2026 PFC National Conference Winnipeg, Manitoba / Treaty no. 1 Territory / Homeland of the Red River Métis PFC 2026 Reciprocity Conference Our largest ever conference brought together 600 individuals from funder organizations and sector partners to strengthen relationships, learn from one another, and explore how philanthropy can create greater impact through shared responsibility, collaboration, and collective action. Between September 22-25, 2026, weexplored how philanthropy can move beyond transactional relationships and toward approaches grounded in collaboration, care, accountability, and long-term commitment. Our Theme Reciprocity We chose the theme of Reciprocity in philanthropy as a cornerstone of fostering care, support, and trust within the philanthropic and charitable ecosystem. Among our objectives was to create space and conditions to build meaningful relationships while encouraging collaboration and a sense of shared agency within the evolving needs of the sector to encourage deeper trust and lasting impact. View this interview with André Vashist – our Director of Learning and Collaboration – as he takes stock of the journey that choice took us and all the attendees on in Winnipeg. Our Intent Our event was intentionally grounded in place and community, welcoming participants from coast to coast to coast in Winnipeg, on Treaty 1 Territory and the Homeland of the Red River Métis. To truly reflect the local context, community perspectives, and Indigenous leadership throughout the experience, it was shaped with careful guidance from a local Host Committee that included foundations, nonprofit organizations, and community leaders. Relationship-Building, Learning and Networking We designed it around three distinct but connected experiences: Philanthropy in Focus A dedicated space for funders and grantmakers to come together as peers for candid discussion, reflection, learning, and relationship-building. This included pre-conference activities, Affinity Group gatherings, and funder-focused conversations. Sector Solutions An opportunity for funders, nonprofits, community organizations, academics, government representatives, consultants, and other partners to come together around shared challenges and collective solutions. Professional Development Practical learning, tools, frameworks, and insights that participants could bring back to their organizations and communities. What We Heard Over three days, participants explored issues as varied as democracy, Indigenous self-determination, housing, climate, caregiving, organizational resilience, technology, community leadership, philanthropy-government collaboration, and the future of philanthropy itself. What stood out was not the diversity of topics. It was the convergence. One insight surfaced repeatedly: today’s challenges are not suffering from a shortage of ideas. More often, they are constrained by fragmented systems, disconnected decision-making, and a gap between what we know and what we are prepared to do. The theme of reciprocity echoed throughout the conference – not as a concept, but as a challenge. Reciprocity invites us to ask not only how we support communities, but how communities shape us in return. Across many discussions, participants arrived at similar questions: Who makes decisions? What kinds of leadership are needed for the future? How do we move from awareness to action? How do we invest in the conditions that make change possible? What expertise are we overlooking? How do institutions learn from the communities they seek to serve? A Few Memorable Ideas While these insights emerged from different sessions, they point toward a similar conclusion: lasting change often requires us to rethink the conditions, systems, and assumptions that shape our work. Some observations that linger after the conference: “The challenge is not a lack of ideas. The challenge is helping good ideas take root and become common practice.” “Food is not the solution to food insecurity. Income is.” “Housing is not the outcome. Home is.” “The real transfer is not money. It’s decision-making authority.” “The sector does not have a technology problem. It has a service-design problem.” “What if organizational resilience was considered impact?” “Many of the barriers to reconciliation are no longer questions about what needs to happen. They are questions about whether institutions are prepared to act on what they already know.” “Democracy is not failing because people forgot how to vote. It weakens when people stop feeling connected to one another.” “Communities often have solutions long before they have funding.” Lasting Impressions, Thoughts and Snapshots With an unprecedented number of our closest collaborators and sector colleagues gathered in one place, we made the most of the opportunity to capture a few memorable moments. Rather than producing a traditional recap video, we took a more personal approach by recording candid interviews with attendees. The result is a videothat highlights the conversations, challenges, opportunities, and aspirations that matter most to PFC and the philanthropic community and are helping shape the future of our sector. Whether you’re reliving your conference experience or discovering what a PFC National Conference is for the first time, we invite you to revisit or explore the program, video and photo galleries below. We hope they capture some of the spirit, connections, and ideas that made this gathering so special. Our Program PRE-CONFERENCE AFTERNOON AND EVENING (FUNDERS ONLY) FOCUS ON PHILANTHROPY MORNING (FUNDERS ONLY) FOCUS ON PHILANTHROPY AFTERNOON (FUNDERS ONLY) SECTOR SOLUTIONS MORNING SECTOR SOLUTIONS AFTERNOON PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT NETWORKING & RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING Pre-conference afternoon and evening (funders only) Reciprocity in Action with The Collaborative Housing Alliance Site Visit Reciprocity in Responsibility at The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation Site Visit Francophone / Quebec Funders Dine Around Funding the Gender Equality Movement in Canada Dine Around Housing Dine Around Indigenous Philanthropy Dine Around International Philanthropy Dine Around Research in Philanthropy Dine Around Small Family Foundations Dine Around Trust-based Philanthropy Dine Around Lessons from the National Black Canadians Summit Dine Around Corporate philanthropy Dine Around Focus on Philanthropy morning (funders only) Plenary: Building Relationships in a Good Way Advocacy Lab: How Foundations Can Move Ideas, Relationships, and Policy Beyond Verification: Identity, Trust, and Responsibility in Philanthropy’s Work with Indigenous Communities Online Safety is Everyone’s Issue: A Case Study in Finding Common Cause Program and Grantmaking Staff Affinity Group – Beyond the Cheque: Creative Ways Funders Can Support Grantees Working in Canadian Foundations: Roles, Realities, and Practice Focus on Philanthropy afternoon (funders only) Arts Funders Affinity Group: Collective Learning, Strategy, and Action Collaborative Funding Models in Canada: Learning from Practice Family Foundations Affinity Group: Designing Collaboration That Works Leaders of Colour in Philanthropy Affinity Group: Peer Leadership, Practice, and Collective Learning When Philanthropy and Government Build Together A Dialogue with the CRA: Understanding the Regulatory Framework Today AI, Philanthropy, and the Public Good: From Awareness to Action Building Together: Indigenous-led Philanthropy and the Future of Giving Investment Roundtable: Emerging Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities in Foundation Investing Mental Health & Wellness Funders Affinity Group: In Conversation with Marion Cooper Plenary: Opening Keynote with Niigaan Sinclair Sector Solutions morning Plenary: When Democracy Is Tested, What Does Philanthropy Do? Democracy Under Pressure: What Philanthropy Can Do to Strengthen Civic Life Grantee Support and Wellbeing: Care and Connection to Financial, Structural, and Systems Resilience How Capital Transfers, Endowments, and Partnership Can Shift Power Mutual Flourishing: Feminist and Black Feminist Pathways to Equity Research Sparks: Exploring Emerging Questions in Philanthropy Sector Solutions afternoon Plenary: Honouring Indigenous Leadership: Perspectives for a Shared Future Canada’s Political Landscape: Understanding Power, Policy, and Possibility for the Sector Grantmaking Practices 1: From Transactional to Relational Health as Community Infrastructure: A High Impact Opportunity for Philanthropy Lessons from Northern Manitoba: What Real Reciprocity Requires in Practice: The Arts as a Catalyst for Philanthropic Impact Food, Health, and Sovereignty: Rethinking How We Nourish Communities Grantmaking Practices 2: From Values to Infrastructure Home, Not Just Housing: Community Infrastructure at the Intersection of Care and Crisis Indigenous Led Perspectives and Practices Helping Reimagine Philanthropy Technology, Power, and the Public Good: How the Sector Responds Together Professional Development Climate Integration for Non-Climate Funders: Connecting Climate Action to Your Existing Mission Equitable Futures: Foresight for Canadian Philanthropy Learning Lab: Moving from trust-based philanthropy to shifting power and building partnerships Legal Lab: Navigating Legal and Regulatory Questions and Practice Working with Indigenous Communities: Assessing and Strengthening Your Organization’s Approach Plenary: Reciprocity, Reconciliation, and the Stories We Carry Forward Networking & Relationship-Building Welcome Reception at The Forks / Nestaweya New PFC Members Breakfast BIPOC Lunch & Hang Out CEO/ED Networking Breakfast Evening Social at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights Day 1 Philanthropy in Focus Wednesday, September 23, 2026 Plenary Building Relationships in a Good Way Strong relationships are foundational to healthy communities and effective systems change. Yet across many places, relationships between funders, institutions, and communities are under strain, shaped by power imbalances, urgency, and approaches that prioritize outcomes over trust. This Funder Day plenary centered relationship building as a core philanthropic practice, drawing on insights from diverse local leaders working across housing, community development, and civic initiatives in Manitoba. The conversation invited funders to reflect on how relationships are built, maintained, and repaired, and what it means to show up in ways that are accountable, respectful, and sustained over time. This session was designed as a reflective and relational space for funders. It centered on listening to local leadership and invited participants to consider how their own institutional practices affect relationships, trust, and long‑term community outcomes. Philanthropy in Focus Advocacy Lab: How Foundations Can Move Ideas, Relationships, and Policy Advocacy is one of the ways foundations can advance their missions, support communities, and contribute to systems change. While philanthropy is often understood through grantmaking, many foundations also play important roles in shaping public conversations, supporting policy ideas, building relationships, strengthening coalitions, and helping community priorities reach decision-makers. This interactive Advocacy Lab explored how foundations and philanthropic actors are engaging in advocacy in practical, real-world ways. Participants heard short headline examples from peer leaders who have used different approaches, including funding research, supporting advocacy infrastructure, building relationships with elected officials, participating in consultations, engaging directly with government, signing joint letters, working in coalitions, and mobilizing others around shared goals. The session was not structured as a traditional panel. Instead, it was a peer-learning workshop focused on “how others have done it.” After brief opening examples, participants joined small-group table discussions with guest speakers who shared more detail about what their advocacy work looked like in practice, what made it possible, and what lessons could be useful for others. Philanthropy in Focus Beyond Verification: Identity, Trust, and Responsibility in Philanthropy’s Work with Indigenous Communities More than a decade after the sector’s 2015 Declaration of Action in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, many philanthropic organizations are working to confront their colonial histories, strengthen relationships with Indigenous communities, and support Indigenous leadership. This has included the growth of Indigenous-led and Indigenous-serving foundations, as well as increased Indigenous representation within settler organizations. As trust-building advances, a new set of challenges is emerging. A growing number of foundations are recognizing instances where funding has been directed to individuals misrepresenting Indigenous identity, or where programs intended for Indigenous communities are accessed under false pretenses. These situations raise complex questions of power, responsibility, identity, and agency for both funders and Indigenous organizations, while surfacing deeper tensions around how identity is understood and substantiated. Together, participants explored how philanthropy can navigate these complexities with integrity, moving beyond bureaucratic verification toward approaches rooted in Indigenous sovereignty, relational accountability, and reciprocity. They left with a deeper understanding of the ethical and practical implications of identity in grantmaking, along with guiding questions to help shape more responsible, respectful, and community-informed practices. Philanthropy in Focus Online Safety is Everyone’s Issue: A Case Study in Finding Common Cause This session explored how two foundations with distinct missions, Waltons Trust, focused on healthy child development, and the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation, dedicated to combating antisemitism and hate, came together around a shared concern: the threat Big Tech poses to Canadian society and public safety. What began as separate entry points into online harms evolved into a close collaborative effort to build a broader philanthropic conversation on tech accountability, democracy, and collective responsibility and to advance online safety legislation. This partnership offers a compelling example of reciprocity in practice: learning across differences, aligning strengths, and co-creating pathways no single foundation could shape alone. In addition to learning about why tech accountability is everyone’s issue and how they can plug into the work in this critical policy moment, participants gained practical insight into how foundations can identify overlap across issue areas such as public health, child development, hate speech, extremism, democratic decline. They also explored how to use that overlap to spark new alliances, navigating differing strategies, board dynamics, and granting philosophies along the way. Participants left with concrete examples of how mission-diverse funders can collaborate on complex public-interest issues; gained an understanding of how reciprocity strengthens both strategy and impact; and strengthened their own learning by articulating what they bring, what they need, and what they can learn from others at the table. Philanthropy in Focus Program and Grantmaking Staff Affinity Group – Beyond the Cheque : Creative Ways Funders Can Support Grantees Funders often ask: How can we support grantees beyond financial contributions? While funding is essential, many foundations have discovered that non-financial supports (such as capacity building, convening, advocacy, and wellness initiatives) can significantly strengthen impact. This interactive session invited program and grantmaking staff from Canadian foundations to share and explore practical approaches for supporting grantees in ways that go beyond the cheque. Acknowledging that participants all had good ideas to share as well as to gain, the session tapped into the collective wisdom in the room. Through rotating table conversations, participants exchanged experiences, challenges, and creative ideas across themes such as leadership development, peer networking, technical assistance, and equity-focused practices. Participants left with inspiration and actionable strategies to implement in their own foundations; they identified a range of non-financial supports that strengthen grantee capacity and resilience; learned from real-world examples shared by peers in Canadian foundations; and generated actionable ideas to apply within their own organizations. Philanthropy in Focus Working in Canadian Foundations: Roles, Realities, and Practice What does working in a Canadian foundation actually look like today? Beyond job titles and organizational charts, foundation staff are navigating complex roles shaped by shifting expectations, limited capacity, power dynamics, and changing social and political contexts. This interactive research and reflection session took participants inside the real, day‑to‑day work of foundation staff. Drawing on evidence from recent research, short reflections from practice, and facilitated small‑group dialogue, participants compared experiences, surfaced common tensions, and explored how their own roles connect to broader patterns across the sector. Rather than aiming for consensus or solutions, the session created space to recognize shared realities, question assumptions, and name the complexity inherent in foundation work. Participants left with a stronger sense of collective experience, language to describe their work, and insight into how others are navigating similar challenges. Philanthropy in Focus Arts Funders Affinity Group: Collective Learning, Strategy, and Action Arts funders are operating in a complex environment shaped by shifting funding ecosystems, rising costs, evolving artistic practices, and heightened attention to equity, access, and impact. As arts organizations navigate these pressures, philanthropic funders are increasingly called upon to share learning, align strategies, and explore collaborative approaches that strengthen the arts sector over the long term. This session convened members of the Arts Funders Affinity Group, a peer network committed to advancing thoughtful and impactful arts philanthropy. Participants engaged in dialogue around current trends, challenges, and opportunities in arts funding, while exchanging insights on strategy, evaluation, and practice. The session provided a space for collective learning, professional development, and connection, supporting funders to deepen their approaches and explore opportunities for collective action within the arts ecosystem. Philanthropy in Focus Collaborative Funding Models in Canada: Learning from Practice Across Canada, foundations are increasingly experimenting with collaborative funding models as a response to growing complexity, persistent inequities, and the limits of isolated grantmaking. From pooled funds and funder collaboratives to re‑granting and shared infrastructure, these approaches aim to align resources, shift power, reduce fragmentation, and support ecosystems rather than individual organizations alone. This interactive session explored how collaborative funding models are taking shape in Canadian philanthropy, with insights drawn from foundation‑led initiatives and practice, including examples connected to foundations such as McConnell, Lawson, and Inspirit. Participants examined why collaboration is gaining momentum, what these models look like in practice, and the trade‑offs they introduce for foundations, communities, and movements. Grounded in sector research, real‑world examples, and facilitated dialogue, the session invited participants to reflect on questions of power, governance, risk, trust, and capacity. Rather than positioning collaboration as a single solution, the session created space to explore when and how collaborative funding models can add value, where tensions arise, and what funders need to unlearn or adapt to work effectively in these arrangements. Participants engaged with peers to share experiences, surface common challenges, and consider how collaborative funding models might inform their own strategies, board conversations, and partnerships. Philanthropy in Focus Family Foundations Affinity Group: Designing Collaboration That Works Private family foundations are increasingly exploring collaboration to deepen impact and respond to complex community challenges, while also navigating real questions about autonomy, values, pace, governance, and trust. This highly interactive session invited members of the Family Foundations Affinity Group, and those interested, to explore practical, trust‑based approaches to collaboration that respect independence while opening new possibilities for working together. The session used a small number of design‑thinking steps to help participants move from conversation to concrete, low‑risk collaboration ideas. Through facilitated peer exchange and hands‑on group work, participants surfaced shared motivations and constraints, generate collaboration concepts, and reflected on how trust, transparency, and reciprocity can be intentionally built into collaborative efforts from the outset. Philanthropy in Focus Leaders of Colour in Philanthropy Affinity Group: Peer Leadership, Practice, and Collective Learning Leaders of colour in philanthropy are navigating complex organizational, sectoral, and societal dynamics while advancing equity, accountability, and community‑centered approaches to giving. This session convened leaders who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or people of colour working within grantmaking organizations across Canada. Grounded in shared experience and mutual learning, the session offered an opportunity to connect with peers, exchange best practices, and reflect on leadership, influence, and resilience within philanthropic systems. Philanthropy in Focus When Philanthropy and Government Build Together What becomes possible when philanthropy and government move from partnership to co-design? This session examined the creation of the Workforce Development Fund, a collaborative pilot between the Northpine Foundation and the Province of Manitoba that is helping individuals overcome barriers to employment through coordinated investments, shared accountability, and ongoing learning. Participants learned how the partners identified a shared goal, defined complementary roles, structured governance and accountability, and created a model that combines philanthropic flexibility with government scale. This session offered practical insights into how philanthropy and government can move beyond traditional grantmaking relationships to co-design initiatives that test new approaches, generate evidence, and create pathways for lasting impact. Philanthropy in Focus A Dialogue with the CRA: Understanding the Regulatory Framework Today Designed to support learning on both sides, the discussion explored how our charitable rules are administered in practice, common compliance and governance challenges, and how the Charities Directorate looks to balance effective oversight with enabling charities and foundations to achieve public benefit. The conversation was situated within a broader fiscal and policy environment that recognised the economic and social role of charities and foundations, and ongoing interest in ensuring regulatory frameworks remain fit for purpose as the sector evolves. Participants gained clearer insight into regulatory expectations, emerging areas of discussion, and ways the philanthropic sector can engage openly and constructively with regulators within today’s policy landscape. Philanthropy in Focus AI, Philanthropy, and the Public Good: From Awareness to Action Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping the social, economic, and democratic landscape, creating both unprecedented opportunities and emerging risks. This session explored what these developments mean for philanthropy, including the implications for equity, human rights, misinformation, community resilience, and the broader public good. Participants had an opportunity to discuss the challenges ahead and how philanthropic organizations can play a meaningful role in supporting responsible, inclusive, and human-centered approaches to AI. Philanthropy in Focus Building Together: Indigenous-led Philanthropy and the Future of Giving Across Canada, Indigenous-led philanthropic organizations are emerging as an important force within the charitable sector. More than new funding mechanisms, they present distinct approaches to governance, relationships, accountability, and community leadership that are expanding how philanthropy is understood and practiced. This session brought together leaders from Indigenous-led foundations alongside philanthropic organizations that have intentionally invested in their growth to explore the emergence of Indigenous-led philanthropy in Canada. Through a moderated conversation, panelists reflected on why Indigenous-led philanthropy matters, what has made this moment possible, and how relationships between Indigenous-led organizations and established foundations are helping shape the future of philanthropy. Grounded in the conference theme of reciprocity, the session moved beyond organizational profiles to explore the opportunities, challenges, and shared learning that emerge when philanthropy is rooted in partnership, collective capacity building, and community leadership. Participants had opportunities to reflect with one another before engaging directly with the panel, leaving with practical ideas and new perspectives that can inform their own work. Philanthropy in Focus Investment Roundtable: Emerging Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities in Foundation Investing Foundation investment teams and boards are navigating a rapidly shifting landscape shaped by market volatility, evolving fiduciary expectations, questions of alignment with mission, and growing interest in responsible and impact‑oriented investing. This session convened participants in the spirit of PFC’s Investment Roundtable to explore emerging investment trends, share challenges, and examine opportunities shaping foundation investment practices. Through peer exchange and collective reflection, participants surfaced common tensions and learn from colleagues across Canada navigating this evolving investment landscape. Philanthropy in Focus Mental Health & Wellness Funders Affinity Group: In Conversation with Marion Cooper Canada’s mental health landscape is facing intensifying pressures, shaped by rising demand, workforce strain, systemic inequities, and gaps in access across communities and regions. At the same time, philanthropic funders are being asked to move beyond short‑term responses toward approaches that strengthen systems, support community‑based leadership, and enable long‑term impact. This session brought the Mental Health & Wellness Funders Affinity Group into conversation with Marion Cooper, National President and Lead Executive Officer of the Canadian Mental Health Association. Together, they explored current system dynamics, emerging needs across mental health and wellbeing, and the critical opportunities for philanthropy to act more strategically and catalytically. The conversation invited reflection on how funders can align resources, relationships, and influence to support resilience, equity, and sustainable change in mental health systems. Plenary Opening Keynote with Niigaan Sinclair To open the conference, Niigaan Sinclair invited us to reflect on the stories, relationships, and responsibilities that shape our work and our future. Grounded in hope and challenge, this keynote set the tone for meaningful dialogue and collective action throughout the gathering. Philanthropy in Focus Photo Gallery A dedicated space for funders and grantmakers to come together as peers for candid discussion, reflection, learning, and relationship-building. This included pre-conference activities, Affinity Group gatherings, and funder-focused conversations. Welcome Reception Oodena Celebration Circle at The Forks Located at the junction of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, The Forks has been a meeting place for more than 6,000 years and sits on Treaty No. 1 territory, the traditional lands of the Anishinaabeg, Nehiyawak, Ininiwak, Anisininewuk, Dakota Oyate, Denesuline, and the homeland of the Red River Métis. Long a place of exchange, connection, and community, it offered a meaningful setting to come together. This was the most appropriate space for Elder Barb to warmly welcome us and bless our conference and for Niggaan Sinclair to move us beyond words capturing our imagination and inviting us to partake in the spirit and the essence of the local first nations’ culture built on resilience and wisdom. Day 2 Sector Solutions Thursday, September 24, 2026 Plenary When Democracy Is Tested, What Does Philanthropy Do? Democracy doesn’t just break down in headlines, it gets tested in communities, in real time, with real consequences. When democratic systems are under strain, philanthropy is confronted with hard choices: when to act, when to stay quiet, and what responsibility comes with influence. This plenary brought together Canadian and U.S. perspectives to look honestly at how philanthropy responds when democratic norms are under pressure. Treating democracy as essential civic infrastructure, this session invited funders and sector leaders to reflect on leadership, risk, silence, and solidarity, and to ask a simple but urgent question: when democracy is tested, what does philanthropy actually do? Sector Solutions Democracy Under Pressure: What Philanthropy Can Do to Strengthen Civic Life A healthy democracy is foundational to a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable society. Yet across Canada, democratic systems are under increasing strain. Polarization, misinformation, economic precarity, and declining trust in institutions are weakening the civic and social relationships that democracy depends on. These pressures do not operate in isolation. They reinforce one another, eroding the reciprocal bonds between people, communities, and institutions. This session invited participants to explore what role philanthropy can and should play in strengthening democratic resilience. Rather than positioning philanthropy as an external supporter of democracy, the session framed philanthropies, funders, and ecosystem partners as active participants whose decisions, relationships, and practices shape civic life. Drawing on Canadian research and real-world experience, the session examined key pressures on democracy, including online harms and misinformation, widening social and economic divides, and growing stress on democratic institutions. Through examples from philanthropic and community‑led initiatives, participants explored how reciprocity can be operationalized in moments of tension, disagreement, and polarization. Designed as a facilitated dialogue rather than a panel, the session created space for reflection, shared learning, and candid conversation. Sector Solutions Grantee Support and Wellbeing: Care and Connection to Financial, Structural, and Systems Resilience Across Canada, grantees are operating under sustained emotional, financial, relational, and structural strain. Burnout, isolation, precarity, turnover, rising demand, and shrinking public resources are now the day-to-day reality across much of the charitable and nonprofit sector. This session brought complementary perspectives to frame grantee resilience and wellbeing as essential social infrastructure, not an add-on. It looked from individual coping towards ecosystem opportunities, including peer learning, collective care, financial and operational sustainability, reciprocity, and structural change. Together, participants reflected and discussed how these practices shape wellbeing, resilience, and long-term impact, as shared responsibilities across the charitable ecosystem. Sector Solutions How Capital Transfers, Endowments, and Partnership Can Shift Power What does it take to move beyond grantmaking and toward deeper redistribution of philanthropic capital, and how can funders and their partners engage in this question together? This interactive session invited participants across the philanthropic ecosystem including foundations, philanthropy support organizations, advisors, and community partners to examine the role endowments play in shaping power, equity, and long‑term impact. It focused on capital transfers, including moving principal or assets into community‑controlled funds or pooled vehicles, and situated these strategies alongside complementary approaches such as capacity building and impact investing. Grounded in applied research and lived experience within philanthropic systems, the session explored how capital transfers differ from traditional funding approaches, what risks and barriers institutions encounter, and how non‑funder actors support, influence, and help design these shifts. Participants engaged with real‑world examples of organizations experimenting with new capital pathways, including lessons learned, tensions encountered, and enabling conditions for change. Designed as a judgment‑free, relational learning space, the session welcomed curiosity, caution, skepticism, and ambition. Through facilitated dialogue and design‑based exercises, participants reflected on their own roles within funding ecosystems and explore practical, context‑specific ways to align capital, relationships, and responsibility in service of community‑led solutions. Sector Solutions Mutual Flourishing: Feminist and Black Feminist Pathways to Equity Equity in philanthropy is not achieved through intention alone, it is practiced through relationships, power‑sharing, and accountability over time. This co‑developed session brings together Black feminist, feminist, and community‑partnered approaches to explore how equity is enacted through networks, trust, reciprocity, and participation across philanthropic ecosystems. The session weaved insights from organizations actively experimenting with relational and participatory models of funding: Black feminist philanthropic networks cultivating collective power from within institutions; feminist funders advancing trust‑based and participatory grantmaking; and settler‑led organizations examining how they show up differently in relationship with Black‑led and marginalized‑community‑led partners. Rather than centering a single model or set of best practices, the session created a shared learning space where multiple roles and perspectives are held together. Participants were invited to reflect on how power flows through networks, how reciprocity can move beyond values into daily practice, and how institutions can align capital, decision‑making, and relationships to support community‑led change. Designed as a judgment‑free, relational learning environment, the session welcomed curiosity, tension, and honest reflection. Through facilitated dialogue and interactive exercises, participants explored practical, context‑specific ways to advance equity by strengthening trust, redistributing power, and committing to reciprocal relationships across difference. Sector Solutions Research Sparks: Exploring Emerging Questions in Philanthropy This interactive session featured rapid-fire presentations by researchers and practitioners on emerging issues in Canadian philanthropy, such as donor-advised funds, women’s philanthropy, spend-down foundations, and sector trends. Presenters shared key findings and insights, followed by facilitated small-group discussions to explore resonating themes and challenge assumptions. Participants engaged with current research, exchanged perspectives, and identified practical ideas to implement in their organizations and communities. Plenary Honouring Indigenous Leadership: Perspectives for a Shared Future This plenary session invited participants into a thoughtful conversation on the leadership, truths, and lived experiences shaping Indigenous futures across Canada and Turtle Island. Grounded in community knowledge and guided by those closest to the work, the session explored the realities of Residential Schools, the ongoing fight for First Nations child rights, and the calls for justice from the MMIWG2S movement. With national dialogue partners, participants were invited to reflect on the enduring impacts of colonization and the responsibilities that come with building relationships rooted in respect, accountability, and long‑term commitment. The session considered what it means to move forward together in ways that honour Indigenous leadership and strengthen a shared future for all who call Turtle Island home. Sector Solutions Canada’s Political Landscape: Understanding Power, Policy, and Possibility for the Sector In 2026, the federal government is operating in a context shaped by affordability concerns, fiscal constraints, strained public trust, complex intergovernmental relationships, and rising expectations for action on a number of issues including climate, Reconciliation, housing, and health care. At the same time, global instability, shifting Canada US dynamics, and geopolitical uncertainty continue to influence domestic policy choices. This session brought together experienced Canadian political insiders and commentators to unpack how the current government is navigating these pressures, where policy momentum is building or stalling, and how political decision making is evolving. The discussion focused on what this context means for foundations and charities seeking to advance the common good. Sector Solutions Grantmaking Practices 1: From Transactional to Relational Across Canada, funders are re‑examining how grantmaking relationships shape outcomes for communities, organizations, and systems. In a context marked by recurring crises, rising inequities, and sector strain, transactional approaches to funding are proving insufficient to support long‑term resilience and impact. This session brought together funders, grantees, community leaders, and public institutions to explore how grantmaking rooted in trust, reciprocity, and shared power is being practiced in real‑world contexts. Drawing on examples ranging from partner‑led networks and participatory grantmaking to co‑delivery models and long‑term relational philanthropy, the session focused on relationships as infrastructure: how trust is built and sustained, how accountability is redefined, and how power is intentionally shared across the granting cycle. Participants were invited to engage in reciprocal dialogue about what it takes to shift from compliance‑based funding toward relationship‑centered grantmaking, and what constraints, trade‑offs, and opportunities funders encounter along the way. Sector Solutions Health as Community Infrastructure: A High Impact Opportunity for Philanthropy Caregiving, health, and community wellbeing are deeply interconnected and increasingly under strain in Canada. Millions of people provide unpaid care to aging parents, partners, children with disabilities, friends, and community members, often absorbing growing gaps in public systems without sufficient recognition or support. At the same time, chronic illness, mental health challenges, social isolation, and inequities across gender, age, disability, geography, and race continue to deepen. This interactive session invited philanthropic organizations to explore caregiving and community health as essential social infrastructure and a high leverage opportunity for impact. Drawing on national research, funder experience, and systems‑level perspectives, the session examined why current approaches are falling short and how philanthropy can play a more catalytic and coordinated role in advancing healthier futures. Rather than focusing on individual programs or isolated interventions, the session centered on shared challenges and collective opportunity. Participants engaged in facilitated, reciprocal dialogue to explore where philanthropic capital, collaboration, and influence can strengthen caregiving supports, advance equity, and enable innovative community‑based solutions that governments have not yet funded or scaled. Sector Solutions Lessons from Northern Manitoba: What Real Reciprocity Requires in Practice Despite growing interest in equity and reconciliation, many Indigenous communities continue to experience philanthropy as inaccessible, extractive, or harmful. This session creates space to hear hard truths directly from Northern Indigenous leaders about their lived experiences interacting with philanthropic organizations, and what real reciprocity requires in practice. Drawing on more than a decade of learning from the Northern Manitoba Food, Culture and Community Collaborative (NMFCCC), the session shared lessons from a funder collaborative created at the request of northern communities who were unable to access philanthropic support. At the same time, many funders either did not know how to reach Indigenous partners or questioned whether “fundable” work existed in the region. Through personal stories, traditional teachings, and reflections from those working in, advising, and receiving funding through the collaborative, participants explored how poor philanthropic practice can cause deep harm, and what it takes to build relationships grounded in respect, accountability, and reciprocity. Participants were invited to reflect on their own organizational practices and engage in a shared design and learning process. Sector Solutions The Arts as a Catalyst for Philanthropic Impact The arts are widely recognized for their cultural and creative value, but their capacity to catalyze social change and respond to urgent community challenges is just as significant. Arts-based initiatives have demonstrated measurable impact in areas central to philanthropic priorities – supporting mental health, reducing social isolation, and building community resilience. Despite this evidence, many Canadian foundations continue to treat the arts as a secondary investment rather than a strategic lever for achieving broader social outcomes. Jointly presented by the Rozsa Foundation, the Azrieli Foundation, and the Manitoba Arts Council, this session showcased how arts-based interventions can deliver measurable social benefits and support diverse funding approaches. The session began with a national panel of leaders from organizations at the forefront of arts-driven social impact sharing compelling examples of programs that use creative expression to promote well-being, strengthen social connections, and tackle systemic issues. Following the panel, participants engaged in interactive table work designed to spark collaboration alongside representatives of Winnipeg-based arts organizations. Through dialogue and experience sharing, they explored innovative, arts-based strategies to advance philanthropic objectives, unlocking new pathways for impact through creativity. Through these reciprocal exchanges, funders were encouraged to develop a broader understanding of how the arts can help them meet their philanthropic goals, while arts charities will be empowered to think creatively about how their work can have broader societal benefit and impact in service of future programming considerations. Each table then shared their discoveries with the larger group, which will subsequently be collected and disseminated back to the full group of attendees following the conference. Sector Solutions Food, Health, and Sovereignty: Rethinking How We Nourish Communities Food sits at the intersection of health, land, culture, and power. It shapes chronic disease outcomes, reflects relationships to territory and sovereignty, and reveals whether systems prioritize dignity or scarcity. Yet responses to food insecurity in Canada remain fragmented, split between charity, health care, philanthropy, agriculture, and policy, often addressing immediate need without changing the conditions that produce it. This session invited participants to rethink food not as a program or service, but as a system that determines who is nourished, who is harmed, and whose ways of feeding communities are recognized and valued. Bringing together ecological innovation, philanthropic strategy, food sovereignty, rights‑based advocacy, and structural policy perspectives, the session examined how food systems shape health, equity, and community resilience over time. Grounded in lived experience and place, the conversation highlighted how ecological stewardship, chronic disease prevention, and the right to food are often treated as separate concerns despite being deeply interconnected. Participants explored how dominant food responses can unintentionally reinforce inequity, and what becomes possible when food is approached as a foundation for health, culture, and self‑determination rather than emergency relief alone. Rather than focusing on individual initiatives, the session centered collective sense‑making around power, prevention, and structural change. Through facilitated dialogue, funders and sector leaders engaged with questions of sovereignty, policy, and accountability, and considered how philanthropy can help align ecological, health, and rights‑based approaches to support food systems that nourish communities with dignity and resilience. Sector Solutions Grantmaking Practices 2: From Values to Infrastructure As funders embrace trust, reciprocity, and power sharing in principle, many are now grappling with a critical question: how do these values show up in real grantmaking decisions, structures, and incentives? This session built directly on the relational foundations explored in Grantmaking Practices 1 by focusing on how grantmaking systems are designed, and redesigned, to support resilience, collaboration, and long‑term impact. The session brought together funders, nonprofit leaders, and intermediaries who are experimenting with concrete mechanisms such as flexible funding, operating reserves, revenue diversification, partnerships and mergers, challenge prizes, and new approaches to risk and accountability. Rather than positioning these tools as technical fixes, the session treated them as behavior shaping infrastructure. Participants explored how funding models influence organizational health, collaboration, and decision‑making; and how funders can intentionally design grants, timelines, and expectations to reduce scarcity, support learning, and enable adaptive change. This session emphasized practical learning, honest trade‑offs, and peer exchange, inviting participants to reflect on which design choices they might pilot or adapt within their own institutional contexts. Sector Solutions Home, Not Just Housing: Community Infrastructure at the Intersection of Care and Crisis Home is more than housing. It is the place where people live, care for one another, maintain culture, access services, and recover when crisis hits. Housing only functions as home when the surrounding systems, relationships, and infrastructures are in place to support people and communities—especially during disruption, displacement, and disaster. This session reframed housing as a central anchor within community infrastructure, reflecting how philanthropy is increasingly engaging housing not as a stand‑alone solution, but as foundational to care, belonging, and resilience. From health access and mobility to governance and emergency response, the infrastructures that surround housing determine whether people can remain rooted in place and supported through change. Bringing together perspectives from homelessness systems change, catalytic housing finance, community‑led governance, and First Nations lived experience during climate‑driven emergencies, the session explored how decisions about policy, capital, timing, and infrastructure definitions shape what home looks like in practice. Participants examined how housing strategies often surface deeper questions about power, risk, cultural bias, and whose realities are prioritized when determining what counts as “essential” infrastructure. Rather than treating crises as rare interruptions, the session acknowledged them as recurring conditions that test both housing systems and community infrastructure. Through facilitated dialogue, participants engaged with tensions such as speed versus participation, readiness criteria versus lived experience, and standardization versus sovereignty. The session invited funders and sector leaders to consider how philanthropy can act as steward and bridge‑builder—aligning housing investments with the broader infrastructures that enable people not only to be housed, but to care for one another and recover with dignity. Sector Solutions Indigenous Led Perspectives and Practices Helping Reimagine Philanthropy What does reciprocity truly require of philanthropy when working with Indigenous communities and Nations and what does it look like in practice, not just principle? This session brought together Indigenous leaders, community partners, and philanthropic organizations to explore how philanthropic practice can move from intention to accountability in support of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis led work. Participants learned how Indigenous giving economies reframe wealth as relational and held in trust for collective wellbeing, how philanthropic power and privilege can be acknowledged and rebalanced, and how organizations have operationalized commitments such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples across grantmaking, governance, and operations. Designed as an interactive and relational learning space, the session modeled reciprocity through shared storytelling, deep listening, and collaborative reflection. Participants were invited to reflect on their own roles and responsibilities within philanthropic systems, and to identify practical shifts they can take back to their organizations. Sector Solutions Technology, Power, and the Public Good: How the Sector Responds Together Artificial intelligence, data systems, and digital platforms are rapidly reshaping how information flows, how decisions are made, and how power is exercised in society. While the pace of technological change is largely driven by the private sector, the social purpose sector faces a distinct challenge: how to engage technology in ways that uphold equity, trust, democratic participation, and accountability to communities. This session invited participants into a collective conversation about technology not simply as a set of tools to adopt, but as a force that shapes relationships, governance, narratives, and outcomes across the sector. Moving beyond organizational readiness or technical implementation, the session centered on the shared responsibility of philanthropy, nonprofits, intermediaries, and storytellers to respond together to technology‑driven change. Grounded in lived experience across funding, data, governance, media, advocacy, and community‑led practice, the session explored how technology intersects with power, bias, data ownership, narrative control, and public trust. Participants were invited to consider how internal policies, ethical guardrails, funding decisions, and storytelling choices influence how technology is understood and used—and where individual organizational actions fall short when technological impacts are system‑wide and societal. Designed as a facilitated inquiry rather than a training or debate, the session emphasized shared sense‑making. Through guided dialogue, participants surfaced the questions that matter most, identify where alignment or collective action is required, and explored the sector’s role as steward, advocate, and boundary‑setter to ensure technology serves people, communities, and ecosystems in alignment with the sector’s shared mission to do good. Sector Solutions Photo Gallery National conversations and facilitated session bringing nonprofits, funders, government, and researchers together to identify shared challenges and co‑create solutions. Evening Social at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights Participants gathered at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in a striking and inspiring setting which offered the opportunity to experience a one‑of‑a‑kind venue dedicated to human dignity, justice, and shared responsibility, while enjoying meaningful cultural engagement. Designed as a time to unwind after a full day of conference programming, the evening invited participants to connect with new and familiar peers from across the sector. Day 3 Professional Development Friday, September 25, 2026 Professional Development Climate Integration for Non-Climate Funders: Connecting Climate Action to Your Existing Mission Climate change is increasingly affecting the outcomes foundations care about, from health and housing to education, community wellbeing, and equity. Yet many foundations do not see themselves as climate funders. This session explored practical ways to integrate climate considerations into existing priorities without changing your mission. Drawing on lessons from the Canadian Philanthropic Commitment on Climate Change (CPCCC), participants learned how foundations are embedding climate thinking into decision-making, strengthening community resilience, advancing Indigenous leadership, and taking achievable steps toward climate integration. Professional Development Equitable Futures: Foresight for Canadian Philanthropy How can philanthropy respond to a rapidly shifting world in ways that create real, lasting change? In this hands-on workshop, practicing futurists Julius Lindsay and Jenn Chan invited participants to step into the practice of foresight — not as an abstract exercise, but as a capacity philanthropy needs to build intentionally if it wants to move beyond reactive giving toward transformational impact. Together, they explored why foresight work is already happening across the sector, often unnamed, and why naming and strengthening it matters now. Participants practiced navigating multiple futures at once — while grappling with the systems, relationships, and dynamics that shape how social change actually happens. They left having actually practiced being a futurist, with tools to help their organization build the capacity to meet what’s ahead and shape the futures we wish existed. Professional Development Learning Lab: Moving from trust-based philanthropy to shifting power and building partnerships This interactive Learning Lab explored how philanthropy can move beyond viewing trust as an aspiration and make it the starting point for reframing philanthropic giving and shifting power. Moving beyond trust as something that exists only within individual funder-grantee relationships, the session looked at concrete actions that foundations and the sector as a whole can take to change behaviours, grantmaking processes, and decision-making structures, and to build reciprocal relationships that genuinely empower communities. What made this session distinctive was who was in the room. Rather than funders reflecting on their own practice, the Lab provided a space for grantees to share and discuss their experiences on the receiving end of trust-based philanthropy. Through candid reflection, small-group dialogue, and shared problem-solving, participants left with concrete, practical next steps grounded in what trust-based, equity-informed philanthropy looks like in practice. The session welcomed those new to trust-based philanthropy as well as those already practicing it and seeking to deepen, embed, or scale their approach. Professional Development Legal Lab: Navigating Legal and Regulatory Questions and Practice Foundation philanthropy is operating in a changing legal and regulatory environment. From grantmaking, non-qualified donees and advocacy to governance, partnerships, and evolving accountability expectations, foundation leaders are being asked to navigate complex questions while continuing to move resources, support communities, and respond to urgent needs. This interactive Legal Lab helped surface the legal and regulatory questions emerging across foundation philanthropy and related nonprofit practice. The session began with short briefings from leading legal experts on the issues they are seeing in the field. Participants then joined facilitated discussion tables focused on key areas of practice, where they explored common scenarios, identify emerging questions, and compare practical approaches. Recognizing that many Canadian foundations operate with small teams and limited infrastructure, the session emphasized practical, right-sized approaches to help participants better understand the issues taking shape across the sector, where there may be uncertainty or opportunity, and what low-lift practices, documentation habits, templates, or governance routines can help organizations navigate routine questions with more confidence and less unnecessary complexity. The purpose of this session was to create a practical, accessible space for foundation and nonprofit leaders to better understand emerging legal and regulatory questions, reduce uncertainty, and support action. Professional Development Working with Indigenous Communities: Assessing and Strengthening Your Organization's Approach This interactive professional development session drew on The Circle on Philanthropy and Indigenous Peoples in Canada’s Indigenous Four Directions Matrix (I4DM) to help participants critically examine their organization’s current approach to working with Indigenous communities, organizations, and Nations. The I4DM identifies four approaches to engagement: Indigenous-Benefiting, Indigenous-Informed, Indigenous Partnerships, and Indigenous-Led, across key dimensions including leadership, values and protocols, programs and teams, accountability to community, and reciprocity. Through guided reflection, discussion, and practical application, participants explored how relationships with Indigenous communities can evolve beyond intention and inclusion toward shared decision-making, accountability, and Indigenous self-determination. The session encouraged participants to assess where their organization currently operates on the continuum and identify opportunities to strengthen Indigenous leadership, deepen reciprocity, embed Indigenous ways of knowing, and build more authentic and accountable partnerships. Using questions and frameworks adapted from the I4DM, participants considered issues such as power-sharing, cultural safety, program design, governance, community accountability, and the role of philanthropy in supporting Indigenous sovereignty and community-led solutions. Plenary Reciprocity, Reconciliation, and the Stories We Carry Forward Drawing on the leadership and wisdom shared by Kris Archie, CEO of The Circle on Philanthropy, this plenary invited participants to consider what reciprocity looks like in practice and what it asks of us today. Grounded in the sector’s ongoing commitments to reconciliation, participants reflected on the responsibilities we carry forward and how foundations can better support the leadership, knowledge, and solutions that already exist within communities. Joining the discussion were Glen Galaich, CEO of the Stupski Foundation, who challenged the sector to reconsider traditional approaches to power and change. Building on the ideas explored in his recent book, Control: Why Big Giving Falls Short and How to Transform Philanthropy, Glen shared perspectives on how foundations can move beyond directing change and instead create the conditions for trust, partnership, and shared power to take root. Moderated by PFC’s CEO, this closing plenary weaved together the themes, insights, and relationships that have shaped participants’ shared experience in Winnipeg, inviting them to consider how we can move forward as a sector with greater reciprocity, deeper accountability, and a renewed commitment to a just, equitable, and sustainable future for all. Professional Development and Closing Plenary Photo Gallery Practical learning to equip participants with the tools, frameworks, and confidence needed to navigate a rapidly evolving sector and advance aligned, informed, and effective practice Thank You to our Sponsors and Partners