Help shape For the Future Of… by sharing your experience, your questions, and your ideas.
Across Canada, community foundations and the people and organizations they work alongside are helping communities navigate uncertainty, strengthen trust, respond to change, and invest in possibilities that will outlast all of us.
The theme of this conference, For The Future Of… invites us to imagine and shape what’s next for our communities, our organizations, and philanthropy together.
Co-hosted with Winnipeg Foundation and Francofonds, For The Future Of… will welcome more than 700 participants from coast to coast to coast, including community foundations, charities and nonprofits, philanthropic organizations, governments, businesses, Indigenous leaders, researchers, students, and community partners.
As a bilingual conference, we are committed to creating an inclusive space where participants can engage in both English and French. We encourage proposals that reflect Canada’s linguistic, cultural, and regional diversity, recognizing that the future is strengthened by many voices, experiences, and ways of knowing.
Learning Streams
The conference program is organized around four learning streams. They are intended to inspire ideas rather than define them. If your proposal crosses streams or doesn’t fit neatly into one category, we’d still love to hear from you.
For the Future Of… Communities
Community leadership, grantmaking, reconciliation, Land Back and Indigenous priorities, equity and belonging, rural, northern and remote communities, climate resilience, volunteerism and civic engagement, housing, and affordability.
For the Future Of… Foundations
Leadership, governance and organizational effectiveness, human resources and organizational culture, communications and storytelling, partnerships and collaboration, volunteer and board engagement, and operational excellence.
For the Future Of… Generosity
Donor engagement and stewardship, fund development and asset growth, planned giving, donor-advised funds, community wealth building, investments, financial sustainability, and building a culture of generosity.
For the Future Of… Innovation
Artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, innovation and systems change, public policy, civic leadership, future-ready philanthropy, and cross-sector collaboration.
Submit a Session Idea
What we’re looking for
- Connect with the conference theme and one or more learning streams.
- Address opportunities or challenges facing communities and philanthropy.
- Create opportunities for dialogue, participation, and peer learning.
- Share practical ideas, tools, resources, or lessons participants can adapt in their own communities.
- Bring together diverse perspectives and experiences.
- Encourage curiosity, creativity, or new ways of thinking.
- Share works in progress, honest reflections, and lessons learned—not only polished successes.
Sessions are either 75 or 90 minutes and may be delivered in English or French. Bilingual sessions are encouraged.
Designing for Your Audience
As you prepare your proposal, consider who will benefit most from your session.
Possible audiences include:
- Small, rural, remote, and volunteer-led community foundations
- Medium and large community foundations
- Indigenous-led and identity-rooted foundations
- Community foundation board members and/or volunteers
- Executive directors and senior leaders
- Staff across all functional areas
- Charitable and philanthropic sector partners
- Cross-sector audiences
Session Formats
Participants consistently tell us they value practical learning they can take back to their organizations and communities.
We encourage interactive learning that creates opportunities for discussion, exchange, and collaboration.
Formats may include:
- Workshops
- Panel discussions
- Case studies
- Peer exchanges
- Facilitated discussions
- Roundtables
- Interactive working sessions
Wherever possible, include tools, templates, resources, or other takeaways that extend learning beyond the conference.
To create a balanced and engaging program, CFC may combine complementary proposals, invite presenters to collaborate, or suggest alternative formats.
Who should apply?
We welcome proposals from community foundation staff and volunteers, Indigenous leaders, charities and nonprofits, researchers, policymakers, grassroots organizations, businesses, students, and community partners.
Whether you’re sharing a proven practice, an emerging idea, or a thoughtful question, we’d love to hear from you.
If you are not part of a community foundation, we encourage you to partner with a community foundation staff member or volunteer. Where appropriate, CFC may also connect presenters with complementary experience to strengthen a session.
Presenter Support
At the heart of For The Future Of… is the opportunity to come together, exchange ideas, and imagine the future together. The conference is a place where people from across the community foundation movement, philanthropy and communities convene to share, learn and strengthen our collective work. We are enormously grateful to the presenters who generously contribute their time and expertise.
We also recognize that many people who wish to contribute face financial barriers to participating. To help ensure conference participants benefit from a wide range of voices, experiences, and expertise, we offer the following support to accepted presenters.
Presenters will be eligible for a discounted speaker rate for either a one-day or full-conference registration. The speaker rate cannot be combined with a community foundation bursary or another registration discount.
We recognize that registration costs may create a barrier for some presenters. A limited number of complimentary day passes may be available to those who would otherwise be unable to participate.
In keeping with our commitment to greater equity and access, presenters may choose to receive an optional honorarium of $300 in recognition of the time invested in preparing and facilitating their session. Honorariums will be available for a maximum of two presenters per accepted session.
We thank presenters who choose to decline the honorarium because their participation is supported by their employer or they otherwise have the means to attend and present. This allows us to direct greater support to speakers who might otherwise be unable to participate.
Presenters are generally expected to have their travel and accommodation costs covered by their employer or sponsoring organization. For those who require additional financial support, limited funding is available to assist with travel and accommodation.
If travel or accommodation costs would prevent your participation, please let us know in your application. We will work with selected presenters to determine what support may be available. Requests for this financial assistance will be kept confidential and will not be shared beyond the Conference Team.
If you are attending the conference primarily as a participant rather than as a presenter, please see the Community Foundation Bursary Program for available financial assistance.
Before You Apply
Please ensure you are able to:
- Attend For The Future Of… in person in Winnipeg from June 1–3, 2027.
- Collaborate with CFC in advance to prepare your session.
- Develop and provide any supporting participant resources.
Submit Your Proposal
Submit your proposal by September 30, 2026 using the online application form.
Applicants will be notified by email following the review process.
Questions?
Email Alyssa at: conference@communityfoundations.ca
Looking to attend rather than present? Registration opens in Fall 2026.
Looking for financial support? Learn about Community Foundation Bursaries.
Thank you for considering a proposal. We look forward to learning with you in Winnipeg!