#148 | How has Covid-19 affected fundraising for healthcare organizations? Toronto Collaboration

This is the second of seven conversations with members of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Greater Toronto Chapter. AFP’s Toronto Chapter is recognized as a leader in promoting philanthropy and providing education, training and best practices for those in the profession. I was pleasantly surprised when members of AFP Toronto reached out to inquire how we might collaborate to create some meaningful for their community. After getting our ducks in a row over the last couple of weeks, we are all pleased to see our efforts are coming together. This collaboration has afforded us all some learning opportunities, an opportunity to bring a local community together despite social distancing, a chance to reach across international lines and to create value for fundraising professionals around the globe.

It was a pleasure to spend an hour with members Nicole McCahon, Sandra Hawken, Amy McKinnon, and Amy Wilkinson to hear their insights about what it means to be fundraising in these challenging times. I am often surprised by the language that fundraising professionals use to describe their work; and, in the case of this group of Canadian healthcare fundraisers, their words were quite upbeat and encouraging. Even as they described themselves and their colleagues as being exhausted and challenged with the reality of Covid-19, they were also energized, enthusiastic and eager to press on despite the obstacles that they might be encountering.

This series will air over the next couple of weeks in addition to our regular broadcasts. As always, we are very grateful to OneCause for being our sponsor.