Volunteer and Mentorship Programs

Volunteering with AFP Greater Toronto Chapter is a special benefit available only to current members. Please stay tuned for more details on how you can get involved. You can also reach out to us regarding your specific volunteer interests at afpadmin@afptoronto.org.

2022-2023 Mentorship Program

We are proud to announce an exciting new mentorship program – available exclusively to Chapter members. This is your opportunity to share your skills and knowledge and gain one-on-one professional support from your peers in the sector.

Our goal is to offer Chapter members a supportive partnership that is mutually beneficial for both parties to continue to learn and grow professionally and enhance overall career development. For mentors, it is an opportunity to give back to the profession by helping to develop and retain new talent – fostering the growth and professional development of future sector leaders. For mentees, it is an opportunity to make new connections in the sector, learn from senior leaders and gain skills to help you advance your career.

Mentorship Program Guidelines

The AFP Greater Toronto Chapter 2022-2023 Mentorship Program is a 7-month commitment on behalf of both the mentor and the mentee. The purpose of the relationship is to share knowledge, answer questions and be an encouraging and supportive partner. The aim is for the partnership to be mutually beneficial for both parties for continued personal and professional growth and development.

The mentor is to provide the mentee with advice and information. The advice will be limited to work-related and/or specific fundraising and non-profit sector advice to be used to enhance the fundraising program of the charitable organization with which the mentee is currently associated. The relationship is meant to be position or employment specific and is not to be used or construed in any way as a consulting relationship or career coaching. We recommend that both partners advise their employer if they intend to participate in this program.

Time Commitment

The partnership will last for 7 months (in year 1) between the mentor and the mentee with the option to continue in the program on an annual basis. The time invested is dependent on each party, but should be a minimum connection of one hour per month either by phone or video conferencing through skype/facetime/zoom, etc. Applications for both mentors and mentees are due on Monday, August 1, 2022 at 5:00 PM ET. Matches will be notified of their successful application and next steps during the last week of August in time for a September program orientation session.

Matching Process

The AFP Greater Toronto Chapter Mentorship Committee will be facilitating the match between mentor and mentee based on the information collected on the Mentorship Program Application Form(s). Key criteria for matching partners will be based on the areas of expertise the mentor has, and the area of greatest learning need identified by the mentee.

Please note that only a limited number of participants will be selected at this time. Participants will be notified by e-mail of their successful application and next steps during the last week of August in time for a September program orientation session. All other applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

A successful mentor is:

People Oriented – one who is genuinely interested in people and has a desire to help others develop and grow
Good Motivator – needs to be able to motivate a mentee through encouraging feedback and challenging assignments
Effective Teacher – must understand skills required by the mentee’s position and assist with setting goals to achieve these when needed
Secure in Position – must be confident in own career so pride for the mentee’s accomplishments can be genuinely expressed and enjoys being part of mentee’s success
Respects Others – one who shows respect for another’s well-being and differences in opinions, values, and interests

Source: *BC Human Resources Management Association Mentorship Resource Guide

Learn more

A successful mentee is:

Eager to learn – one who has a strong desire to learn new skills and strives to elevate own level of expertise
Able to Work as Team Player – must be a team player and willing to contribute as much as possible to the mentoring relationship
Patient – must be willing to put in the time and effort and understand that career advancement doesn’t happen overnight
Risk Taker – must be willing to move beyond tasks mastered and accept new and more challenging experiences
Positive Attitude – should be hopeful and enthusiastic about learning