Rebecca Murray, the Inaugural President, explains why the Alumni Association was started

Rebecca: It’s been almost 15 years since the MPNL program was created — and it’s about time that we have a formal Alumni Chapter. Thanks to the , I鈥檓 the Inaugural President for the next year. I鈥檓 working with and , who are from the 2016 cohort of students — and we’re close to 400 alumni and students right now.

I know alumni have been doing lots of work through the program, through the PANL Perspectives and MPNL websites, and many of them have been writing research pieces. So, how do we bring these and our alumni together? We鈥檙e canvassing people over the next year to find what they want their association to look like. Is it more social? Are they looking for professional development opportunities? Is it research and events?

You鈥檙e an alum as well?

杏吧原创 15 years ago, I worked with Dr. Susan Phillips when she explored the idea of a graduate program in philanthropy and nonprofit leadership. I was able to help her get funding. She involved me in the programming as well, and asked, 鈥淚f you were a student, what are the things you鈥檇 like to study?” I wasn’t a student in the program at the time, but when COVID hit, I thought, “Maybe now’s the time.” In 2022, I started the program that I’d helped to create, and oh my gosh, it was wonderful and hard. It was great for my brain, for my learning and for the charities I work for.

As alumni, we have so much value to offer collectively. United as a group, we have a voice that can help change the charitable sector.

What are you hoping to accomplish with the association?

You become very close with your cohort when you’re going through the MPNL program. That’s the way it’s designed, with all the group projects and the intense Summer Institute. And when you graduate, you just go back to your lives. The Alumni Association can reconnect people. There’s something unique about the students who went through this program. They鈥檙e chosen to help the charitable sector grow in their own way 鈥� with a charity, in government, in the private sector 鈥� and some of them continue to work with each other for years. We maybe want to facilitate that a bit more, maybe feed it a little, help it to grow.

Also, there鈥檚 a lot of expertise among alumni. They鈥檝e led the way with directed studies on Donor-Advised Funds and working on DAF research with our academics, Advisory Council members and our community partners. DAFs have been exploding in popularity. And 鈥淔amily offices鈥� is another big thing that nobody really noticed about three or four years ago, and MPNL was on it. Now, Family Offices are everywhere.

Will there be professional development?

Personally, I鈥檇 love to have professional development offered, and somehow integrate people back into the MPNL program. Are the alumni interested in professional development? We鈥檇 have to ask. Like, if we were to design a one-day session every year, what kind of things would they like to see?

Our . Rebecca Murray is on . For more information or to join, please email us at panl@carleton.ca or sign up for the newsletter: .

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The MPNL program signed a Memorandum of Understanding with and to collaborate in the advancement of philanthropic research, teaching and practice in Canada and explore the changing roles of philanthropy in addressing Canadian social insecurities and climate change.

PFC, with its rich history of supporting philanthropic foundations, is launching its as it celebrates its 25th year.

“The MOU between PhiLab, PFC and the MPNL program is an important milestone in our commitment to sharing research, translating knowledge, providing education for practitioners, and developing the next generation of philanthropy researchers,” says Jean-Marc Mangin, President & CEO of PFC. “This collaboration aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice in philanthropy, fostering deeper understanding and more impactful philanthropic efforts.”

At the same time, PhiLab鈥檚 renewed national structure will continue to bring together philanthropic researchers across the country and raise the profile of philanthropic research.

The three-way partnership will enable research collaborations on:

• sector data access and analysis;
• the evolving impact of sector regulation;
• monitoring of grantmaking and investing practices; and
• exploring new philanthropic vehicles, and the changing roles of philanthropy in addressing Canadian social needs.

The partnership builds on several years of ad hoc collaboration.

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This year, graduate students in the MPNL program flew from Canada to Johannesburg, South Africa, as part of an MPNL course, Philanthropy and the SDGs, run in conjunction with the at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University).

“The course attracted me because I don’t know a lot about African philanthropy and the SDGs,” says MPNL student Katelyn MacCormac. “A lot of my background in the nonprofit sector is connected to accessibility organizations — but I know there’s so much more to the sector. This was a good opportunity for me to grow into roles involving international development, and it was cool to spend a semester online learning with the South African professors and students.”

The online course was conducted for both the Canadian and South African students, who, like the MPNL students, are also completing a masters degree in philanthropy.

“I’d never heard of the Sustainable Development Goals, and taking the course was my first in-depth look at what they mean and how they’re part of an international agenda,” says MPNL student Emma Murgida.

The to end poverty, improve health, reduce inequality, tackle climate change and attain other goals before 2030.

“I learned what different parts of the world are doing to address the SDGs, especially because the 2030 goal is approaching,” Murgida says. “The field visits in South Africa helped with that, as did the academic analyses from the South African instructors in class. It was a holistic experience.”

MPNL student Meghan Maack agrees. “Via Zoom, we’d had three or four sessions, led by professors at Wits University, and meeting the students and profs in person in Johannesburg was exciting.”

“We visited a farm and learned about sustainability practices there, such as growing indigenous Africa crops and using local seeds,” MacCormac adds. “The woman running the farm, Siphiwe Sithole, was focused on , which is about ending hunger, achieving food security, improving nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture globally. Her programming empowers other farmers, who she partners with, so that they can expand their operations. There’s an educational component for kids and people who don’t know about sustainable farming.”

MPNL student Katelyn James visited the same farm, run by , a nonprofit organization that supports small-scale farmers to grow indigenous African crops.

“Siphiwe Sithole, the founder, explained that her goal is to decolonize food and create sustainable businesses for farmers,” James explains. “Education and advocacy are a big part of her work. The indigenous crops are nutritious and drought-resistant, but knowledge about growing them has been mainly lost. As more and more farmers learn how to grow these crops and share their knowledge, the impact is multiplied.”

James was also impressed with , a South African women鈥檚 rights organization, especially with how it engaged graduate students and how it worked within feminist principles.

“When we were at Gender Links, the day started like we were in a classroom, sitting in a U shape, and everyone was engaged, both the Canadian MPNL students and the students at the Centre for African Philanthropy program,” James adds. “It was a bit like the MPNL’s Summer Institute, because of the high level of engagement and level of learning.”

“We visited one of Gender Links main locations, which was beautiful,” adds Katelyn MacCormac. “The location is for conferences and women who meet to discuss their experiences. The organization also provides women with entrepreneurship training, so that they can work to be economically independent.”

“It’s been interesting to think about growing into this area, as it’s not one that I would have seen myself working in before the course,” MacCormac says. “And since I’ve been back, I’ve met many people who tell me that African philanthropy and the SDGs, or the links between Canada and the sustainable development that’s happening in Africa, are part of their work.”

“The course was great,” Katelyn James adds. “It was the highlight of the MPNL program for me.”

Photos are courtesy of Katelyn MacCormac, Meghan Maack, Emma Murgida and Katelyn James.

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