Discover the role of an agency speaker

Volunteering
Philanthropy
March 16, 2022 •  By Centraide
Présentation dans une grande salle de réunion

Did you know that Centraide of Greater Montreal has about 100 volunteer agency speakers? These representatives of agencies supported by Centraide are selected for their expertise and their ability to communicate easily in public (face-to-face or virtual).

Each year during our campaign, they give more than a hundred talks in companies and organizations. In this way, they make it possible to link Centraide of Greater Montreal, the energy deployed in the field by the agencies we support, the donors, and of course the people we help.


An ecosystem at the service of mutual aid

“All the players in our ecosystem play an essential role in ensuring that we can – collectively – meet the growing and changing needs of the population of Greater Montreal. And it is important to say, these needs have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

When I speak of the actors in the ecosystem, I am referring to the community agencies that implement projects and are active in the field, as well as Centraide of Greater Montreal, which funds community agencies, and the generous individuals and companies that contribute financially to fundraising campaigns.

Indeed, community agencies cannot carry out their social missions without the support – financial and otherwise – that is necessary to achieve them. Centraide provides us with this essential support and therefore plays a vital role as an intermediary between the agencies and those who give.

I take on this role as agency speaker because it gives me the opportunity to help Centraide of Greater Montreal help us, to support community agencies in their work with the public. – David Ford Johnson, Executive Director of the Association Québécoise des parents et amis de la personne atteinte de maladie mentale – AQPAMM

“I often receive feedback from donors that my presentations provide a clearer picture of how the funds Centraide invests in community agencies are used”. 

—David Ford Johnson
Executive Director, AQPAMM

Sharing experiences to build confidence

In addition to this expertise in the community, we have other types of profiles, such as Nathalie, a community worker, and Joanie, a person who is helped by one of the agencies we support. This duo allows donors in the workplace to discover life paths that are different from others:

“Doing it as a duet adds an extra dimension to the testimony, which allows us to touch people even more. What could be better than the testimony of a person who has been helped, to explain the impact of the help received on his life and that of his children? It also adds to my intervention with the mother who accompanies me, because the fact of coming to testify increases her self-esteem and self-confidence and brings her out of her isolation”. – Nathalie, counsellor at the Mouvement S.E.M. (Sensibilisation pour une enfance meilleure)

“This is my way of helping Centraide to continue to help us, so that we can continue our mission”.

—Nathalie
Mouvement S.E.M. Worker

“It helps me regain my self-confidence. I haven’t worked since 2010 due to my illness. Right now, my desire to return to work has returned. This experience brings me a lot of recognition”.

—Joanie
Person helped by the Mouvement S.E.M.

Creating a bond of trust

The agency speakers’ speeches create a bond of trust between donors and Centraide of Greater Montreal. They also provide an opportunity to answer questions and, above all, to maintain a policy of total transparency regarding the use of donations.

“Having led Collective Community Services for many years now, I know the value of giving back to our community. I feel those with deep experience to share with others should take such opportunities to do so. Presenting the compelling, credible stories of addressing the effects of poverty and isolation can be very influential on corporate donors. It reinforces the belief in existing donors that their donations are being put to good use and inspires new donors to help organisations, like CCS, do what they themselves would like to have done.”

—Vaughan Roche
Director of SCC Montreal