From National Vision to Local Action
Helping a pan-Canadian network turn a national strategy into locally owned action - without pretending every chapter had the same context, capacity or pace.
The Canadian Association of Gift Planners (CAGP) is a national nonprofit professional association in Canada dedicated to advancing strategic charitable gift planning.
They provide education, resources, networking, and advocacy for people involved in planned and legacy giving, including fundraisers at charities and professional advisors such as accountants, lawyers, financial planners, and estate planners. The goal is to help charities raise more and better-quality gifts and to help donors give in ways that align with their financial, personal, and philanthropic goals.
The Challenge
CAGP had a strong national strategy grounded in Belonging, Generosity, Equity and Leadership. The implementation risk was familiar: asking chapters to execute a central plan without enough space to interpret it, challenge it and make it workable locally.
How We Worked
- Conducted confidential surveys and discovery conversations across chapter contexts.
- Prepared national leaders to listen, name power dynamics and enter the session as partners.
- Designed a values-anchored gathering balancing reflection, peer learning and action.
- Helped chapters identify realistic easy wins and stretch goals based on local capacity.
What Changed
- Improved clarity about how local work connects to national direction.
- Strengthened trust between national leadership and chapters.
- Generated concrete, locally owned commitments and reusable implementation tools.
- Increased participants’ sense of leadership and belonging in the network.
Client Feedback
To say we had a great experience working with Sayid Consulting would be an understatement.
“To say we had a great experience working with Sayid Consulting would be an understatement. We engaged Manal and her team to lead an important and complex discussion with our CAGP Chapter leaders from across the country. With such a diverse group—often facing very different realities—we knew the conversation would be challenging. Manal dove in fully to understand the group, our context, and our hoped-for outcomes. She worked closely with us to co-create an agenda and approach that was thoughtful, purposeful, and clearly oriented toward results. Her team paid close attention to every detail that would contribute to a positive and engaging experience for participants, but it was Manal’s facilitation skill that truly stood out. Manal brings a quiet but commanding presence that creates a safe space for participants to share their views. She listens deeply, leading with kindness and empathy, while also asking the right questions to drill deeper, surface clarity, and help find common ground. I would not hesitate to recommend Sayid Consulting to organizations navigating complex conversations, and I very much look forward to our next opportunity to work with Manal and her team in pursuit of our mission.”
Ruth MacKenzie, President & CEO
Canadian Association of Gift Planners (CAGP)