OVERVIEW
The Mentorship Program through AFP New Brunswick is designed to match a junior fundraiser with a seasoned fundraiser for coaching in an area or areas they would like to learn more about. It provides an opportunity for the mentee to get one-on-one coaching and learn more about the pragmatic side of fundraising in complement to the more formal professional development courses available. It provides the opportunity for the mentee to hone in on specific skills they wish to cultivate and allows the mentor to help advance the profession of fundraising in New Brunswick.
WHO SHOULD APPLY
This is a program open to AFP New Brunswick members only. We are looking for mentors who have knowledge and at least 6 years of experience and who would like to give back to their profession. Mentee candidates must be currently employed as fundraising professionals with 5 years or less of experience and must demonstrate commitment to the profession and to learning. Spaces are very limited and the program is open to enthusiastic, dedicated fundraisers who are passionate about learning best practices in the field. CFRE designation for mentors is a valuable asset but not required.
MATCHING
We will match mentors and mentees based on the needs of the mentee and the experience of the mentor throughout the year. The meetings will be structured around the needs of the mentee. However, we encourage mentors to be very specific in their applications about their wishes, including the level of experience their ideal mentee should have and what specific areas of expertise they wish to share.
THE EXPECTATIONS
Pairs are expected to meet regularly and have one face-to-face meeting each month. It is the responsibility of the mentee to reach out to the mentor to set up the meetings and it’s highly recommended for the first meeting to be face-to-face to determine the needs of the partnership.
It is important for the mentee to ensure that meetings are scheduled on a regular basis and located at the convenience of the mentor and that agendas are prepared and circulated beforehand. This will enable the mentor to properly prepare for the meeting.
We ask that you maintain the relationship for a year. If you miss more than 2 of your coaching sessions, we will reassign your mentor to a new mentee. We currently have a waitlist of mentees looking for coaching, so please make sure you take advantage of this free resource and use it to both our mutual benefits.
If for any reason, the mentor/mentee relationship is not working, please feel free to contact our Mentorship Committee Chair who will review the issues. We will review the relationship with you at the 3-month mark to see if the relationship should continue or be reassigned.
In addition to monthly meetings, both mentors and mentees are expected to attend our two professional development sessions for the program:
- Mentorship Virtual Orientation – date and location to be announced - 1/2hr
- Mentorship Social – date and location to be announced
RELATIONSHIP
The relationship is meant to be career-specific and is not to be used or construed in any way as a consulting relationship. Mentors are encouraged to recommend appropriate resources i.e. courses, workshops, educational opportunities, vendors, or consultants. We recommend the Mentor and Partner advise their employer they intend to participate in the Program. Mentors and Partners will respect that some of the information they share about their organizations is confidential in nature.
INTAKE AND APPLICATION FORMS
Applications are submitted using one of two online forms (linked below).
Matching of mentor/mentee pairs takes place as soon as possible and a member of the Mentorship Committee contacts those who have been matched shortly thereafter.
MATCHING PROCESS
The AFP New Brunswick Mentorship Committee will be facilitating the match between mentor and mentee based on the information collected on the Mentorship Program Application Form(s). Key criteria for matching partners will be based on the areas of expertise the mentor has, and the area of learning identified by the mentee. Please note that only a limited number of participants can be facilitated at this time. Participants will be notified by e-mail of their successful application and next steps in February in time for a March 2025 program start. All other applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.