Dear members and attendees of our upcoming Maritime Fundraising Conference,
As part of our commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA) and leading with humility, respect and intention as outlined in our IDEA statement, we aim to dismantle barriers in the fundraising profession and create a more equitable sector.
We expect to be held accountable. We expect the same of our partners.
Some of you may have read posts that Guy Mallabone, CEO of Global Philanthropic Canada, made last month in defense of credentialing, namely CFRE.
These posts did not align with our values and we received feedback that his comments, even if intended to be helpful and spark dialogue, caused harm.
As a long standing partner of AFP NS, we reached out to Guy and Global Philanthropic Canada to share this feedback and invite them to address our concerns.
Guy acknowledged that his approach to this discussion did not leave space for or encourage those from underrepresented groups to share their experience:
“I have heard clearly the lived experiences of colleagues who feel excluded, unsupported, and/or unseen by the current credential and credentials in general. I am moved by these realities and see real barriers rooted in systemic inequities related to income, neurodiversity, caregiving responsibilities, race, and educational privilege. Given what I have now come to understand today, I believe the wording in my original post could have been altered to avoid centering my personal experience as the example for what is valuable about credentials.”
We value our partnerships and recognize that our work requires listening with humility, speaking with respect, and engaging with intention. We appreciate that Guy has acknowledged the consequences of his post and comments and is undertaking steps to remove real barriers rooted in systemic inequities. Through this we can lead, learn and grow together as a community; this is how we are moving forward with Global Philanthropic Canada.
We recognize as a Board that there is work we can do as a chapter now that the IDEAA Audit Report has been published. This could include striking a dedicated working group to review the report and make specific recommendations for our chapter as well as surfacing points that need greater discussion, like our position on professional credentials. The IDEAA Audit Report will be added to our September meeting agenda so that a plan can be determined.
If you are interested in joining our working group, or share your feedback, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at afpnovascotia@gmail.com.
We recognize that this work is a continuous journey and we will continue to make space for your input.
Thank you,
AFP Nova Scotia Board