Benefits of volunteering


  • help shape the evolution of the financial planning profession
  • give back to the profession
  • expand your knowledge and experience
  • network and collaborate with other professionals
  • earn continuing education (CE) credits

Their contributions have a meaningful impact on helping FP Canada achieve its mandate to advance professional financial planning in the public interest.

Volunteers play many roles across the organization. To find out how to get involved, including start dates, eligibility requirements and time commitments, please contact volunteer@fpcanada.ca.

Current opportunities

FP Canada has a range of volunteer positions for QAFP® professionals, CFP® professionals and public members, with varying start dates, eligibility requirements and time commitments.

FP Canada Standards Council™ is seeking volunteers to support the CFP designation by participating in one or more of upcoming opportunities: test-writing sessions, CFP exam scoring, and item writing workshops.

The FP Canada Standards Council™ is seeking volunteers to support the QAFP designation by test-writing the QAFP exam.

See below for details.

 

Volunteer groups

FP Canada accomplishes its work hand in hand with the following groups of professionals who generously volunteer their expertise and passion. Select a group to learn more. If you are interested in joining any of these volunteer groups, please contact volunteer@fpcanada.ca to inquire about opportunities to get involved.
 

FP Canada

FP Canada's Board of Directors works to ensure that FP Canada’s purpose—to champion better financial wellness for all Canadians by advancing professional financial planning—is realized. The Board is composed of at least 10 individuals with varied backgrounds that are relevant to achieving FP Canada’s purpose. The Board’s role is to establish the strategic direction for the organization, in conjunction with the President & CEO.


Career Recruitment Ambassadors visit college and university classrooms and career events across the country to discuss the day-to-day life of a CFP professional and offer a first-hand perspective on a career in financial planning to prospective candidates. Volunteers are added to a roster of available ambassadors that are called on to attend events in their area.

Media Ambassadors are approached when FP Canada gets requests for media interviews about the specifics of financial planning. Volunteers must be comfortable speaking with the media and need to be available on short notice. Media Ambassadors also provide expertise for content for the Canadian public through FinancialPlanningForCanadians.ca and other consumer-facing platforms.

We are not accepting Media Ambassador applications at this time.

 

FP Canada Standards Council™

The Certification Exam Item Writer plays a vital role in shaping the next generation of FP Canada certificants. With training and support, item writers research and develop examination questions based on the Competency Profiles, and review and provide feedback on questions developed by other item writers on various scenarios and topics.


Item Writing involves a four-day in-person workshop to develop exam questions – either multiple-choice or short-answer items. Questions are written to be clear, fair, and to accurately assess relevant financial planning competence. These workshops are tentatively scheduled for mid-May 2025, late September 2025 and early February 2026. Volunteers will receive an honorarium and up to sixteen (16) Continuing Education (CE) credits in the category of Financial Planning and four (4) Continuing Education (CE) credits in the category of Giving Back for their participation in each session.

Learn more

Certification Mock Exam Writers ensure the validity of the content and development of the QAFP examination or the CFP examination. Volunteers write the exams in a mock test environment and, directly following the writing of the exam, are required to provide feedback on exam questions, structure, time provisions, format, exam day-procedures, and more. Sessions are held twice a year, with participation for the QAFP exam for a half-day, and the CFP exam for a full day.


CFP Exam Test-Writing

The CFP exam is a competency-based exam composed of multiple-choice and constructed-response questions and our mock exam process allows us to collect important feedback about the exam. The remote CFP Mock Exams will take place on the following days for a total of 6 hours the day you select. Volunteers will receive an honorarium and up to six (6) Continuing Education (CE) credits in the category of Financial Planning for their participation in each session.

Please note that these dates are tentative and subject to change:

  • March 19, 2025
  • March 20, 2025
  • August 4, 2025
  • August 5, 2025

During the writing of the exam, you will be asked to provide feedback on exam questions. Immediately after the writing of the exam, you will be provided with a survey for your feedback on the exam structure, time provisions, format, exam-day procedures, and more. This feedback is critical for the development of the CFP exam. We rely on your feedback to confirm the validity of the content and other aspects of the exam.

Learn more about CFP exam writing

 

QAFP Exam Test-Writing

The QAFP Exam is a competency-based exam composed of multiple-choice questions, and our mock exam process allows us to collect important feedback about the exam.
There are four dates available to participate in the remote test writing. Volunteers will only need to complete one session per exam period.
• March 25, 2025
• March 26, 2025
• August 5, 2025
• August 6, 2025

Benefits of Participating
Previous volunteers have told us that this is a unique opportunity that gives them valuable insight into the exam process and a greater appreciation of the QAFP designation.

As a volunteer, you’ll receive an honorarium plus up to four (4) Continuing Education (CE) credits in the category of Financial Planning for your participation in each session.

Learn more about QAFP exam writing

Following each CFP exam administration, Certification Exam Markers play a key role in evaluating the knowledge and readiness of the next generation of CFP professionals. Scorers are trained by FP Canada staff and then work within assigned teams of other CFP professionals from across Canada. They rigorously score a specific set of candidate responses in the CFP examination, a competency-based examination comprised largely of constructed-response questions. Each session runs for a five-day period.

Volunteers will receive an honorarium and up to twenty (20) Continuing Education (CE) credits in the category of Financial Planning and four (4) Continuing Education (CE) credits in the category of Giving Back for their participation in each session. Scoring sessions for 2025 will take place on the following days:

  • June 16-19, 2025
  • October 20-23, 2025

Volunteers from previous sessions of these activities have reported 100% satisfaction with their experience and indicated that they would participate again and recommend these activities to their colleagues.

 

Learn more

The Standards Panel oversees the standards of the profession including the Competency Profile, Projection Assumption Guidelines and the FP Canada Standards Council Standards of Professional Responsibility. An independent standing committee of the FP Canada Board of Directors composed of public members and financial planners, the panel’s membership reflects significant diversity of experience as well as geographic diversity. The panel convenes three to four times per year, through a combination of in-person and conference call meetings.

The Conduct Review Panel is an independent panel composed of CFP professionals and members of the public that reviews staff reports and directs the appropriate outcome of complaints against FP Canada certificants, in the public interest. The panel’s membership reflects significant diversity of experience as well as geographic diversity. The panel convenes every two months or as often as necessary, through a combination of in-person and conference call meetings.

The Hearing Panel Roster is composed of CFP professionals and lawyers with diverse experience and national representation. These professionals—many whom bring compliance or experience in professional discipline—play a critical role in ensuring the integrity of the profession by enforcing the high professional and ethical standards embodied in the FP Canada Standards Council Standards of Professional Responsibility. Members serve on an as-needed basis on Hearing Panels and Appeal Panels and, on average, will serve on between 1 and 10 panels per year.

 

 

 

FP Canada Institute™

The Institute Faculty provides direct input to financial planning practice in Canada, by coaching and mentoring the next generation of professional financial planners. Faculty volunteers support program delivery and the student’s journey in the Professional Education Programs and Continuous Professional Development courses.

As a Financial Planning Faculty Member, you will support the delivery of professional education on the path to QAFP certification and CFP certification by providing coaching and guidance to students through the assessment and scoring of assessment items. FP Canada staff will provide training and guidance to effectively prepare you for this important role.

 

Canadian Foundation for Financial Planning™

Our mission is to equip Canadians with the knowledge and confidence they need to create their own paths to financial resilience. We will do that through educational opportunities, pro bono financial planning, and web-based tools and resources. The Foundation is supported by Founding Members FP Canada and the Institute of Financial Planning, two of Canada’s leading financial planning certification and education organizations. The Foundation is in the early stages of creating programs and services to support its mission and is currently looking to recruit a person who is passionate about creating a brighter future for all people living in Canada.

 

Thank you to our volunteers

FP Canada’s volunteers have a meaningful impact on the advancement of the financial planning profession. FP Canada is pleased to feature all the names of our current volunteers to recognize them for their significant contributions and ongoing commitment to excellence in the financial planning profession.

Robert Adams, Jubril Adesina, Komal Agrawal, Harvey Agustin, Ada Akpuh, Human Alghabi, Debra Ammeter, Rob An, Alexander Anastasopulos, Roxanne Arnal, Anmy Au, Nathalie Bachand, Brandon Bailey, Mark Bailey, Meagan Balaneski, Jocelyn Lisa Beilman, Shannon Bernstein, Timothy Bertrand, Indra Bharat, Manmeet Bhatia, Kjol Bjordal, Teresa Black Hughes, Kayla Block, Daniel Bortolotti, Tyler Brack, Holly Brady, Shawn Brayman, Melissa Brooks, Joshua Brown, Karen Burns, Miranda Busch, Daniel Busi, Tim Butler, Tre Bynoe, Dillon Campbell, Mark Capone, Michael Carlson, Mike Carre, Thomas Carrozzier, Kimberly Carver, Marc André Castonguay, Joyce Chamas, Joel Chapman, Trevor Chapman, Janice Charko, Jenny Cho, Chris Cleary, Daniel Collison, Derek Condon, Dawson Coneybeare, Blake Corey, Jeffrey Cormier, Aurele Courcelles Simon Lortie Couvrette, Sylvie Coxen, Drew Craswell, Theresa Crifo, Liz da Mata, Caroline Dabu John De Goey, Derek Dedman Christopher Dewdney, Jatin Dixit, Stuart Dollar, Claudia Duceac, Martin Dupras, Sean Dyer, Rob Elder, Vair Ellison, Charity Elston, Karim Esmail, Carolyn Fallis, Tyler Fehr, Benjamin Felix, Sabrina Forestell, Fiona Fung, Jean-Pierre Gallant, Cyrus Gao, Tina Getz, GIsele Gherasim, Yves Giroux, Amit Goel, Millie Gormely, Arlo Graham,

Jonathan Graves, Bao-Phu Ha, Ronald Harvey, Trang Hawthorne, Nick Hearne, Dave Heidmiller, Lisa Henriques, Tanya Herman-Vanthuyne, Dean Lance Hiesinger, Martin Hofgartner, Scott Holden, Willa Hong, Corey Honsberger, John Hope, Brandi Horinek Wyatt, Betty-Anne Howard, Susan Howe, Yan Hu, Maureen Huang, Lillian Huang, Wilson Huang, Nichole Hunstein Jason Hunt, Michael Hunter, James Huynh, Trevor Ireland, Donald Irwin, Annie Izmirliyan, David Johnson, Robert Johnston, Heather Jones, Peter Jong, Caleb Kaiser, Amir Karami, Matthew Kaustinen, Lena Keshysheva, Ashim Khanna, Farzad Khoshandamgoli, Timothy R. Kileel, Carolyn Kirkland, Adrienne Kirsh, Kraig Klassen, Maryann Kokan-Nyhof, Shuangshuang Kong, Neal Kongkham, Susan Kushneryk, Vanessa Laine, Timbo Lam, Tim Landeryou, Romana Latenko, Daniel Laverdiere, Ryan Laverty, Brian Lawson, Bryan Lew Yew Pha, Jeff Lightheart, Samantha LoCurto, Orlando Lopez, Devon Lovegrove, Clarence Lui, Dave Madan, Karen Manarin, Cindy Marques, Yvonne Martin-Morrison, Dan Martonfi, Katrina McDonald, Linda McIntyre, Geoff McNary, Katherine McPhee, Eddy Mejlholm, Crystal Millar, Sheung Wai Ivan Mo, Joanne Moser, Markus Muhs, Brendyn Muise, Sarah Mulford, Megha Murphy Minoo Naderi, Jeff Nason, Krysta Nesbitt, Michelle Ng, Natalie Ng, Steven Nguyen, Paul Nieuwland,

Craig Noon-Ward, Carla Norris, Amanda Nosakhare, Brianne O'Kane, Ebuni Okonkwo, Marc Oliveira, Frank Pagliocca, Margie Parikh, Albert Pelletier, Huiqiang Peng, Sandra Perez, Lennox Phillips, Pierre Piché, Claudia Playford, Lesley Poole, Susan Priest, Yu (Eric) Qi, Julie Quenneville, Jonah Rabinovitch Satpal Rai, Julie Raiche, Heather Rennie, Debbie Rioux, Scott Rizzuto, Darlene Robert, Amy Rounding, Jeffrey Ryall, Jaden Saik, Shubha Sairam, Chris Santos, Yuri Sato, Jennifer Schmid, Julie Seberras, Melissa Seglie, Dolly Sekhon, Veronique Shanks, Steffan Shelemey, Dustin Smith, Toby Soliterman, Geraldine Solodky, Jacqueline Soong, Serena Sopcic, Giuseppe Spallino, Tanya Staples, Laura Stewart, Stephanie Stewart Geethanjali Subramaniam, Joo Hyun Sung, Ron Sutherland, Derek Tang, Michelle Tatham, Shannon Tatlock, Trevor Theobald, Robert Thorne, Victor Todorovski, Michelle Tothill, Jason Traynor, Sylvain Tremblay, David Truong, Robert Tufts, Alyssa Ung, Carole Urias, Tracy Vallis, Isaac Veeneman, John Vermeulen, Terry Waddick, Shauna Wakeman, Yi Wang, Kristina Weenink, David Wild, Lionel Williams, Lynn Williams, Dana Wilson, Dante Winkler, Sarah Wong, Ian Wood, Richard Yeh, Kenald Yu, Xin Yuan, Sheryll Zamora, Xiang Zhang, Xuehan Zhao, Kevin Zheng and Dan Zuo.