An interim leadership team is in place at the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Greater Toronto Chapter (AFP-GTC) after racism allegations by three Black former board members culminated in resignations by the entire board and executive director three months ago. AFP’s international conference is slated for Toronto in just eight months.
Birgit Smith Burton, board chair of the AFP Global organization, found candidates for six of the nine board vacancies after outgoing members voted to delegate that authority to her in accordance with the chapter’s bylaws just prior to them stepping down in May. A minimum of five vacancies, enough to constitute a quorum, had to be filled for the chapter to continue functioning.
Mide Akerewusi, one of the three former members who claimed mistreatment, was appointed by Burton as interim board president immediately following the resignations. The other appointees – Arleen Benjamin, Dane Bland, Esther Saehyun Lee, Liz Rejman, and Ann Rosenfield – were selected by Burton earlier this month in consultation with Akerewusi after an open call for interested persons. An interim executive director, Abena Buahene, has also been appointed.
The newly appointed members are expected to serve through the end of December 2024 when the chapter membership will hold the next board elections. Emphasis was placed on seeking candidates from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds, according to AFP Global leaders. “The interim board was chosen for their demonstrated commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, access, and reconciliation practices, as well as their extensive leadership and change management skills,” leaders said via a statement.
Facilitating the chapter’s September 14 annual general meeting and developing a path forward for AFP-GTC will be priorities for the new board members. Addressing the allegations of anti-Black racism that precipitated the recent upheaval will also be a priority. “As we look forward, AFP-GTC must be stronger, more committed, and better placed to uphold the principles of equity and champion the practices that lead to belonging for all fundraisers in the GTC,” Akerewusi said via a statement.
The allegations by the three former board members, dating back to when they served from 2017 to 2019, were given renewed attention during a February episode of Akerewusi’s Giving Black podcast. During the discussion, he and the other two former members — Múthoní Karíukí and Nneka Allen — alleged that they were marginalized, humiliated and treated as “tokens” by their white former colleagues. Activists later started a change.org petition demanding the Toronto chapter be sanctioned for failing to make sufficient progress around diversity, equity and inclusion.
Leaders of the chapter ultimately resigned after the chapter’s former board president sent them a cease-and-desist letter cautioning against issuance of a public apology. The letter appeared intended to thwart any apology or statement that might have been interpreted as imputing blame to the former president.
Mike Geiger, president and CEO of the global organization, nonetheless opened the AFP-ICON conference during April in New Orleans with a public apology issued directly from the stage “for the harm done thus far, specifically to those chapter board members who suffered systemic anti-Black racism.”
Akerewusi has since acknowledged the apology, calling it “an important step towards restitution and healing for actions of anti-Black racism at AFP-GTC.” In the wake of that apology, AFP’s Global Board has also rescinded the Ten Star Award and IDEA Champion designations for excellence it previously bestowed on the chapter.
Burton, the first Black female to serve as AFP Global’s board chair in the organization’s 62-year history, said the allegations highlighted a long overdue need to review AFP policies at both the organizational and chapter levels. “This is not something that will be pushed to the side where people will be able to say we’re just giving it lip service and not putting our words into action,” she told The NonProfit Times.
That process of reviewing AFP policies has already begun, according to Geiger. “This is a work in progress,” he said. “Several months ago, AFP Global began the review and revision of longstanding foundational existing policies such as AFP Global’s Code of Ethics and the Member Fair Behavior Policy. We are also developing a new formal complaints process to ensure that all 28,000+ AFP members are included and represented and have the resources and support to report unacceptable behavior.”
With more than 1,000 members, AFP’s Greater Toronto Chapter is the global fundraising organization’s largest. The chapter will also play host when AFP Global holds its international conference in Toronto in April 2024.
“Together with the Greater Toronto Chapter, we look forward to building a culture of belonging that is reflective of this profession’s tremendous diversity,” Geiger said.
