I am delighted to be here with all of you.  I have had the privilege of speaking to many fundraising professionals across the country since the beginning of my mandate.

Today, I would like to talk about one of my passions—giving—alongside another of my passions—education.

Learning, as we know, is a lifelong pursuit, one made all the more important by the work you are doing to improve our communities.

First, let me assure you that I have been in your shoes. As president of the University of Waterloo, and earlier as principal of McGill, I was constantly fundraising on behalf of these institutions.

When I lived in Montréal, I also served as co-chair of the United Way/Centraide’s annual fundraising campaign.

And I have been a class marshal of my Harvard graduating class for over 50 years; the marshal is responsible for relentlessly pursuing classmates to every corner of the globe.

These are several examples of my experience with fundraising. I know the challenges associated with raising money, with achieving goals. There are so many decisions to make and questions to ask when designing and implementing a campaign: how much money should I spend to raise money? What tools do I need? Who can help me reach my target? What can I do to help? What special skills can I offer? How can I do more?

I have asked and tried to answer all of these questions at one time or another. Through them all, I experienced first-hand how Canadians’ generosity continues to evolve. And this has become even more evident to me since I became governor general.

Last month, for instance, I had the privilege of attending the We Day festivities in Ottawa. For those who don’t know, We Day is an initiative begun by Marc and Craig Kielburger that rewards and encourages young people to give back to their country and the world.

At that event, I was able to speak to young Canadians who are making a difference. It was important to me to tell them that though many say they are the next generation of leaders, they are, in fact, the leaders of today.

More and more, I have seen young people taking charge in previously unseen ways.

Let me give you an example. When she was five years old, Winnipegger Hannah Taylor saw a man eating out of a garbage can one freezing winter day. This sight filled her with sadness, but also prompted her to ask many questions. She wondered why this man had to do what he was doing and thought to herself that if everyone shared what they had, homelessness—and the desperation she saw—would be a thing of the past.

With that in mind, and with the support of her parents and community, in 2004, when she was eight years old, she founded the Ladybug Foundation to help the homeless. Today, the Foundation has grown exponentially, and has helped to raise over 2 million dollars for projects across the country, including donating to shelters and food banks.

Do the math—she is now 17and has raised over 2 million dollars. Very impressive!

How does this relate to the challenges you face as fundraisers? The answer is get all Canadians involved, regardless of age; everyone can give back in meaningful ways.

This is but one truth I discovered during my travels from coast to coast to coast. I have had many opportunities to see the remarkable work being done by volunteers and philanthropists, those who donate time, talent and money to make other people’s lives better.

I have also seen how much more needs to be done. I have seen that reaching a goal takes a concentrated effort, from multiple organizations, from many different people, from those who give a little and those who give a lot.

Which brings us here, to this gathering. You have come here out of a desire to learn, because you know that we are stronger when we share our knowledge and pool our resources.

We have to be smarter about our caring.

With that in mind, let me tell you about my recent visit to the United States. During that trip, I had the good fortune of meeting with senior officials from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. We were able to discuss philanthropic strategies and approaches related to global health and post-secondary education in the United States.

Most of us—likely all of us—do not have access to the types of resources that Bill Gates has. Few people do. But even the Gates Foundation struggles with challenges that are similar to those of all charitable and non-profit organizations.

The Gates Foundation has given itself the remarkable goal of improving the quality of life of those who are most in need—regardless of where they may live. It is an extraordinarily broad mandate that requires constant innovation. And it requires unique partnerships across disciplines and borders.

One such partnership is with Grand Challenges Canada, which supports innovators developing new approaches and instruments to help accelerate progress in global health.

For the Gates Foundation and for all of us, education is a key factor in success. We must not only learn how to use new technologies and maximize efficiency, but also to share our stories, both the good and the bad. We can learn just as much from our failures as we can from our successes.

In fact, I have seen the inspirational effect that recounting our stories can have. Late last year, I helped to launch a new campaign aimed at sharing our stories of giving with all Canadians. The idea behind the My Giving Moment initiative is that we all have something to give, and when we tell our stories, we help inspire others.

Thousands of Canadians have told their stories and have made contributions, be they in time, talent or money, on scales large or small. That is what giving moments are all about.

Over the course of this day of sharing and learning, I hope you will keep in mind the importance of the role you play in our society. You know that giving matters, that it can make all the difference in the world. You may raise money for causes, but you also raise the hope of those who benefit from this generosity.

How can we do this more effectively? That is what you are here to learn.

We need to transform the way we think about giving in Canada, redefine giving for the modern age, and create a virtuous circle in which we can all take part in and can all benefit from giving moments.

I wish all of you an enlightening conference.

Thank you.