The Importance and Opportunity of Diversity and Inclusiveness in Fundraising

Diversity is the seeking and achieving of a broad representation of experiences, perspectives, opinions and cultures. Inclusiveness is an essential source of vitality and strength for the effective pursuit of an organization's mission. Join three diversity-focused fundraisers for a discussion about the importance of, and opportunities provided by, inclusion in the charitable sector. 

At the end of this session participants will understand:

The relationship and differences between "diversity" and "inclusion."
How diverse communities are influencing and reshaping the ways we build relationships with donors and volunteers.
Strategies for cross-cultural fundraising and reaching out to diverse donors.

*This session is eligible for 1 hour of ACFRE Leadership or Ethics credit.

About the presenters:

Anne Brennan, who is legally blind, is the director of development for the Triangle Radio Reading Service (TRRS), a service for the blind and print impaired based in Raleigh, NC. A native New Yorker, she is a graduate of Russell Sage College where she earned a B.S. in Psychology and Public Service with a concentration in Health Administration. Anne's nonprofit career spans three plus wonderful decades serving in the disability services arena, hospital foundation, education, food banking, social service, medical membership association management and nonprofit management consulting. She is a great advocate for people with disabilities and works passionately toward making accessibility for people with all types of handicaps the best that it can be.

Gina M. Flores is the Senior Advancement Officer for the Smithsonian Latino Center, guiding the unit’s development efforts and involvement in the Smithsonian Campaign. She also works closely with the Smithsonian National Latino Board (SNLB). Ms. Flores comes to the Smithsonian from the National Council of La Raza where she managed their corporate development efforts. Prior to NCLR, Ms. Flores was an executive recruiter at Isaacson, Miller; promoted Latino outreach at the American Red Cross National Headquarters; and worked in program management at the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. In 2004, she participated in the Smithsonian James E. Webb fellowship program for minority business and public administration students. 

Krishan Mehta is Executive Director, Campaign at Ryerson University. Previously, he held a variety of senior fundraising, alumni and marketing roles at Seneca College and the University of Toronto. Krishan is also an instructor in Ryerson’s fundraising management program and a PhD candidate at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education where he is conducting research on the philanthropy of high net-worth immigrants in Canada. He serves as President-Elect of the AFP Greater Toronto Chapter and was co-chair of AFP Diversity to Inclusion Series, which was the first phase of this exciting inclusion initiative in Ontario. Krishan is an active volunteer in the community, having served as board chair at the Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention, and advancement chair and board member at Social Planning Toronto. Currently, he is a member of the Working Women’s Community Centre Patron’s Council.

*IN ADDITION TO CFRE CREDIT, THIS SESSION IS WORTH 1 HOUR OF ACFRE CREDIT (LEADERSHIP OR ETHICS)