Last week, more than 200 leaders, partners, and community champions from across Alberta gathered at the DJD Dance Centre for the Nonprofit Chamber's AGM 2026.
With over 100 member organizations in the room, the afternoon offered an energizing reflection on what our community achieved over the past 12 months, followed by an evening of conversation and connection at our post-meeting Sector Social.
Reflecting on a Year of Collective Momentum
Opening the afternoon, President and CEO Angie Gélinas highlighted the steady progress taking root across Alberta's charitable landscape.
Guided by this year's theme, "A Year of Collective Momentum," Gélinas revisited 12 pivotal milestones from 2026. Her address underscored a central truth: when community organizations align their voices, share knowledge, and pool resources, our collective impact reaches far beyond what any single group can accomplish alone.
She also shared results from research we’ve done (surveys and interviews) with Alberta-based research and communications firms to better understand how the Chamber’s brand and impact is understood in our community, and what our stakeholders want from us. We heard three big things, and committed to improvements in 2027:
How membership works and what its benefits are
The Chamber’s role as a provincial force
Communicating not only WHAT we do, but the IMPACT of our actions
As well as improvements to how we tell our story – creating more specialized communications for each of the groups we serve.
Grounding Our Advocacy in Rigorous Sector Data
A central theme of the formal meeting was the urgent need for robust, community-focused data infrastructure.
Because effective advocacy, sustainable funding, and responsive program design depend on reliable information, the Chamber highlighted key research and infrastructure initiatives. These include the Invisible Anchor (an analysis of the nonprofit sector's real estate footprint), the return of the Boland Survey Report as an annual benchmark, and the development of a data trust to make essential data widely accessible. More information about each of these projects is forthcoming, and together, these resources will give leaders across Alberta the evidence needed to guide strategic planning and public engagement.
What We Heard: Voices from the Sector Social
Following the business meeting, the energy shifted into the Sector Social, where our roving reporter connected directly with attendees to take the pulse of the room. Across conversations with frontline providers, youth leaders, and disability advocates, several clear priorities emerged:
Making the invisible visible: Leaders pointed out that while one in five employed Albertans works in the nonprofit sector and charities deliver up to half the social safety net, that economic weight remains largely unrecognized by decision-makers and the public. As one attendee put it, "I’m a social engineer when people ask me what I do. I make communities work".
Turning collective data into advocacy: Attendees echoed the Chamber's emphasis on data, calling for shared metrics and coordinated systems, like the Community Information Exchange at Distress Centre Calgary, that show elected officials the exact service footprint in their local ridings.
Centering lived experience in policy: Several advocates shared the direct human impact of provincial benefit shifts, noting that policy choices cannot just be budget line items made in isolated offices. Decisions must be informed by the dignity and realities of the people who rely on those supports.
Breaking cross-sector silos: Attendees called for more tables where funders, corporate leaders, and nonprofits listen to each other as equal partners, shaping evidence-driven priorities together rather than fitting community needs into arbitrary boxes.
Inviting youth to the table: Leaders highlighted that youth engagement is soaring, with organizations like Youth Central seeing registrations surge 500% since before the pandemic. The call was loud and clear: young people want to give back and shape their communities, and they belong in the rooms where decisions are made.
Looking Ahead: Nonprofit Now+ and Beyond
The conversations and candid feedback from AGM 2026 point directly toward an ambitious year ahead.
In the coming weeks, watch for details on the next iteration of our Nonprofit Now+ programming. Built to strengthen executive capacity, operational resilience, and adaptive leadership, these upcoming learning cohorts will open for registration soon.
As we look toward 2027, the Nonprofit Chamber remains committed to championing Alberta's community organizations, expanding vital sector data, and building the connections that help our communities thrive.
Check out some of the images from the event and visit the link below for the full gallery! Make sure to tag us in your posts - @thenpchamber
