Every Member Campaign Chair Karen Mercier: "I’m Thankful for You"

FRANÇAIS

So much of AFP’s work happens at the committee level. As part of our Committee Chair Conversation Series, we keep AFP members informed about current issues facing the organization and the sector, and how we are responding. Karen Mercier, CFRE, CAWA, is chair of the Every Member Campaign that has since 2010 granted 397 scholarships, supported 80 Diversity Fellows, and conducted Canadian-based research.

Karen began her fundraising career in 2002 and worked for a variety of organizations in the Edmonton and Regina area since that time. Prior to leading the capital campaign for the construction of a new Animal Community Centre for the Regina Humane Society, Karen led the development programs at Habitat for Humanity Regina, the Regina Humane Society and the RCMP Heritage Centre. She has also served as a campaign consultant for KCI, worked in major gifts with the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) and held progressively senior positions with the United Way of the Alberta Capital Region.

Karen volunteers actively in the community, currently serving as a director for United Way Regina, the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Foundation for Philanthropy - Canada and the AFP South Saskatchewan chapter. She is also a past chair of both the AFP Canadian Council and the AFP South Saskatchewan chapter. In 2021, Karen completed the AFP Faculty Training Academy Course to become an AFP Master Trainer.

What is the Every Member Campaign exactly and who does it support? 
The Every Member Campaign is an annual campaign of the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy – Canada that raises funds for scholarships, mentoring, research, and equity work. A percentage of all the money raised is allocated back to Canadian AFP chapters to assist with programs in their local communities. 

What attracted you to becoming the chair of the Every Member Campaign? 
Throughout my time as an AFP volunteer, I’ve been fortunate to work with fellow fundraisers locally, nationally and internationally. Those relationships are one of the very best things about my volunteering with AFP. Through the Every Member Campaign, I’m looking forward to meeting even more of our members across Canada. Many colleagues have benefited from the work of the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy - Canada, and I have too, so I’m excited to connect to more of our donors and encourage more members to support the Campaign.

Have you seen growth in the Campaign over the last decade? 
The Campaign has grown over the past decade but like many other charities has been experiencing some challenges throughout the last few years. We’re so thankful for the donors who continue to give and understand we’ve all been through a lot. We’re looking forward to reinvigorating the Campaign so our profession in Canada can continue to benefit.

Where have the challenges come from? 
Most obviously the pandemic has had an effect. Some of our colleagues lost their jobs, while others have experienced significant changes such as working from home while supervising the virtual learning environment with their children. In addition, some have changed jobs or left the profession. It’s understandable this would affect the Campaign. But as we look forward, the one thing I know is how resilient our profession is and how much we want each other to succeed. Supporting the Every Member Campaign is one way we can all help each other. 

What are the priorities coming up in 2022? 
Our priorities, besides reaching our campaign goal (we are fundraisers after all!), is to strengthen our relationships with our Canadian chapters and fellow AFP members, and to look forward to continued recovery in every sense of the word. The Foundation also has a fantastic new case for support and we’re excited to share this with our members as we work to implement our strategic priorities.

When can members expect to hear from you? 
Most members will hear from their chapters first. We also reach out to members in the spring and fall through a calling campaign. Our Foundation board members also connect with members to offer their thanks for donations and to discuss the work of the Foundation and how we can continue to better support our profession.

Has the pandemic impacted your thinking and your work?
The pandemic has shown me how incredibly committed donors are to the causes they support. Like so many charities, my organization was worried about our ability to continue to raise funds and offer service. But our donors have been so incredibly generous and have really had our back throughout all the uncertainty, and I know our experience isn’t unique. It’s also reinforced the importance of professional fundraisers. When a fearful situation makes an organization want to stop asking, it is our profession that advocates to continue to ask our supporters for help. The pandemic has confirmed for me my absolute belief that we shouldn’t make the decision for people whether they want to help or not.

Do you have a message for members?
I want to say to each and every member that I’m thankful for you—for showing up every day when it’s hard, for continuing to advocate for our donors and the causes we serve, and for doing a really hard job. Fundraising isn’t easy and it isn’t simple. And because of that, I’d like our members to support the Every Member Campaign for the Foundation so we can all be there for our colleagues and profession. 

If you would like to make a gift to the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy – Canada Every Member Campaign, please click here. Thank you.