The Coast Together Workshop Series is an opportunity for local non-profits and charities to learn, grow, and connect.

Led by professional facilitators, these half-day and full-day in-person workshops are designed exclusively for staff and board members of non-profits and charities operating on the lower Sunshine Coast.

Tailored to the unique needs of small, community-based organizations, these workshops will provide essential skills, knowledge, and networking opportunities, while addressing key areas such as governance, grant-writing, and collaboration.

NEXT WORKSHOP:

Volunteer Engagement: Board Recruitment, Retention, Succession, and Organizational Culture

with JP Baker, Organizational Consultant at Vantage Point

Description:
Non-profit organizations across BC are being impacted by changes in volunteerism and aging volunteer bases. With so much competition for people’s time and attention, it is harder than ever to recruit the right people into our organizations. Maintaining a healthy Board of Directors and other teams of volunteers requires us to understand why people volunteer in the first place, what types of volunteers we most need in our organizations, and how to recruit and engage these people. We need to provide meaningful experiences within a healthy organizational culture and foster collaboration that preserves the best of the past while embracing necessary changes.

Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this session, you will be able to:
– Identify different motivations for volunteering in community.
– Identify the board member competencies and attributes required for the organization to succeed now and in the future.
– Recognize the types of diversity required to enhance board effectiveness.
– Develop processes to recruit, onboard, and develop board members.
– Describe factors that keep Board members engaged, including inclusive decision-making.
– Identify aspects of your Board culture that can be amplified to enhance engagement.

Your Facilitator:
JP Baker has over 15 years of experience as a consultant, supporting organizations with strategic planning, implementation, governance, collaboration, and restructuring. As a Non-profit Lifecycles Consultant, JP takes a developmental approach to understanding and supporting organization. He strives to understand what makes each organization unique and apply the right tools and approaches depending on stage of development, organizational culture, mission focus, geography, and demographics. JP values justice, creativity, collaboration, courage, and focus. He is a dynamic and engaging facilitator and educator. With a background in liberal arts, JP has previously worked as a language educator and freelance writer. He has founded several small businesses and non-profit organizations. Outside of his professional work, JP is an active father, reader, musician, hiker, and volunteer.

About Vantage Point
Vantage Point is a BC-based non-profit dedicated to strengthening the province’s non-profit sector by investing in the people who lead it. For over 40 years, Vantage Point has offered exceptional learning experiences, consulting, and resources that help non-profit leaders, staff, and volunteers do their best work. From practical skills training to transformative leadership development, Vantage Point equips organizations to create lasting impact in their communities.

WORKSHOP DETAILS

Date: Thursday, December 3, 2026

Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Beverages, snacks, and lunch will be served.

Location: Sunshine Coast Golf & Country Club, 3206 Sunshine Coast Hwy, Roberts Creek, BC
We strive to make our events accessible to all. If you have any accessibility requirements, including mobility, vision, hearing, communications, sensory, or other needs like allergies or dietary restrictions, please let us know by email after registering so we can make the appropriate arrangements.

Cost: FREE for staff and/or board members of local charities and non-profits operating on the lower Sunshine Coast.
Limited to two (2) registrants per organization.

Questions? Please contact Emily Schach, Communications & Grants Manager, on: eschach@sunshinecoastfoundation.org

REGISTER FOR ‘VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT’

You may sign-up for the workshop by clicking on the button below.

Maximum two participants per organization.

Any additional registrants from the same organization will automatically be placed on the waitlist.

With gratitude to our generous Presenting Sponsor and Event Sponsors for making the upcoming Coast Together workshop possible:

With gratitude to our generous Presenting Sponsor and Event Sponsors for making the upcoming Coast Together workshop possible:

PAST WORKSHOPS

Fundraising 101

Date: November 3, 2026

Facilitators: Janet Edmison and Leigh Schumann, Principals of Fawkes + Holly

Description:
In this workshop, we will walk through the basic elements of a strong fundraising program by examining the different stages of the donor cycle, exploring donor retention, and providing highly practical examples of simple fundraising activities that can make a big difference. The spirit of this workshop is to dive deeply into how to do more with the donors you already have — with less emphasis on the acquisition of new donors. Come ready to learn from us, each other, and be encouraged by the possibilities that exist within the donor community and the fundraising program you already have!

Who this workshop is for:
– Leaders from small organizations (under $500,000/yr) who want to build a fundraising program but aren’t sure where to start.
– Leaders from small organizations that have struggled to get momentum with their existing fundraising program and are looking for a more holistic understanding of best practices.
– Board members from any size organization that want to learn the basics of fundraising to better provide strategic advice and oversight to the organizations they serve.

Janet Edmison and Leigh Schumann

Fawkes + Holly is a team of BC-based fundraising and communications professionals who are committed to helping passionate people thrive in the non-profit sector. Established in 2015, the company’s client list includes some of BC’s most exciting charities, such as Backpack Buddies, BC Women’s Hospital Foundation, and One to One Literacy Society. Bringing diverse experiences in fundraising, writing, donor relations, non-profit management and digital marketing to the table, the Fawkes + Holly team is on a journey to help non-profit professionals and volunteers focus on the activities that generate the most impact.

The Purpose-Driven Board: Rethinking What Effective Governance Looks Like for Small & Mid-Sized Organizations

Date: Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Facilitator: Nic Gagliardi of Rise + Run Co.

Description: When it comes to non-profit governance, the status quo isn’t working. Board members feel undervalued and disengaged, EDs are overwhelmed, and organizations aren’t getting the strategic leadership they need.

This full-day, hands-on workshop takes a fresh look at governance by putting your organization’s purpose front and centre. Together, we’ll explore how governance really happens in your organization (hint: most of it isn’t at board meetings!), uncover some of the hidden sources of tension in nonprofit governance spaces, and design some new approaches that will make your board more effective and engaging.

Through interactive presentations, peer discussions, and hands-on activities, you’ll gain new perspectives and practical tools to strengthen your organization’s governance. 

Learning Outcomes:
・Assess your organization’s governance to identify what’s working and what needs to change.
・Challenge conventional wisdom and ‘best practices’ to find governance approaches that actually work for your organization.
・Understand the “minimum viable board” model and how streamlining the board’s role can strengthen governance.
・Explore how to navigate the complexity of governance spaces, leveraging people, process, and power to navigate resistance and implement change.
・Develop an action plan to address barriers to effective governance in your organization.

Nic Gagliardi (she/they)

I’m Nic Gagliardi, your go-to nonprofit governance nerd with 18 years of experience transforming strategy, creating impact, and building capacity within the nonprofit sector.

I was just 20 years old when I chaired my first board — and it’s fair to say I had no idea what I was doing! Since then, I’ve gained a lot of experience, asked a lot of questions, and made it my mission to really, truly understand nonprofit governance. I’ve been a committee member, a board director, a nonprofit staffer, and an Executive Director. And all along the way, I kept running into the same core issues again and again, with the same sub-par solutions. I started to wonder . . . if so many nonprofits are struggling with crappy governance . . . why don’t we try a different approach?

Today, I work with nonprofit organizations across Canada to move past outdated norms and build governance systems that are practical, sustainable, and effective. I believe that strong governance is essential to creating impact, and my mission is to help organizations design governance that truly supports their purpose.

Beyond consulting, I share my experiences and expertise as a speaker, facilitator, and writer. My work has appeared in national publications like Charity Village, The Philanthropist, The Small Nonprofit Podcast, and Future of Good. I’m also the author of the popular Nonprofit Board Stories Newsletter, where I share real (anonymous) nonprofit board experiences, along with some helpful governance advice.

Financial Governance for Charities and Non-Profits

Date: Wednesday, November 19, 2025

Facilitator: Gordon Holley, CPA, CA, FCPB, Co-founder & Advisor at Humanity Financial Management

Description: This workshop will introduce responsibilities in financial governance and explore ways to effectively implement reliable financial management tools specifically for charities and non-profit organizations. Board and staff will come away more equipped to understand information presented on financial statements, identify and address financial risks, and clarify ways to build stronger financial capacity. This workshop being delivered by Vantage Point in partnership with Humanity Financial.

Learning Outcomes:
・Describe the importance of good financial governance in the non-profit sector.
・Identify the financial governance responsibilities of the board, understanding more about financial risks.
・Describe the difference between charities and non-profit organizations and the most common areas of non-compliance.
・Identify and understand key information presented on the financial statements.
・Identify strategies to strengthen organizational financial wellness.

Gordon Holley, CPA, CA, FCPB
Co-Founder & Advisor, Humanity Financial Management

Gordon (he/him) is a recognized leader who works with social purpose organizations and First Nations to transform their financial management and financial governance.

As Co-Founder & Advisor, Gordon exemplifies our bold vision of what it means to operate with social purpose and social conscience: doing good while being good.

In 2020, Gordon led our efforts to become the first accounting firm in Canada to qualify for Certified B Corporation certification. In 2022, he realized our goal of becoming a Benefit Corporation: the first accounting firm in Canada to do so.

Gordon is Chair of Community Foundations of Canada; a member of the Audit and Finance Committee for PayPal Giving Fund Canada; and a champion of First Nation financial management strategies that build resilient communities and organizations. In 2022, Gordon was elected to the Board of Directors of the Aboriginal Finance Officers Association, BC branch (AFOABC).

“I want our clients to be liberated from financial uncertainty. By building confidence in financial management, governance systems, strategies, and decision making, we activate opportunities for self-determination and for impact.”