I look forward to the AFP GTA Fundraising Day 2016 which will be held on June 9, 2016.  There will be various speakers and panels.  I  will be on a panel with Bruce MacDonald (Imagine Canada), Hilary Pearson (PFC), Caroline Riseboro (Plan International), Stewart Wong (Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital) dealing with the importance of government relations.

Here is the blurb:

R-04: The Time is Now: Government Relations for Canadian Charities

Panel 
Topic: Government Relations/Advocacy
Thursday, June 9, 2016 2:15 pm – 3:45 pm
Mark Blumberg, Bruce MacDonald, Hilary Pearson, Caroline Riseboro, Stewart Wong

We are in a new era of federal politics in Canada, with the government stating its intent to modernize charitable sector legislation and modify rules governing the “political activities” of charities and non-profits. Such commitment from the government has the potential to dramatically transform the landscape of Canada’s charitable sector, providing new opportunities for savvy charities and non-profits to work with government to champion effective public policy that advances the mission and fundraising of organizations individually and the sector as a whole. Given this environment, it has never been more essential for senior fundraisers to understand the principles of effective Government Relations and how organizations can effectively participate in this public debate in support of their mission and funding needs.
 
Moderated by Caroline Riseboro, Chair of AFP Greater Toronto Chapter’s Government Relations Committee, this timely discussion will engage a range of Canadian GR experts in a wide-ranging conversation and Q&A to address your GR questions.

Learning Outcomes:

Through a combination of pre-moderated discussion topics and pre-submitted/live questions from Fundraising Day delegates, this panel will address such learning objectives as:

Trends and context – What does Canada’s new federal leadership mean for the charitable sector? What has the government expressly committed to thus far, and what changes does this mean to the sector as a whole?
Strategic considerations — What is the specific role that a GR function should serve within an organization? How have organizations successfully deployed GR activities within their overall plan? What are the key success factors and metrics to evaluate a program, and are the common mistakes?
Principles/examples – What is the relationship between fundraising and GR? How should charitable sector professionals begin implementing a GR function if they have not done so?

You can register here for AFP Fundraising Day 2016.