Canada's Fundraising Conference 2026: Full Schedule

Canada’s conference with a heart!

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11:00am EDT

B2-4: Beyond Fundraising: What Charities Are Learning About Reserves, Investments, and Mission Capital

Thursday May 28, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT

As financial pressures grow and community needs intensify, many charities are reassessing how reserves, investments, and long-term capital strategies contribute to organizational resilience and mission sustainability.

This session will explore emerging shifts in how charitable organizations are thinking about financial stewardship beyond annual fundraising, including reserve policies, investment approaches, liquidity, governance, and the role of long-term capital in supporting mission impact.

Drawing on early sector insights and perspectives from sector and investment leaders, this interactive discussion will invite participants to reflect on the tensions, opportunities, and financial realities shaping decision-making within their own organizations.

Ideal for: executive directors, finance leaders, fundraisers, and board members interested in organizational sustainability, financial resilience, and the future of charitable capital.

Speakers

Aneil Gokhale

Director, Philanthropy, Toronto Foundation

Aneil Gokhale is Lead, Philanthropic Advisory Services at Toronto Foundation, where he helps individuals, families, and professional advisors design values-based approaches to giving. Since joining in July 2012, he has helped grow the Foundation's platform from a few hundred funds... Read More →

Thursday May 28, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Seattle Room - 26th Floor

Breakout session

1:50pm EDT

B3-4: Thirty Top Tips to Boost Your DM Program

Thursday May 28, 2026 1:50pm - 2:50pm EDT

Seattle Room - 26th Floor

Join Sonya for this rapid-fire session where she’ll share 30 great suggestions to help you raise more money with your direct mail appeals.

These tried-and-true techniques have been carefully collected from Sonya’s wide-ranging experience both within charities and agency-side. Whether you’re in a small(er) shop or a large organization, and no matter if your DM activities are new or mature, this session will offer practical takeaways you can implement immediately.

You’ll head back to work full of ideas to improve your direct mail copy, enhance your DM packages, and strengthen your overall program – just in time for the critical fall and holiday fundraising season!

Speakers

Sonya Swiridjuk

Principal, Sonya Swiridjuk Consulting

Sonya Swiridjuk, CFRE, got her start in fundraising with her youth bowling league in Winnipeg, convincing her dad to make a “major gift investment” and buy her lot of chocolate after most of it had already been eaten. Today, Sonya’s fundraising activities and writing convince... Read More →

Thursday May 28, 2026 1:50pm - 2:50pm EDT
Seattle Room - 26th Floor

Breakout session