Reflections from Illuminate 2025: A Gathering of Shared Purpose and Bold Ideas

This past May, members of our staff and board had the privilege of attending Illuminate 2025, the national biennial conference hosted by Community Foundations of Canada, which was held in Kjipuktuk (Halifax), Nova Scotia, on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people. More than just a conference, it was a powerful gathering of community foundations from across the country, a space for meaningful connection, shared learning, and lasting inspiration.

One of the most energizing aspects of the experience was connecting with fellow community foundations, big and small, who share similar goals. Despite the differences in size, geography, or structure, we were reminded that we are all striving toward stronger, more inclusive, and resilient communities. We returned home inspired by the innovative work happening across the country and ready to adapt some of those ideas to our regional context.

Conversations at the conference also helped us reflect on our unique position: as the only organization in Canada that is both a community foundation and a UNESCO biosphere region. This dual role brings a distinctive lens to our work, reminding us that social and ecological systems are deeply interconnected. While we often speak to different audiences, we see strength in bridging these worlds and building a shared vision of sustainability and belonging.

A powerful thread throughout the conference was the importance of self-reflection. We’ve come back committed to continuing the work of uncovering our own assumptions and biases, challenging them, flipping the script, and creating space for more inclusive conversations. We also left with a toolkit of new resources and practices to explore with our team and board: ideas around emergency response, actions towards reconciliation, event planning tools, and strategies to keep building the kind of social infrastructure that helps communities thrive.

The momentum we felt at Illuminate 2025 is still with us. We’re energized by the sense of shared purpose and the bold ideas that emerged. In the coming months, we’ll be diving deeper into the insights gathered, and we look forward to seeing how these seeds of inspiration grow.

"To gather with other community foundations from across BC was impactful for us all, as we exchanged knowledge and shared experiences with like-minded leaders from communities both near and far. We found many of these leaders to be interested in and inspired by the composition of the CBT Board, and our intentional representation from local First Nations as well as regional governments. We’ve returned home grateful for the strong relationships we all forged, which will carry our work forward for years to come." - Nicky Ling, CBT Board Co-Chair

The next conference will take place in June 2027, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. We can’t wait to gather and learn in the heart of the Prairies. Until then, we’ll keep building on the connections, learning, and inspiration that made Illuminate 2025 such a memorable experience. A heartfelt thank you to the Community Foundations of Canada team for organizing such an incredible event, to the inspiring speakers who generously shared their knowledge, and to everyone who made us feel so welcomed and supported throughout the experience. We are grateful for the care, thoughtfulness, and energy that went into making such a meaningful gathering.