Episode Overview

What does it take to build a workplace where people don’t just stay—but truly thrive?

In this episode of the Shared Brain Podcast, Corrie Fortner, Vice President at Global Philanthropic Canada, sits down with Lauren Wheeler, Strategic Services Director at the Alberta Museums Association, for an insightful conversation on creating human-centred organizations that empower people and strengthen mission impact.

Together, they explore the growing challenges facing nonprofit organizations, including staff burnout, employee retention, workplace culture, and succession planning. Lauren shares practical lessons from the Alberta Museums Association’s people-first approach, demonstrating how intentional leadership, flexible workplace practices, professional development, and thoughtful HR policies can build healthier, more resilient organizations.

The discussion highlights innovative practices such as Focus Fridays, investing in future leaders through continuous learning, recognizing burnout before it escalates, and creating workplace cultures where employees feel valued as whole people—not just for the roles they perform.

Whether you’re an executive leader, board member, HR professional, manager, or nonprofit practitioner, this episode offers practical insights and actionable strategies to help your organization move beyond simply surviving to truly flourishing.

In This Episode, Corrie Fortner and Lauren Wheeler Discuss:

• Why leadership can exist at every level of an organization—not just in senior management
• How human-centred workplace cultures improve staff engagement and retention
• Recognizing the early warning signs of employee burnout and supporting wellbeing
• Why compensation goes beyond salary to include flexibility, wellness, and professional growth
• The impact of initiatives like Focus Fridays in creating space for meaningful work
• Building succession plans before leadership transitions become urgent
• Investing in professional development to prepare future leaders
• Hiring for cultural fit, shared values, and long-term organizational success
• Creating resilient nonprofit organizations by putting people first

Featured Speakers

Corrie Fortner

Vice President, Global Philanthropic Canada

With more than 35 years of experience across healthcare, arts and culture, community and social services, and Indigenous-led initiatives throughout Canada’s Prairies and Territories, Corrie Fortner is a strategic and relationship-driven fundraising consultant dedicated to strengthening the nonprofit sector.

As Vice President at Global Philanthropic Canada, Corrie partners with executive leaders, Boards, and fundraising teams to build organizational capacity, strengthen governance, and advance long-term sustainability through ethical, donor-centred fundraising practices.

Throughout her career, Corrie has led complex fundraising initiatives, including capital campaigns, major gifts, strategic planning, governance development, and organizational assessments. She has held senior leadership roles with Alberta Health Services, United Way, women’s shelters, Indigenous-led organizations, member-serving associations, and community-based nonprofits across Canada.

Her consulting expertise includes:

• Annual Giving
• Audits & Assessments
• Board Development & Governance
• Campaign Planning Studies
• Coaching & Training
• Fund Development Planning
• Major Gift Development
• Small Shop Fundraising
• Stewardship & Donor Relations
• Strategic Planning

Corrie’s sector experience includes:

• Arts & Culture
• Community & Social Services
• Environment
• Faith-Based Organizations
• Healthcare
• Hospice & Palliative Care
• Indigenous-led Initiatives

Beyond consulting, Corrie is a dedicated volunteer, educator, mentor, and community leader. She has served on numerous Boards, including the Association of Fundraising Professionals, where she has helped shape fundraising leadership across the sector.

Fun Fact: Corrie apprenticed as an electrician before beginning her career in fundraising.

Lauren Wheeler

Strategic Services Director, Alberta Museums Association

Lauren Wheeler is a public historian with more than 20 years of experience working in and alongside Canada’s museum community. She is recognized for her expertise in nonprofit leadership, museum accreditation, governance, organizational development, and workplace culture.

For the past 13 years, Lauren has served with the Alberta Museums Association, first as Program Lead for the Recognized Museum Program and, since 2022, as Strategic Services Director. Her work spans museum best practices, accreditation, nonprofit governance, operations and finance, deaccessioning and repatriation, visitor experience, and emergency and disaster planning.

Throughout her leadership journey, Lauren has championed people-first workplace practices that prioritize employee wellbeing, collaboration, leadership development, and organizational resilience. Her thoughtful approach to human-centred leadership has helped shape healthier workplace cultures while supporting the long-term sustainability of nonprofit organizations.

Lauren believes museums play a vital role in creating safe, accessible spaces that encourage curiosity, foster community, and deepen our understanding of our shared responsibility to one another and the environment.

She holds a Master of Arts in Public History from Carleton University and is looking forward to returning to Ottawa with her family as she continues serving Canada’s museum sector in a national leadership capacity.

Listen to Episode 14 here: https://globalphilanthropic.ca/the-human-centre…draising-podcast/

Listen on Your Preferred Platform

The Shared Brain Podcast from Global Philanthropic Canada features conversations on Canadian philanthropy, fundraising strategy, and nonprofit leadership. Episodes share practical insights, real-world success stories, and best practices to help mission-driven organizations grow their impact.

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• Amazon Music
• Deezer

The post The Human-Centred Leadership Strategies Every Nonprofit Needs to Know | Fundraising Podcast appeared first on Global Philanthropic Canada.

Kate Dowling

Associate

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Kate Dowling

Kate Dowling is an advancement strategist with 25 years of cross-border experience across the U.S., Europe, Canada, Asia, and the Global South. She turns ideas into scalable impact through strategic planning and team building, helping organizations secure resources to improve well-being for children, families, and the planet.

Her career spans teaching, city policy, founding early childhood initiatives, leading Oakland’s Marcus Foster Education Fund, and serving as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Fellow. She now strengthens organizational infrastructure and high-performing teams for mission-driven clients, aligning budgets, policies, and narratives to attract talent and investment. Recent work includes LIDÈ Haiti and the EPA Justice40 Initiative. Clients include UNCF, Playworks, and Jalon MTL.

Kate holds a BA from Providence College and an MPA from CSU East Bay. Her work has been recognized by Mayor Jerry Brown and the California State Assembly. A U.S., Canadian, and Irish citizen, she’s at home in Oakland, Montreal, or Paris.

• Fun fact: Kate has worked across three continents and as many policy systems, and still manages to make every room feel like a kitchen table conversation

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The post Where Governance, Generosity, and Strategic Growth Meet: Darren Pries-Klassen Joins Global Philanthropic Canada appeared first on Global Philanthropic Canada.

Inside the report, you’ll find:

The post The Cost of Caution: Why Fundraising Investment Can’t Wait appeared first on Global Philanthropic Canada.

Episode Overview

Passion drives the nonprofit sector forward. It inspires people to serve communities, champion causes, and create meaningful change. But when passion is left unchecked, it can also lead to one of the sector’s most pressing challenges: burnout.

In this episode of The Shared Brain Podcast, Theresa Bolton and Derek Rolstone explore the hidden cost of passion and the growing impact of burnout on nonprofit professionals and leaders. Together, they discuss why burnout is so prevalent in mission-driven organizations, how it often gets mistaken for performance issues, and what leaders can do to protect the people behind the mission.

Drawing from decades of experience in recruitment, human resources, and organizational leadership, Theresa and Derek share practical insights on recognizing the signs of burnout, fostering healthier workplace cultures, encouraging healthy boundaries, and creating sustainable organizations where employees can thrive.

In this episode, Theresa and Derek cover:

• Why burnout is especially common in nonprofit organizations

• The connection between passion, empathy, and overwork

• Key emotional, physical, and workplace signs of burnout

• How leaders can identify burnout in themselves and their teams

• The importance of vacations, boundaries, and recovery

• Why recovery is more than rest and requires intentional recharging

• The role of Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) and external support

• Practical strategies for building healthier, more resilient workplace cultures

• How organizations can support employee wellbeing without compromising their mission

Whether you are a nonprofit leader, fundraiser, executive director, HR professional, board member, or team member, this episode offers actionable takeaways for creating sustainable impact while protecting the people who make that impact possible.

Featured Speakers

Theresa Bolton

Founder, Customized Recruitment

Theresa Bolton is the Founder and President of Customized Recruitment Ltd., a Canadian talent acquisition management firm. She launched the company in November 2020 after identifying a gap between in-house human resources departments and traditional search firms that left many organizations without affordable recruitment support.

Based in the Greater Winnipeg Metropolitan Area, Customized Recruitment provides flexible, project-based talent acquisition solutions tailored to small and medium-sized businesses, nonprofits, and associations across Canada.

Theresa began her recruiting career in 2009, specializing in sales, marketing, insurance, and agriculture recruitment. She quickly established herself as a top recruiter in Winnipeg before moving into corporate leadership. In 2015, she joined Parrish & Heimbecker Limited, where she built the company’s recruitment division from the ground up and ultimately served as Corporate Director of Recruiting.

Through Customized Recruitment, Theresa collaborates with organizations and HR consulting firms, including Stone HR Strategies, to deliver comprehensive talent acquisition and fractional HR solutions.

Board and Volunteer Leadership

• Chair of the Board, Canadian Association of Agri Retailers

• Vice President, Ag in the Classroom

• Board Member, MS Society of Manitoba

Derek Rolstone

CEO & Founder, Stone HR Strategies

Derek Rolstone is the Founder and President of Stone HR Strategies, a full-service human resources consulting firm headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Since launching the firm in 2014, Derek has helped organizations across North America strengthen their workforce through strategic HR solutions focused on Attraction, Retention, and Engagement.

With nearly 30 years of experience in human resources and industrial relations, Derek has held senior leadership roles with organizations including Suncor Energy, Bell Canada, Nygard, TransX, and Pepsi.

Stone HR Strategies serves more than 200 organizations through a network of specialized consultants, providing expertise in compliance, workforce planning, employee relations, leadership development, and organizational effectiveness.

Derek holds a Bachelor of Arts from Western University and an MBA from the University of Victoria. He has also taught in the Faculty of Business at Red River College and the University of Manitoba.

Areas of Expertise

• Human Resources Strategy

• Executive Coaching

• Career Transition Support

• Compliance Management

• Leadership Development

• Strategic Workforce Planning

Listen to Episode 3 here: https://globalphilanthropic.ca/the-hidden-cost-…nonprofit-sector/

Listen on Your Preferred Platform

The Shared Brain Podcast from Global Philanthropic Canada features conversations on Canadian philanthropy, fundraising strategy, and nonprofit leadership. Episodes share practical insights, real-world success stories, and best practices to help mission-driven organizations grow their impact.

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• Amazon Music
• Deezer

The post The Hidden Cost of Passion: Preventing Burnout in the Nonprofit Sector | Fundraising Podcast appeared first on Global Philanthropic Canada.

KARENNE LAKE

Associate

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Karenne Lake

Karenne Lake is a senior executive in sponsorship, strategic marketing, and philanthropy, with over 20 years of experience driving brand equity, business growth, and organizational influence across Quebec.

 

As Manager, Sponsorship and Philanthropy, Office of the President at Sun Life Quebec, she leads integrated sponsorship and philanthropic strategies aligned with corporate priorities, delivering measurable business value and meaningful social impact. Previously, she managed major sponsorship portfolios at Groupe CH for flagship events such as the Montreal International Jazz Festival, Francos de Montréal, and Montréal en Lumière, further strengthening her expertise in experiential marketing, brand integration, and complex multi-partner agreements.

 

An entrepreneur and President of White-Lake Attitude Inc., Karenne also manages a real estate portfolio, enhancing her expertise in governance, asset optimization, and financial performance. Deeply engaged in the business community, she mentors through the Business and Arts program, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and the DG+ executive program at HEC Montréal. She also serves on several committees and boards, including as Chair of the Board of Directors of CPE La Barbouille.

 

With a 360-degree perspective on marketing and strategic communications, combined with strong business acumen, Karenne is a trusted advisor to organizations seeking to structure and maximize the impact of their sponsorship and philanthropic investments.

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In high school, I started to volunteer with my peers to do door to door canvasing in support of
the Heart and Stroke Foundation. I guess I’ve been a fundraiser longer than I can remember!
Going door to door with friends, raising funds for something meaningful, gave me a sense of
belonging and was clearly the start of my budding fundraiser career.

In many racialized communities, generosity is expressed not only through wealth or formal charitable structures, but also through caregiving, mentorship, community organizing, and showing up for one another. In Filipino culture, concepts like bayanihan (collective support) and kapwa (our interconnectedness and shared humanity) reflect collective care, interconnectedness, and
responsibility to one another. These values shaped how I understood service long before I understood terms like “donor stewardship,” “volunteer engagement,” or even “philanthropy.”

Christina Panis is based in Vancouver on the unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples. Christina is a proud second-generation Filipino-Canadian woman and values-driven leader in the nonprofit sector, bringing a collaborative, multi-sector lens to her work.

Fluent in English and Tagalog with working knowledge of French, Christina is passionate about supporting organizations that create lasting change in their communities.

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About the Author: 

Paul Bergeron, a partner at Global Philanthropic Canada, brings over 40 years of experience in management, marketing, and philanthropy, primarily in the health and life sciences sectors. From 2015 to 2025, he led the Sacré‑Cœur Hospital Foundation of Montreal, where he spearheaded a major fundraising campaign and achieved significant growth in donations. Previously, he held senior leadership roles in pharmaceutical marketing (GlaxoSmithKline) and communications agencies (Ogilvy Montreal). He now serves on Roncalli International’s board of directors. At Global Philanthropic Canada, he puts his expertise to work for non‑profit organizations to help maximize their philanthropic impact.

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