AFP Chapter Spotlight: Golden Horseshoe Chapter: NPD

FRANÇAIS

The AFP Golden Horseshoe Chapter was founded in 2006 and has approximately 200 members, representing a wide range of nonprofit organizations across southern Ontario. In this chapter spotlight, we interviewed their chapter leaders to learn more about their 2023 National Philanthropy Day event. Interested in putting on a similar event? Download our Share & Reapply form for an easy guide on replicating their success. 

Q: What was the primary goal of your NPD event?
A: Our objectives were threefold:

• Celebrate Philanthropy: Recognizing and honoring those who have made a significant impact through financial donations, volunteerism, or other forms of support.
• Promote Philanthropy: Inspiring others to engage in charitable activities and raising awareness about the importance of giving.
• Raise Funds: Supporting AFP's mission by raising funds for scholarships and bursaries within the chapter to foster further education and development in the field.

Q: Who was responsible for the planning and implementation of your NPD event?
A: The NPD committee is chaired by a member of our AFP Golden Horseshoe Chapter Board of Directors. Once the chair is appointed, they facilitate the process of engaging volunteers from across the chapter. We reach out to different types of people from various backgrounds in order to create a well-rounded committee, including people in marketing and communications, young professionals, and mid-level career volunteers. By gathering a robust group, we are able to engage more volunteers and provide them with a valuable networking opportunity and experience volunteering in the sector. The NPD committee has subcommittees including nominations and awards, marketing and communications, logistics and special event planning, the Summit educational committee, and sponsorship and revenue generation. Each subcommittee chair leads a dedicated team of volunteers to execute different aspects of the event.

Q: What did you find worked well in structuring your NPD committee/chair position?
A: We have found that it is crucial to have a well-rounded team that understands the event's objectives and is enthusiastic about contributing their skills. We take time to match volunteers with roles that align with their interests and strengths, ensuring they feel connected to the cause while gaining valuable experience. Clear objectives, role delegation, and open communication are key to the committee's success.

Q: What advice do you have for new NPD chairs?
A: New chairs should prioritize building a dedicated team with clear roles and responsibilities. Leverage the skills of your volunteers and foster strong relationships with sponsors. Recognize the importance of gratitude—regular communication and appreciation keep volunteers engaged and motivated.

Q: What type of promotion did you do for your event?
A: Marketing and communications is one of the most demanding roles for National Philanthropy Day. They are tasked with promoting nominations, thanking sponsors, driving ticket sales, and crafting the overall event messaging. In 2024, we are partnering with CharityVillage, Canada’s top online job board for the nonprofit sector, significantly expanding our promotional reach and helping us achieve our goals of celebrating and promoting philanthropy.

Q: What recommendations do you have for chapters struggling to make their NPD events profitable?
A: Focus on engaging sponsors, particularly those who are closely connected to the nonprofit sector, such as consultants and media partners. We focused on engaging consultants from within our chapter to provide them the opportunity to promote their businesses at NPD and feel a sense of connection and pride for their support. We successfully filled all sponsorship opportunities and reinvested nearly $10,000 into scholarships for our chapter.

Q: Did you recognize award recipients at your event?
A: Yes, award recipients are formally recognized at the event through presentations. The awards include categories such as Outstanding Philanthropist, Outstanding Community Partner, Outstanding Corporation, and Lifetime Achievement in Philanthropic Leadership, among others. Awardees are introduced by the sponsor of each award, followed by a few words from the honoree, allowing them to share their personal insights and experiences with the audience. In addition to the event, we also promote honourees on social media platforms along with the sponsors highlighting their impacts to philanthropy. Press releases and post-event media coverage by a local media outlet also help recognize award recipients and highlight their contributions to the community.

Q: What was your awards nomination process like?
A: The nominations and awards process is designed to be transparent and operates independently from the NPD committee, as members can submit nominations. Each member of the nominations and awards committee signs a conflict-of-interest declaration, and decisions are made based on a rubric to ensure fairness and transparency. We also focus on IDEA (inclusion, diversity, equity, and access) to encourage diverse nominations.

Q: How did you involve the local community in your event to promote a culture of philanthropy?
A: Each year, we invite the mayor to kick off National Philanthropy Day by offering remarks that salute the incredible philanthropic efforts across our chapter. We actively engage local businesses, nonprofit organizations, and community leaders to participate in and celebrate the event.

Q: Was there anything you learned while planning your event that other chapters could benefit from?
A: Respecting volunteers' time and ensuring their roles are manageable is essential. Building strong, long-term relationships with sponsors and aligning the event with the community’s values are critical to success.

Q: In what ways was your recent NPD event successful?
A: Our 2023 event achieved key objectives—celebrating philanthropy, raising funds for scholarships, and engaging the community. We saw record attendance, increased nominations, and met fundraising goals, further promoting a culture of philanthropy in the Golden Horseshoe region.