05/28/2025

Fundraising Group Calls for Unity as Canadian Members Talk Boycott

The AFP has publicly responded to members anxious about coming to the U.S.A.

Canadian members of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) have called for a boycott of its conference in Seattle in response to White House statements threatening the country's independence.

Last week, Canadian AFP members began posting on LinkedIn that they were declining to attend the AFP ICON conference scheduled for April 27-29, citing White House statements regarding the annexation of Canada and voicing concerns for attendees’ safety. (President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he wants to pursue making Canada the 51st state.) “Until late last week, I was still planning to honour my commitment to speak, even amidst the US government’s aggression towards Canada,” wrote one attendee, Harvey McKinnon, in a LinkedIn post. "However, with the increased risk to my personal safety and at the urging of my family, I have reluctantly made this decision [not to attend]."

Guy Mallebone, a longtime Canadian AFP member who has served in multiple volunteer roles with the association, said discussions of a boycott have accelerated in recent weeks, especially in response to stories like that of Jasmine Mooney, a Canadian citizen who was recently detained by American immigration authorities for 11 days after attempting to renew her work visa.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Associations Now.