AFP GTC Listens: Building Bridges for a Stronger Community
Dear AFP GTC Chapter Members
Friday, January 12, 2024, marked a watershed moment for our AFP Chapter. We hosted our first series of Listening Sessions, intended to hear directly from you about the issues impacting your profession as a fundraiser and how you view your association with our Chapter. A short summary of our first listening session is provided below, and you can read the session notes on the following link: Listening Session Notes.
Listening Session 1: Feedback Summary
The opinion shared by the fundraisers is that AFP GTC is known as an exclusive club that is an unwelcoming and exclusionary space for most fundraisers. Fundraisers expressed a variety of concerns in relation to the barriers preventing an authentic association with AFP GTC and the broader fundraising community. These concerns ranged from the feeling that they would be canceled if they spoke about issues of equity, not feeling empowered to raise issues or concerns, and not feeling that they would necessarily be listened to or have their opinions considered.
One Key Request – Listening Sessions continue as a permanent fixture of AFP GTC so that fundraisers can come together share, and build a community, while also supporting each other.
Future Listening Session Dates, Times, and Locations:
Our Chapter is established to serve our members’ interests. As we rediscover how to do so, I encourage you to consider attending the next Listening Session on Jan 26th. Registration for this session is still open and we are now accepting registration for the third Listening Session scheduled for February 9th We will keep you informed as additional meeting locations are confirmed and added to the schedule. The dates and locations for the open sessions are listed below for your convenience.
Please attend at least one Listening Session, it is a great way to support AFP GTC and also have your voice heard as we create our future direction.
Future Listening Session Planned:
Upcoming listening sessions will be in York and Peel region. Further details on location to be announced in the near future.
Dates:
- March 1, 2024
- March 15, 2024