Dear AFP Ottawa community,

 

The health and safety of our members and wider community is incredibly important to our AFP Ottawa Chapter. Due to the exceptional circumstances we find ourselves in during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the AFP Ottawa chapter will be cancelling all events until further notice.

This difficult decision was made with your health and safety in mind after serious reflection on recommendations from the Public Health Agency of Canada. The fact is, we have little control over the environments where we host our events, nor can we ensure people attending our events have not been exposed in any way. To learn more about how to keep yourself healthy and safe at this time, visit The Public Health Agency of Canada’s website.

While the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve and is subject to change, we believe that canceling AFP Ottawa events is the best decision for the safety of our members and our broader community of Ottawa.

 

Effectively immediately,

• we’re canceling all AFP Ottawa events and conferences, including the ‘Direct Mail in the Land of Oz’ professional development session and the Fundraising Day 2020 Conference;
• we’re refunding the full cost of all tickets purchased for AFP Ottawa events and conferences (please allow some time for these refunds to appear in your account as we process high-volumes during these unique circumstances);
• we’re requesting all AFP Ottawa volunteers and sub-committees conduct meetings virtually, which our Board of Directors is also doing;
• we’re exploring alternative benefits and ways of connecting mentors and proteges of the RBC Future Leaders Program in the absence of Fundraising Day 2020;
• our Board of Directors is closely monitoring the evolving situation to determine when events can safely resume and will continue to communicate updates to members and our community.

With all this in mind, we’re still here for you.

• AFP members access the global AFP community and online discussion anytime by signing into AFP Connect.
• Members can still access recorded webinars and select professional education sessions by signing in online at org/professional-development/webinars.
• You can follow updates in our chapter newsletter and social channels and join in the virtual conversation with the AFP Ottawa community at any time.
• We’re also in touch with AFP Global and working on sharing online learning opportunities, including the 2020 AFP ICON Virtual Conference.

There is no doubt that this is a challenging time for us all. That said, it is you, our members and the philanthropic community, who have shown us time and time again how strong and resilient we can be. Thank you for your understanding and for the many individual actions being taken to keep our community safe and healthy.

Sincerely,

Teresa Marques

President, AFP Ottawa Chapter