By Sofia Janmohamed
It is my sincere honour and privilege to share with you, our membership, volunteers, and special guests, my second, and final President’s Report for the Greater Vancouver Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
While 2020 was a unique year filled with many challenges and unknowns, 2021 provided a year of reflection and reorganization. The 2021 year also brought the realization that a return – or at least a partial return – to the life that we were familiar with was as least possible. Many of us dared personally and professionally to begin making plans, both short-term and long-term, again. Albeit with a ‘what if’ contingency as part of everything.
The AFP Greater Vancouver Chapter is and continues to be an incredible community of fundraising professionals. The community, the sector, and most notably, its leaders and volunteers have demonstrated their talent and strength to overcome massive challenges and barriers. We have continued to ensure that those that need support the most have what they need – to the very best of our abilities. We are so proud that our donors and partners, where they could, have also in many cases risen to the challenges with unprecedented levels of investment.
I share notable achievements in 2021 for AFP Greater Vancouver:
- Honoured again by AFP Global as a “Ten Star GOLD” Chapter, awarded to chapters who accomplish specific goals that align with AFP Global’s strategic objectives
- Achieved our IDEA Champions designation again for 2021
- Exceeded our Every Member Campaign fundraising goal, with 100% Board participation
- Recognized for all these achievements at AFP ICON May 2-4, 2022
- Posted a financial surplus following a small deficit from rapidly changing pandemic operations in 2020
- Celebrated National Philanthropy Day (NPD) virtually for a second time, with approximately 500 attendees participating.
- After a pause in 2020, the Giving Hearts Awards returned virtually as part of NPD – with 55 nominations received in total over 2020 and 2021 and 9 outstanding recipients being selected, including the newly created one-time Pandemic Response Awards for a business and for an individual and group
- In addition, a public education and awareness campaign included features in the Globe and Mail, Business in Vancouver Philanthropy Issue, paid social media advertisements, and blogs with Charity Village and Miss 604. Thank you to our generous partners and sponsors, especially our presenting sponsor RBC, for making this possible
- Significant work was completed in order to be ready to launch the AFP Greater Vancouver new website earlier in 2022. The new site is easier to navigate, easier for volunteers to update information, and incorporated the principles of IDEA, including our land acknowledgment and requiring salary levels for job postings for more transparency and equity.
- 30 mentors/mentees were paired through our Mentorship Program who are enjoying both virtual and in-person opportunities to engage
- Continued our Ask Me Anything and other professional development sessions virtually
- Hosted a virtual CFRE mingler and information session in collaboration with CFRE International, sponsored by the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation
- Ended 2021 with a virtual session Excellence in Fundraising in Canada, Ethics, and the Future of Fundraising with special guest Guy Mallabone from Global Philanthropic that was attended by more than 40 participants
AFP Greater Vancouver gratefully acknowledges the outstanding AFP Greater Vancouver leadership volunteers that serve tirelessly on our committees, as mentors, as speakers, as Committee Chairs, and on the Board of Directors. We sincerely thank our partners and sponsors who help make everything we do possible for our membership.
Thank you to our members and friends who come together collectively to make a difference in people’s lives, every day.