Government Relations in a Time of Change

FRANÇAIS

With a Canadian federal election poised to take place on or before October 20, 2025, and with the current government having held power in majority or minority governments for close to 10 years, many pundits are predicting change. And many organizations across the country, including charities, are preparing for the possibility of that change. 

As a leading national voice for fundraising professionals across this country—over 3,000 of whom are members of the Association of Fundraising Professionals—AFP Canada is one of those organizations. Because of the revenue driven by fundraisers in Canada, and the government’s dependence on charities to deliver essential services, AFP’s government relations (GR) work is critical.

In the past year, AFP Canada responded to proposed regulations governing charitable trusts, encouraged the government not to move forward with changes to the Alternative Minimum Tax, and advocated for  a “home” for the sector within government—a permanent, dedicated secretariat for the charitable sector. 

“In this time as an election looms, influencing party platforms is a key component of our GR strategy,” says Aaron Sanderson, MA, FAHP, CFRE, ACFRE, chair of the AFP Canada’s government relations committee. “We need to engage all political parties. As a non-partisan organization, and because an election outcome is uncertain, we are focused on communicating with candidates from all parties to help them understand the work of charities and the impact their work has on their constituents’ communities, large and small, across our country.”

Sanderson first joined the AFP Canada board in 2021 and a year later he assumed the role of government relations committee chair. He is an international award-winning fundraiser with over 17 years of experience and is currently senior vice president, advancement & chief development officer at Kids Help Phone (KHP).

KHP is one of the over 170,000 nonprofits operating in Canada. Fundraisers like Sanderson help these organizations to secure the resources needed to deliver essential services for those experiencing mental health challenges, food insecurity, homelessness, or domestic violence, as well as organizations that support arts and culture, emergency services, healthcare, education, reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, and social justice. 

Sanderson spoke about the strategies continually at play in AFP Canada’s GR work in an interview with AFP Daily in January. In their roles as fundraisers, many AFP members meet with elected officials to talk about the issues affecting those served by their organizations. They discuss challenges such as opioid overdoses, over-crowded hospitals, keeping food bank shelves stocked, the need for after-school programs, to name just a few. In those conversations, members will often mention AFP’s request for a secretariat and how it would help strengthen the charitable sector and those it serves, which is an important reminder for government. There are also regular channels open to the public, such as the pre-budget consultation, that AFP takes advantage of to outline the benefits of creating a secretariat.

Throughout the year, AFP Canada connects with senior policy advisors in government, who provide guidance and wield influence over the policies AFP would like to see adapted by government. These people are lynchpins in the relationship with elected officials. But when a change in government happens—or even a cabinet shuffle—these people often also shift roles.

“There are several considerations when government leadership changes,” says government relations committee member, Cindy Ball, director of philanthropy for Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care, in Penetanguishene, Ontario. “Practically, it means building a whole spate of new relationships, which takes time. It’s like when you have a corporate partner you’ve worked with for five years and they move on to a new job. You must re-energize yourself to build these new relationships and motivate them to care about your mission.”

“We must tweak our messaging to suit the priorities of a new government,” adds Ball. “And, if there is a new government, we will reach out to MPs who are new in their government roles, as opposed to formerly being in opposition. We keep the discussion at a constituency level because their constituents, or their needs, have not changed. And, if we can get them to think about their constituents as people—as opposed to ‘voters’ or ‘taxpayers’—people who have social, medical and everyday needs that must be met, then we are doing our job.” 

“A change in government makes it harder in the short-term,” says AFP Canada government relations committee member, Neil McEachern, director of fundraising and donor relations for the Vancouver Police Foundation, who initially became involved as a volunteer on the AFP Greater Vancouver chapter. “AFP works with all parties, but we’ve invested a lot of time in building relationships with current government ministries, advisors and policy analysts, who are now aware of the value of a secretariat for the charitable sector.” 

 “Our focus is on getting a secretariat for the charitable sector—to have a voice inside government that sets the stage for dealing with an array of challenges,” says Sanderson. There are a myriad of wide-ranging challenges that a secretariat could focus on addressing.

“Modernization, access to more meta data from tax filers on giving and trends, digital resilience where charities can have a reliable digital infrastructure, increased demand for services, and the long-tailed impact of COVID are among the most serious challenges charities are facing,” according to Ball. 

“There are workforce issues such as a challenge recruiting people into nonprofit jobs, and then retaining them once they’re hired—plus the ability to provide skills and leadership training and increasing the sense of connectedness people have with their community,” she says.

All of this in an environment where charitable donations have decreased for the eleventh consecutive year, according to The Giving Report 2024: From Disconnection to Collective Action from CanadaHelps. “Over that time, Canada Revenue Agency tax filer data shows donation rates declined from 23.4 percent in 2010 to 17.7 percent in 2021,” the report says.

“A secretariat would help the government to assess the impact of the issues, and more importantly to focus on priorities that will help to increase services for Canadians in need,” says McEachern. “Requesting a secretariat is the ask that makes the most sense for our sector. It focuses everyone on the same objective, and it makes it easier for AFP members to engage. We need this. We can take it to the riding level. We can take it to the constituency level.”

“The relationship with government is so much bigger than the tax credit,” says Sanderson.  “We are currently in a position where government develops a policy, we review the policy in terms of its impact on the sector, and then, if it is perceived to be harmful, we need to lobby them not to implement the new regulation or to alter it. Sometimes we are successful, such as with the trust reporting issue and sometimes we are not, such as with the alternative minimum tax issue. It would be so much more productive for both government and the sector if we were able to be at the table as part of the policy development process.”

Members of the government relations committee liken what they do with government to what fundraisers do every day with donors. 

“Government relations is no different from what we do on a daily basis,” says McEachern.  “It’s about identifying and cultivating relationships. AFP needs people to do this work. Ultimately, politicians want to be on the side of doing good. And there are always opportunities to engage with them at this level—from photo opportunities to invitations for special events. They want proof we have impact, and we have that proof.”

More information about the critical importance of creating a secretariat for the charitable sector and information on AFP Canada’s government relations work can be found on the impact and advocacy section of the AFP Canada website.