See the difference AFC supporters have made!
When he joined AFC in 2016 as Executive Administrator, Dr. Scott Brubacher says, “Change was in the air.” The Foundation was at the mid-point of a 10-year strategic planning effort. “So many of our plans for the future were rallied around making ministry happen through change-oriented investments.”
Brubacher, who was appointed Executive Director earlier this month, says exemplary leadership from the Board of Directors and staff had set the grants program “on a relentless quest to imagine more.” The result? “In the last 10 years, more than $6 million has been granted to some of the most innovative ministries the Canadian church has seen.”
Brubacher is quick to credit the contributions of the many Canadian Anglicans who have helped to make this investment possible. “As I transition into this new role, I never want to lose sight of this simple truth: behind every one of those grants was a generous gift, from a loyal supporter who believed in the role that AFC can play as a catalyst for new ministry and growth, both locally and nationally.”
While many donations have come in the form of leadership gifts and bequests, Brubacher says not to be forgotten are the thousands of donations, from churches and individuals who have strengthened the grants program by making annual gifts to AFC a priority.
This year, AFC published a Donor Impact Report, looking back at the last decade, attempting to tell the story of this incredible period of change. “AFC has been a champion for diverse ministries since 1957,” says Brubacher, “but the last 10 years have called us to new commitments: to fund for impact in youth leadership, interfaith initiatives, the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, innovative ministry projects, climate care, and more.”
In these early days as Executive Director, Brubacher readily acknowledges how the past will continue to inform the present. “In my former role I worked closely with more than 200 grant applicants and over 250 bursary recipients to achieve their project visions and to meet their financial needs.” While implementing the Board’s vision, and overseeing the work at AFC, will require plenty of spreadsheets and pie charts, Brubacher says when it comes to project funding—be they grant recipients or donors—he will continue to see “faces and places.”
“I have a deep understanding of the stories of the people and communities who have come to AFC to ask us, and our supporters, to stand behind their efforts to grow a better, more welcoming, and more compassionate church. I am hopeful the next few years will give us countless opportunities to do even more of that.”
Download a copy of AFC’s 2021 Donor Impact Report or request a printed copy by emailing [email protected].
