PFC News

Introducing Our Updated Convening Model and Corresponding Website Layout 

André Vashist
André Vashist
0 min read
Areas of Focus

Making It Easier To Get Involved

At Philanthropic Foundations Canada (PFC), we’re committed to making our three strategic areas of focus — Capacity Building, Collaboration, and Policy & Research — more accessible, engaging, and impactful. We’re excited to unveil enhancements to our convening model alongside a refreshed website that makes it easier to explore our initiatives and get involved. 

Head to Our Work – Programs & Initiatives where you can sign up for affinity groups, programs, events and discover how you can get involved. 

What motivated us to make these updates?

Whether we are working in communities, across networks or taking an ecosystem perspective, learning plays a vital role in leveraging the potential of relational approaches in the following ways:  

  • Tapping into our collective intelligence enables us to think beyond individual and organizational boundaries and increases our capacity to navigate complexity. 
  • Collective sensemaking makes us more attuned to shifting dynamics, helping us to both adapt to changes in the present and sense into future potentials.  
  • Exchanging experiences and integrating learnings in our practices improves the effectiveness of our collective efforts.  

It is not just what we learn together but how we learn together. 

These insights were developed in our recent participation in a Learning Huddle on Learning in Networks, hosted by Wasan Network and Huddlecraft. 

Refreshing PFC’s Digital Infrastructure

As part of launching our Strategic Framework, we reviewed and began updating our tools to better support our members and sector networks through modern digital infrastructure. Based on usage data, we’ve decided to close the Member Portal, which was no longer meeting network needs. In response to the evolving digital landscape, our team is restructuring offerings and implementing more effective tools to foster direct online engagement across the network. 

Our redesigned site prioritizes clarity and connectivity. You’ll find: 

  • Clear Menu Structure: Dedicated tabs for Capacity Building, Collaboration, and Policy & Research guide you to programs, events, and resources aligned with each pillar. 
  • Affinity Group Hub: A central page listing all peer-led groups, membership eligibility, and links to join or learn more. This hub also highlights our “PFC Convenes” and “PFC Connects” streams. 
  • Our News & Insights section is a popular resource for members to access sector updates and blogs on sector happenings. 
PFC Convenes

Gathering Leaders for Collective Impact

PFC Convenes brings together grantmakers with shared professional interests to collaborate, learn, and network. Hosted at PFC, these peer-led Affinity Groups provide a supportive environment for exchanging ideas, tackling challenges, and deepening expertise. Members lead workshops and interactive sessions that foster personal and professional growth. 

Our groups are organized by: 

  • Foundation roles (CEOs, Program & Grantmaking, Investment, Communications) 
  • Thematic focus (Climate, Arts, Healthy Aging) 
  • Identities (Family Foundations, Leaders of Colour, Quebec Grantmakers) 

We host spring and fall gatherings featuring peer-led discussions and guest speakers, and we leverage digital tools—shared listservs, online drives, and a streamlined intake form—to support real-time interaction and smooth onboarding. 

PFC Connects:

Linking You to the Right Networks

While “PFC Convenes” covers our in-house events, PFC Connects describes how we link you to the broader ecosystem. We break down silos by: 

  • Referring members to other membership organizations and peer groups that align with their interests. 
  • Providing access points to more specialized knowledge and networks 
  • Updating this section on a yearly basis to ensure relevant offerings are being connected across our ecosystem 

By weaving these external links into your member experience, PFC Connects strengthens Canadian philanthropy’s collective impact. 

Community Agreements

Nurturing Trust and Inclusion

Starting in Fall 2025, our PFC Convenes gatherings will start with Community Agreements that build trust and encourage open dialogue: 

  • No Solicitation: Protects time and focus. 
  • What’s Here Stays Here: Ensures confidentiality. 
  • Everyone is Heard: Moderators and Community Weavers balance participation. 
  • Dynamic Space: Acknowledges the ebb and flow of formality. 
  • Critical, Courageous, Respectful, Inclusive, Compassionate Dialogue: Balances challenge with empathy. 
  • Transparency Around Recording: AI-generated transcripts, video capture, and name-tagged notes. 

We will review these agreements at the start of every session and invite refinements—because when everyone helps set the ground rules, trust follows. 

Community Weavers

From Governance to Genuine Connection

Our Community Weavers replace the old Steering Committee model with a more agile, peer-centered approach. These volunteers serve one- to two-year terms and collaborate with PFC staff to: 

  • Select topics and speakers, co-designing 4–6 sessions each year. 
  • Host an annual planning meeting to finalize the calendar. 
  • Follow up on Affinity Group ideas, share resources, and track collaborative projects. 
  • Link emerging insights into flagship events such as our National Conference and CEO Retreat. 

Community Weavers infuse peer expertise into every gathering, ensuring relevance, responsiveness, and participant ownership. 

Bringing It All Together

Our refreshed website and convening model transform Capacity Building, Collaboration, and Policy & Research from strategic areas of focus into lived experiences.

By: 

  • Refreshing PFC’s Digital Infrastructure 
  • PFC Convenes: Designing high-impact gatherings 
  • PFC Connects: Linking you to the broader ecosystem 
  • Community Agreements: Laying the foundation for trust 
  • Community Weavers: Empowering peers to lead 

— we’re creating a more intimate, inclusive network at scale. 

Head to Our Work – Programs & Initiatives where you can sign up for events and discover how you can get involved.  

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to our work and our mission. Together, we’ll strengthen Canadian philanthropy and build a more just, equitable, and sustainable future. 

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