEA: Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility.

Whenever I step into a new role, I always ask myself: What will I learn?

This year, as Chair of the conference, the answer came to me during a conversation with a fellow AFP board member about how to meaningfully embed IDEA into our conference planning. It hit me like a lightning bolt— in spite of a lifetime on the margins, I have been unintentionally oblivious to what IDEA really means.



My personal journey has often taken place outside the mainstream:

• As an Anglophone born in Quebec,
• As a young Lebanese boy unpacking hummus in a white, Anglo-Saxon grade school lunchroom in the 1970s,
• As a gay person raised in a traditional family, who didn’t feel safe in his community.

Never quite belonging and never fully fitting in has shaped how I move through the world.

Here’s the humbling part—I’ve come to understand that even as someone who knows what it feels like to be different, I can still act with blind spots toward others. Even from the margins, I can carry unconscious bias. That realization is uncomfortable but it’s also necessary.

I realize that my IDEA journey isn’t a checklist—it’s a commitment. One that asks me to keep evolving, stay curious, and most importantly, stay accountable. Because the goal isn’t just to belong, but to build a world where everyone does.

Creating a world where everyone belongs doesn’t end with good intentions—it begins, and continues, with the consciousness to examine ourselves … again and again.

For the first time ever, the Black Canadian Fundraisers Collective (BCFC) is delivering its B3 Fundraising Academy curriculum in person. They will be hosting our newly developed fundraising fundamentals course from the Delmore Buddy Daye Learning Institute (DBDLI) in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Windows down. Summer breeze. A little recharge before we head full speed into the fall fundraising season.

As we reflected on what to share with our fellow Maritimers this August, one idea stood out: a curated collection of our favourite episodes from The Shared Brain Podcast™ — packed with digestible, inspiring, and practical fundraising content. 

Whether you're preparing for the busy season ahead or gearing up for the Maritime Fundraising Conference: The Evolving Landscape of Philanthropy this September, these episodes are a great way to refuel your mission.

🎧 This month’s featured episodes include:

• Navigating Mental Health in the Workplace
• The 3 Cs of Fundraising
• Pride & Allyship in Fundraising

Each episode is guided by three goals:

1. Celebrating philanthropy by highlighting diverse organizations and changemakers across Canada.
2. Sharing actionable tips and stories to inspire your fundraising work.
3. Learning together — and having fun while we do it!

As a proud 100% Canadian fundraising consultancy, we would be remiss not to mention that August marks Acadian Heritage Month, and you will always find episodes in French on our platform.

👉 Don’t forget to follow the podcast so you won’t miss our upcoming episode: Youth in Philanthropy, featuring special guests from AFP New Brunswick.

🎙️ The Shared Brain Podcast™ is available HERE or on your favourite podcast platform.

Wishing you a joyful summer — see you in Halifax this September!

— Your friends at Global Philanthropic Canada

Global celebrates 15 years of fundraising excellence. Watch our story unfold! 

Global célèbre 15 ans d’excellence en collecte de fonds. Découvrez notre parcours !