Message from the Chair

By Penny Connors

Dear Trillium Members

It’s hard to believe that the past year has gone by so quickly. In many ways, the second year of the pandemic has been more difficult than the first, after the sprint to adapt to online services and flatten the curve became the marathon to stay engaged and promote vaccination. At the same time, the ups-and-downs of life continued, and we continued celebrating our successes and facing our challenges in the midst of the pandemic landscape. As the incoming Chair of the Trillium Network Council, I’ve certainly had my share of successes and challenges.

It is a testament to the leadership of outgoing Chair Cindy Gonsalves that Trillium Council stayed the course, keeping member outreach on the top of the agenda while pivoting and reimagining and impatiently preparing for a post-pandemic time. Trillium is a dynamic network of Business and Executive members who value the not-for-profit sector and work within the sector ourselves. We all want our efforts on Council to assist in building networks for our local membership and to deliver professional development opportunities that are of value for the times we are all experiencing.

As a long-time Trillium member, I was actively involved with the Trillium network for years, attending various events including both the Winter and Summer Summits. I have always found that the professional development opportunities at Trillium and the friendships I formed were important. I was inspired to get involved as a volunteer through a good friend who happened to be the Trillium Council Chair in the 2015-16 timeframe – thank you Steve Carroll!

Although member outreach and engagement look different right now, and we face new challenges in balancing the varying comfort levels of members at in-person events, the connections we make through the Trillium Network continue to be essential. I encourage you to consider connecting with CSAE Trillium as a volunteer! As individuals, the lessons we’ve learned through our work are invaluable, as we share our successes and challenges collectively with our association colleagues.

Penny Connors is the Executive Director of the Association of Fundraising Professionals – Greater Toronto Chapter (AFP-GTC). Connect with Penny on LinkedIn.