NCF board, staff and volunteers recently traveled to Victoria, British Columbia for Community Foundations of Canada’s Annual Conference where participants were challenged to rise to the event’s theme, “All In.”
Community Foundations of Canada is the national network for Canada’s 191 community foundations. Combined, the network holds $5.8 billion in assets and reaches 90% of Canadian communities. Our neighbors to the north have long served as leaders in both research and programs that explore what it means to “belong” in a community.
In an impassioned speech, Community Foundations of Canada CEO, Andrew Chunilall told a captive audience of nearly 800 philanthropic leaders and community builders from around the world, “Fitting in is the opposite of belonging.”
That resonated loud and clear with Denise Garey, affiliated fund development coordinator for southwest Nebraska. “Fostering a sense of belonging requires buy-in from the entire NCF network,” said Denise. “As a network, we have a real opportunity to make Greater Nebraska a place where everyone feels like they belong.”
Members of the NCF network participated in many sessions over the three-day event focused on diversity, inclusion, belonging, and the creative ways philanthropists and community foundations are using their power, resources and networks to accelerate positive change in their communities.
Diversity and inclusion have been at the forefront of NCF’s strategic planning process. Adopted on June 1, 2018, the NCF Strategic Framework has set a goal of making the NCF network more diverse and inclusive and events like #AllIn2019 are helping members of the NCF network build the skills and cultural competency required to make progress toward this important goal.
