Guy Mallabone founded Global Philanthropic Canada in 2010, and currently serves as President, CEO, and Chair of the Board.  He has spent 36 years as a fund development professional and administrator. After launching his career in 1980 as an arts administrator for provincial and national organizations (Alberta Band Association and Canadian Band Association), he moved on to serve as the Director of Fund Development for the Canadian Red Cross Society (Alberta-NWT Division). During his tenure, Guy assumed increasingly senior positions within the organization including a posting as Deputy Officer-in-Charge of the gift-in-kind program established on-site for the 1994 Los Angeles earthquake.

Guy continued to assume senior fundraising and administrative positions in the non-profit sector, culminating in his appointment in 1995 as Director of Development at the University of Alberta. He led institutional fundraising initiatives and served as the Chief Operating Officer for the ‘It Makes Sense’ fundraising campaign in 1996. The campaign’s goal of $144.65 million made it the fourth largest capital campaign in Canadian history. The campaign concluded successfully in 1999, raising over $190 million.

In 1999, Guy was appointed to the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) as Vice President of External Relations and Chief Development Officer, positions he held until his departure in July, 2010. As the founding VP External, Guy was a chief architect of SAIT’s $80 million ‘Invest in Technology’ fundraising campaign, the largest campaign in SAIT’s history and the largest for any technical institute in Canada. This campaign concluded successfully on June 30, 2005, and raising over $83 million. Guy was also responsible for SAIT’s current $75 million ‘Promising Futures’ campaign, a bricks-and-mortar campaign to raise funds for the new Trade and Technology Complex.  During Guy’s tenure, SAIT attracted the largest and second largest gifts ($15 million and $10 million) made by individuals to a Canadian College or Polytechnic institute in Canadian history.

Guy’s fundraising experience is extensive. He has also consulted for many non-profit agencies and organizations in Canada and internationally. Guy was recognized in 1999 as the Outstanding Fundraising Executive of the Year by the Edmonton & Area Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and again in 2011 by the Calgary Chapter.  Alberta Venture Magazine identified Guy as one of Alberta’s 50 Most Influential People, and the Calgary Herald identified Guy as one of Calgary’s 20 Most Compelling Calgarians.

Charles (Chuck) LaFlèche currently serves as Executive Vice-President and Senior Consultant.  Chuck has a proven track record of raising significant money for health care, and is widely recognized as a leader in health care fundraising in Canada.

He has spent 35 years in progressively senior positions in public and private industry, including recently as the President and CEO of St. Boniface Hospital Foundation in Winnipeg. During his tenure at St. Boniface Hospital Foundation (2010-2017), annual revenues nearly tripled to more than $15 million and funds on deposit increased from $25 million to more than $60 million.

Prior to joining the St. Boniface Hospital Foundation Chuck worked as a VP-Finance for a publicly traded Healthcare Informatics firm, a professor at a Business School, and he founded Momentum Healthware, a health informatics company with sales in Canada, the US, Asia and Europe.

Chuck has served on a number of IT and health industry related boards including the Conference Board of Canada Council of Foundation Executives.  He served for 7 years on the Standards Council of Canada.  In 2013 he was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal.  Chuck co-hosted The Health Report, a weekly radio show on CJOB in Winnipeg from 2010 to 2017.

Chuck received his B. A. in Political Science from the College universitaire de Saint-Boniface in 1980, and his B. Comm. in Finance from the University of Manitoba in 1983.  He was awarded his CMA designation from the Society of Management Accountants of Canada in 1986 and he became a Fellow of the Society in 2001.  In 2015, he received his FCPA designation with the merging of the accounting professions in Canada.

Ibrahim brings over 34 years of experience in the not-for-profit and corporate sectors. For twenty years prior to joining Global Philanthropic, he held senior leadership positions at major universities, teaching hospitals and environmental think-tanks in Canada and overseas.

Ibrahim’s role at universities included associate vice-president, alumni and development at the University of Victoria, where he provided leadership to raise major, planned and annual gifts from individuals, corporations and foundations and manage alumni programs in 130 countries, including Hong Kong, mainland China and Japan. He also served as the President of the University of Victoria Foundation, overseeing an endowment fund of approximately $270 M.

He was previously director of development and alumni affairs at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Waterloo where he managed the faculty’s largest capital campaign to raise $120 million in support of major infrastructure and endowed projects, and build partnerships in the UAE, India and Hong Kong. He has also held senior development roles at the University of Calgary, McGill University, McMaster University and at the Aga Khan University, based in Karachi, Pakistan.

In healthcare and environmental institutions, Ibrahim served as director of gift and estate planning at Sick Kids Foundation in Toronto, the largest paediatric hospital foundation in Canada. In Calgary, he served as director of strategic partnerships at the Pembina Institute and executive director of The Pembina Foundation for Environmental Research and Education. Corporately, Ibrahim worked for Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian Pacific Limited in Montreal for 13 years as project manager and systems and planning consultant.

Since joining Global Philanthropic in 2015, Ibrahim has spearheaded several projects within the higher education, health care, arts and culture and social service sectors. These projects have included fundraising feasibility studies, Board strategic planning, prospect and donor data analytics and research for national organizations, philanthropic naming assessments of major hospitals and a science centre, campaign planning and execution for a community based social service agency, and prospect validation for a research institution with partners in Asia and Europe.

He has volunteered with the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) in Toronto, where he was faculty for the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) courses, and the Canadian Association of Gift Planners (CAGP), where he chaired the Marketing and Communications and Leave-a-Legacy committees. Currently, he lectures at the Humber College’s Postgraduate Fundraising Program, chairs the Finance Committee of the Board of Directors of the British Columbia Sustainable Energy Association (BCSEA, and volunteers with the annual World Partnership Walk, the largest program of its kind in Canada to support international development.

Ibrahim holds a B.Eng., an MBA from McGill University and a Master of Management Science degree from the University of Waterloo He has written a book chapter on international prospecting and adapting to changing Canadian demographics which was published in a 2016 APRA book “Prospect Research in Canada”.

Jeff Sodowsky has been working in fundraising and the social-profit sector for over 30 years.

Following a professional performing career and in addition to his consulting and work as a board member for charitable organizations, Jeff has served as the Chief Development Officer for BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre Foundation, Executive Director for Opera Cleveland, Acting General Director and Chief Development Officer for Vancouver Opera, Education and Development Specialist for American Ballet Theatre, Director of Education for Louisville Ballet, Educator for National Faculty, Public Relations Assistant for the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Program Coordinator for the Kentucky Center for the Arts and Finance Director for a US Congressional campaign.

Jeff’s consultancies have focused on comprehensive campaign planning, developing new giving programs, interim leadership, solicitor training and mentorship of fund-raising personnel. He has led the development of strategic directions and managed through cutbacks and crises. Jeff has worked as a grant writer for all levels of government and foundation support and produced scores of special events.

Jeff holds a Master of Arts in Arts Administration, a Masters in Business Administration and a CFRE designation. He serves as a Vice-President and mentor for the Greater Vancouver chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). He is the also the program co-chair and on the executive for Vancouver’s chapter of Canadian Association of Gift Planners (CAGP).

Committed to equity, inclusion and new opportunities, Jeff previously volunteered as a lead coordinator for building five houses for Habitat for Humanity.

“Philanthropy changes our world. From donors contributing so an artist’s vision can be realized,  to those able to further their education because of a scholarship, from feeding the hungry to seeing first-hand a life saved by equipment generously funded from a donor who will never meet the patient, the impact of the gifts of others has been all around me. I am quite excited to join Global Philanthropic and empower more organizations to enhance the world in which we live – starting with Canada.”  — Jeff Sodowsky

John (J.D.) is a Senior Consultant and Independent School specialist at Global Philanthropic, and has spent his career in education, including twenty years at Shawnigan Lake School, on Vancouver Island. Shawnigan Lake School, a leader in independent boarding school education, made an early and significant investment in its future by supporting a bold advancement strategy. John, a passionate advocate of independent school education, served as Director of the Shawnigan Foundation for twelve years.

In his career at Shawnigan he has also served as an English teacher, Housemaster, Director of Advancement, Deputy Headmaster and as a coach of rugby and basketball. In his role as Director, The Shawnigan Foundation, John pioneered the concept of major gift fundraising in Canada’s independent schools.

John’s delivery of philanthropic leadership and independent school fundraising has taken him to Britain, USA, China, Denmark, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia and U.A.E. His single-minded focus on major gift philanthropy and board development has enabled many schools to attract significant resources to their organization.

John represents Global Philanthropic with an active list of private school clients across Canada and Asia and is a much sought-after speaker on all aspects of independent schools, especially on the creation of all-encompassing advancement programs, whilst focusing on capital campaigns and annual fund strategies. His lengthy experience in China is considered a significant asset by his clients.

John is the Past-President of the Vancouver Island Chapter of AFP.   He was honoured by his Canadian colleagues in 2011 with the prestigious CAISAP Heaman Award for his contributions to philanthropy in Canada.

John obtained an MA from the University of Victoria in Curriculum Studies.

Elaine current works as Senior Consultant for Global Philanthropic, leading the Montreal office.  After obtaining her Master’s degree in Communication Management at the Annenberg School for Communication at USC (University of Southern California) in 1988, she worked in politics as a press secretary. In 1990, she began a fundraising career by joining the firm Navion, and then Ketchum Canada, as director of market research and major fundraising campaigns, including the capital campaign for the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal.

Elaine has held senior fundraising and leadership positions in Quebec including Director of Development for les Amis du Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, Director of Development for the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation.  She served as the Campaign Manager for the Queen Elizabeth Health Complex, and also provided campaign leadership to other key organizations including: the Nature Conservancy Canada, Quebec branch; Mackay Center Foundation; PROMIS; Villa Sainte-Marcelline Foundation; Fondation Collège de Montréal; NF Canada Foundation; Collège Stanislas; ENABLIS; and the Giant Steps Foundation.

Elaine is also an active volunteer in the philanthropic sector, including serving as President of the Maison Chance Foundation and member of the Board of the Fondation des sans-abri, and President of the Villa Sainte-Marcelline Foundation.  Elaine currently serves as a board member of the AFP, Quebec Chapter, and leads the nominations committee of Awards in excellence in philanthropy awards. Elaine obtained her CFRE in April 2015.

Elaine holds a BA from Queen’s University, a BA in Communications from Concordia University, and a Master of Arts from the Annenberg School for Communication from the University of Southern California.

Richard Walker is a seasoned fundraising, development and business development consultant, and currently serves as Senior Consultant for Global Philanthropic.  Feasibility assessment, Campaign, Major Donor and Corporate Philanthropy lead his skill sets, having completed work for WorldSkills International and the WorldSkills Foundation; the YMCA of Greater Toronto; North Island College; Victoria Hospice; the University of Alberta and others.

Richard holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Victoria. He is an Alumnus of the Banff Centre School of Management and certification instructor and frequent presenter at the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).  He has been a key note speaker at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Canadian Council of Ministers of Education, the Association of Canadian Community Colleges and has made presentations to the Parliament of Canada and provincial governments.

Richard was former President and CEO of WorldSkills Canada, CEO of the Jubilee Auditorium Foundation, V.P. of Ducks Unlimited and Managing Director of the University of Alberta southern office, he has been a guest lecturer at the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology, SAIT Polytechnic, the University of Victoria and a guest presenter at Cambridge University in the U.K.

Richard is the co-author of Excellence in Fundraising in Canada, one of the Globe and Mail’s best selling business books.

Val Hoey is a Senior Consultant with Global Philanthropic and is a well known and accomplished professional fundraiser and executive leader with over 30 years or experience in the not-for-profit and post-secondary sectors in Canada and Internationally.

Armed with a Masters in Professional Communications Val is a rare and unique leader who is wise, strategic and well versed in knowing how to make meaningful and strategic conversations with varied stakeholders. She will bring a value based lens to all situations, is widely known for her diplomacy and ethical standards, she is a gifted leader who is not afraid to look outside of the box for innovative solutions.

While the Associate Vice-President, College Advancement at Bow Valley College Val built and mobilized a Fund Development and Marketing & Communications team, created a fundraising model and framework and developed a compelling Case for Support to share their story.  Sharon Carry past CEO and President stated: “In a market crowded with post-secondary institutions seeking financial support from the Community and Industry, Val found a way for Bow Valley College to stand out.”  She increased their donor base by 320% and their average award dollar value by 211% including the total number of awards dispersed by 524%.  She has been recognized by CASE, in both their Silver and Bronze Category along with AFP for Bow Valley Colleges Fundraising Program.  She is also a contributing author to the Book of Excellence in Fundraising in Canada (2011).  In 2016 Val was honored in a naming ceremony into the Blackfoot Nation with the name “Ninapitaakii” translated to “Chief Eagle Woman”.

While at the University of Alberta Val had the role of building and developing their Planned Giving strategy, along with being part of the team that lead their successful $145 million Campaign.  She has used her thirteen years in International Development with CUSO in providing a lens of how best to connect with varied constituencies and stakeholders.  In 2010 Val’s team was instrumental in leading Bow Valley College through a strategic planning process that engaged over 20,000 stakeholders and created their ten-year strategic plan entitled “Vision 2020″.

Val is a builder who aspires to leave every organization she represents better, richer and stronger through her contribution to either strategy, delivery or stakeholder engagement.

Cheryl Dalwood has served in prospect research and frontline fundraising positions in the not-for-profit sector for over 25 years, and has worked with charitable organizations that cross many sectors including education, health care, social services, arts and culture, and the environment.

Cheryl’s career in fund development began in 1992 when she joined the University of Manitoba as the university’s first prospect researcher where she was responsible for developing and leading all prospect research and information management services. In 1998 Cheryl joined the University of Calgary as a Development Officer, Research. Cheryl served over ten years in senior leadership positions in prospect research and leadership giving at the University of Calgary, where she evolved prospect research from a one-person shop to a proactive and integrated research team.

Recently, Cheryl has worked in senior front-line fundraising positions with social service agencies, including Boys and Girls Club Services of Greater Victoria and the Victoria Cool Aid Society, where she has developed and implemented strategies for annual giving, major and planned giving, and donor relations and stewardship.

Cheryl also has extensive government relations experience from having managed community grant programs and community engagement initiatives for the Government of Alberta. As Director of Strategic Partnerships and Community Engagement for Alberta’s Promise, Cheryl worked closely with businesses and nonprofits across Alberta to facilitate strategic partnerships that benefit children and youth.

Cheryl has a passion for research and using the most relevant and up-to-date information to assist nonprofit organizations in strategically creating mutually satisfying life-long relationships with their donors. Cheryl’s research and consulting services include prospect identification, customized, in-depth and comprehensive research profiles and backgrounders, net worth and gift capacity ratings, database screening and management, pipeline and relationship management, strategic planning, training and specialized research projects.

Cheryl holds a Bachelor of Arts in English, Masters in Library and Information Studies from the University of Alberta and a Certificate in Technical Writing from Mount Royal University. She is a member of AFP and APRA-Canada (Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement).

Esther has over 20 years’ experience building relationships, in the for-profit and non-profit sectors, having held key positions with the University of British Columbia, the B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation, and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver. Working with our clients in Vancouver, Esther has led successful capital campaigns, created naming valuations, implemented planned giving strategies, strategic counsel and mentored organizations to build capacity.

Prior to working in the not-for-profit sector, Esther honed her skills in the Canadian diamond industry, engaging in business development and marketing; working with a small dedicated team to create a well-known and internationally recognized Canadian diamond brand.

“I began working with Global Philanthropic as an Associate Consultant and transitioned to a Senior Consultant role.  My association with Global allows me to build bring my expertise to many more not for profits. This is a perfect match for me as I enjoy the project based work and knowing that my role with these organizations builds capacity to allow them to create future success.” – Esther Jang

Esther is native to Vancouver and leads an active life which revolves around her family, friends and travel.

Danielle Boucher joined Global Philanthropic on September 1, 2017 as Senior Consultant in Atlantic Canada, leading the offices in Moncton, New Brunswick.

Danielle is an enterprising, strategic and dynamic bilingual fund development professional skilled at building relationships and securing opportunities for a wide range of projects and partnerships. She has worked in various capacities within the not for profit sector, and her experience ranges from major gift strategy development, campaign management, small-shop fundraising, donor/prospect and stakeholder identification, cultivation and stewardship to grant writing and proposal development.

Danielle has a B.A. in linguistics and psychology from the University of Moncton, and a Masters of Arts in Curatorial Studies (Museology) from the University of Montreal.

Following her education Danielle provided development support to the cultural sector including the Museum of Nature and Sciences (Sherbrooke, PQ), the Moncton Museum, and the McCord Museum (Montreal, PQ).  Continuing with her career, she provided major gift expertise to the healthcare and social services sectors, including senior positions with the Royal Victoria Hospital Foundation (Montreal, PQ), the Moncton Hospital Foundation, and the Canadian Cancer Society.

Danielle is a proud member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP).

Nicole Beatty CFRE is a charismatic and entrepreneurial development professional whose 13-year career has raised over $25 million in philanthropic capital.

Passionate about start-up social enterprises, international movements, and charitable campaigns that support education, the arts, women’s rights, healthcare and social injustice, Nicole’s worldly curiosity and career has provided her with the opportunity to work with some renowned causes in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia; collaborating with some of the most caring minds to raise meaningful gifts that ultimately change lives.  Her portfolio includes fundraising for Best Buddies Canada, Canadian Red Cross, Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation, Cancer Society of Victoria, Australia, University of Melbourne, Samuel Marsden Collegiate School in Wellington, New Zealand, Saint Elizabeth Health Care Foundation, OneChild Support & Network Inc., and several grassroots, rural organizations that focus on poverty reduction, health and food security.

Nicole’s pursuit for inspiring donors, leveraging game-changing organizations and executing impact-driven projects motivates her to ensure that good things happen for good causes.  Throughout her adventures as a volunteer, writer, researcher, fundraiser and advisor she has gained invaluable industry experience including: designing development operations for charities, raising seed funding and generating profitable ideas for start-up social enterprises, providing strategic counsel for major gift fundraising, conducting feasibility studies for capital campaigns, developing business and resource development plans, and providing in-house marketing and communication support and writing services for fundraising.

Nicole is a sector expert in development operations for charities and start-up enterprises.  She is a founding director of three non-profit organizations and the start-up social venture, The Pedalling Pixies, a bike delivery program that provides learning and employment opportunities for youth through culinary training and food entrepreneurship.  She is currently the acting Executive Director of her own nationally incorporated charity, Local Food for Local Good and is the Chief Community Animator of her own non-profit project management business.

Nicole holds a BA Honours in Communication from the University of Ottawa and a Certificate in Fundraising Management from Ryerson University.  She is also a Certified Peer Listener having designed and implemented program infrastructure for a youth mentoring services and crisis phone line for at-risk students at the University of Ottawa.

Jon Brandt joined Global Philanthropic in January 2018 as Senior Consultant in Ontario. With more than 20 years of work in the non-profit sector, he brings knowledge and experience in managing development departments in both Canada and the U.S., particularly within internationally focused and faith-based organizations, including Eastern Mennonite Missions and the Yonge Street Mission.

Jon’s work has ranged from larger organizations to one person start-ups, and so he understands both the challenges of leading teams and also of having sole responsibility within an organization. He has focused on direct marketing, stakeholder relations, major gift work, event planning and media relations. Jon understands system processes and protocols and has experience in the details and the big-picture concerns so he is adept at implementing and integrate CRM applications across multiple departments.

Jon is an experienced communicator and marketer and is fascinated by ideas. He is passionate about spurring organizations to strategic action. Jon has specialized in creating a culture of fundraising within older organizations, including board education and development.

Jon has been a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals since 1996 in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Pennsylvania, and now Ontario. He holds his CFRE.

Jon has a Bachelor’s Degree in History and Religious Studies from the University of Winnipeg, a Creative Communication diploma with a focus on public relations from Red River College, and an MBA from Taylor University. He has also studied conflict resolution and social media strategy, and he holds an Ultimate Frisbee coaching certificate from the Coaches Association of Canada.

Tina Triano has spent 27 years in hospital fundraising, guiding staff and volunteers in the art and science of philanthropy. She has expertise in campaign planning and execution, staff and volunteer training, and coaching industry peers who are undertaking capital campaigns.

Tina’s nonprofit experience began in the arts, however it was in hospital fundraising that she saw great opportunity to make a difference. She held roles in data, direct response, planned giving, events, annual fund and major gifts – each offering an opportunity to learn quickly, solve problems, question processes and ultimately relate to the teams she was leading, as she progressed in her career.

Formal and informal education included a Fundraising Management Certificate from Laurentian University, a CFRE designation, and myriad learnings offered by AFP, CAGP, AHP and strong industry mentors.

Tina held Foundation roles at Hotel Dieu Hospital, St. Catharines General Hospital and The Credit Valley Hospital before her most recent eight-year role as CEO of the Oakville Hospital Foundation. As the lead executive during the largest campaign in Oakville’s history, Tina shares often that the journey through a successful campaign is one of transformation – for the community, the staff team, volunteers and the legacy of the organization. “The ordinary becomes extraordinary as the vision comes to life”.

Throughout her career and across three major capital campaigns, she helped inspire donors to contribute more than $200 million toward medical equipment and significant building projects.

In 2011, Tina was awarded the inaugural Outstanding Fundraiser Award from Association of Fundraising Professionals, Golden Horseshoe Chapter. She is a Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow and in 2016 led Oakville Hospital Foundation to a Non-Profit Excellence Award from the Oakville Chamber of Commerce and a Canadian Nonprofit Employer of Choice Award. 

Tina is past Chair of Halton Women’s Place, a current volunteer with Carpenter Hospice and enjoys paddle boarding on the Great Lakes and in the Caribbean.

Corrie is a compassionate and enthusiastic fundraising professional with a strong history of success across the social sector. She is passionate about building strong communities.

After completing her post secondary education at Grant MacEwan in Edmonton, Corrie embarked on a career working with children and families. She took on front line, leadership and fundraising roles in children’s programs, social services, women’s shelters, health care, government, schools, colleges, national and community based organizations. The common thread is her drive to ensure people have access to the necessary resources to build safe and happy lives.

Corrie has a keen understanding of the varied capacities and goals of the not for profit sector from her perspective from small organizations such as Sylvan Lake Community Partners and large organizations such as Alberta Health Services at David Thompson Health Trust.  She has provided leadership and guidance to multiple organizations, helping them exceed their fundraising goals through major gifts, workplace campaigns, events, annual giving campaigns and legacy giving programs. She is very passionate about donor stewardship and organizational transparency.

Corrie is also an experienced adult educator, board facilitator, program developer, community facilitator and strategic planner. She has worked with and been a part of multiple Boards such as The Loan Circle and Central Alberta Women’s Shelter, and Committees such as the United Way National Committee for Donor Stewardship. Corrie helped to establish locally-based Community Gardens, Compassion Funds and Women’s Wellness Retreats which remain strong many years later.

Corrie is a CFRE, an AFP member since 2009 and currently active with the AFP Edmonton and Area Chapter.

With more than 30 years of experience in the public sector, Bob Baker’s expertise spans leadership, organizational improvement and team building.  He is an experienced CEO and senior executive, working at national charities, healthcare and higher education, including Ryerson University, Habitat for Humanity Canada, Canadian Diabetes Association, TVOntario, and Lakeridge Health Foundation.

As a not-for-profit executive, Bob has extensive hands-on experience in designing and implementing integrated strategies, building brand and reputation, generating revenue streams and moving decisions forward.  His particular area of expertise is strategic planning, governance best practices and developing integrated revenue generating plans.  He has extensive experience in strategic philanthropy and marketing in the not-for-profit sector, having raised in excess of $250 million in support.  As the Managing Director of The Baker Group Inc., Bob has developed comprehensive planning documents for Community Development Council Durham, Parkwood National Historic Site and the Arthritis Research Foundation.

An experienced facilitator and instructor, Bob is a member of the faculty that delivers the Not-for-Profit Leadership Certificate Program at UOIT’s Management Development Centre, where he teaches Strategic and Operational Planning.  He also delivers workshops at major conferences.

He holds an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western University and  a BA in Communication Studies from the University of Windsor.  He has completed both the Masters Certificate in Public Sector Management at UOIT and the NFP Directors Program through the Rotman School of Management.

Nick is a successful fundraiser who has built diverse and sustainable fundraising programs. With more than 30 years in the not-for-profit sector, he has a solid track record of leadership, team building and strengthening relationships with diverse stakeholder groups. He has raised $700 million in his career and successfully closed out 11 capital campaigns, ranging in size from $5 million to $75 million.

Fundraising growth and success have come from creating donor-centered programs, major gift teams and capital campaigns.

Nick’s areas of expertise are building an organizational culture of philanthropy, strategic planning, team building and mentoring, major gifts and campaigns, stakeholder engagement, finance, budgeting and reporting and communications.

Nick most recently completed a $10 million capital campaign for a new museum in North Vancouver. Prior to that, he held senior executive positions with Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, Alberta Cancer Foundation and BC Cancer Foundation, The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation and Ottawa Hospital.

Nick is a Chartered Accountant and completed his training through the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Sue is recognized for her abilities as a strategic thinker. Working closely with fund development professionals, Sue believes that before money is raised, attention must be focused on marketing and communications to raise awareness, firm up the brand proposition and generate excitement for the capital development plans. Sue’s approach is collaborative, identifying critical needs and resources and working strategically toward desired outcomes. As a former journalist and newspaper reporter, Sue is adept at asking tactical questions, uncovering needs and assessing priorities. Through carefully crafted marketing and communications plans, which lay strategic groundwork before tactics are implemented, Sue measures outcomes against goals and return on investment. She also works collaboratively with the fund development team to develop the fundraising proposition, conduct feasibility assessments and craft the case for support, using a donor-centric model to emphasize the urgent and compelling aspects of the fund development work.

Sue is a seasoned professional successfully leading marketing, communications, media relations and event planning projects. She is known for her ability to produce under pressure and was engaged by WorldSkills Calgary 2009 to create and implement a robust marketing, communications and media relations plan. Her work ultimately exceeded all expectations and led to record event attendance, worldwide media exposure and coverage on BBC World News.  Her strength lies in her common-sense approach and straightforward strategic plans.

Sue holds a Diploma in Journalism from Mount Royal College and various professional development certificates. She is a Director and Secretary of Immigrant Services Calgary and a former Director of Special Olympics Alberta, the Lougheed House Preservation Society and Second Chants Show Choir.

Karen Van Sacker is currently Special Counsel for Global Philanthropic (Canada), and was formerly the Vice President, British Columbia and Senior Consultant for Global Philanthropic (April 2013 – June 2017), leading Global’s Vancouver office. She is an accomplished fundraising executive and consultant, bringing international experience and perspective to her work.

Karen has returned to Australia to take on a senior role at the University of Melbourne where she is playing a key role in the advancement of the institution’s fund development program.  Prior to joining Global Philanthropic Karen was Director of Fundraising and Campaign for The University of Queensland (UQ) where she played a lead role in professionalizing UQ’s development and alumni engagement operations. Her achievements at UQ include negotiating 8-figure gifts and corporate partnerships, working with academic and volunteer leaders to build bridges between the university and its global alumni leaders, modeling a global industry partnership strategy, transforming the UQ vision into high profile initiatives that attract philanthropy and investment, establishing a USA office, and putting in place and mentoring a high performance advancement team.

Karen has worked at an executive level within the not-for-profit sector and as a consultant since 1984, enabling organizations large and small. During that time she led start up programs and campaigns, negotiated transformational corporate partnerships, facilitated organizational change and put in place volunteer leadership teams to work alongside senior management. She has specific expertise working with executive leaders and boards, and has strength in organizational development, integrated fund development planning, and strategic and campaign management.

A native to British Columbia and equipped with pan-Canadian and international experience, Karen brings fresh perspectives to a market she knows well.

She completed her undergraduate work at the University of British Columbia, and is fully bilingual in French and English. She completed a post-graduate public relations certificate at Laval University and an MBA from Concordia University.

Michael Poliwoda, MBA and Senior Associate, is a fundraising professional with more 20 years’ experience. His proficiency extends from grantwriting to special event sponsorship to major gifts and capital campaigns. He has a first-hand and in-depth understanding of what it takes to build a successful fundraising program. Recent achievements in capital campaigns include $2.4 million for a rural community hospital, $6 million for a youth residential addictions treatment centre, $15 million a long-term care facility, and $55 million in cash plus a $20 million pipeline for an internationally-renowned heart institute.

Michael also has extensive experience in building organizational capacity including serving as a Board member of the National Capital Commission and sitting on the Executive Committee, Governance Committee, and Ad-hoc revenue generation committee. This is further enhanced with an MBA from the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University.

Mike believes the secret sauce of fundraising is that you have to truly understand and build a good solid box before you start trying to ‘think outside’ of it.

Vaughn McIntyre began his career in the IT industry from 1964 – 2002, holding several national executive positions in both IT vendors and IT user organizations.

He was the founding CEO of the Canadian Continuous Learning Initiatives and of Canada’s first on-line charity portal, called Charity.ca.

After several years in Toronto, Vaughn returned home to Atlantic Canada in 2002 and started his own consulting practice. He is a business coach, fundraising executive and sales and marketing consultant operating out of St. Andrews By-the-Sea. Clients have included McCain Foods, NB Power, Atlantic Hydrogen, Green Imaging, Remsoft, IDC Canada, Leaders Beyond(Toronto), the town of Quispamsis(QPLEX), Key Industries, Town of St Stephen (Garcelon Civic Center), Symphony New Brunswick and the Province of New Brunswick (Ministers Island Board assessment and governance review).

From 2009-2011, Vaughn coordinated development activity for the St Andrews tourism partnership and the Charlotte Coastal Region Tourism Association.  Vaughn also developed the Town of St Andrews first cruise ship marketing initiatives and the wharf improvements which included liaison with Campobello Island and Eastport, Maine.

Vaughn is a past board member of Thornhill Country Club (Toronto), Algonquin Golf Club, Sunbury Shores, Huntsman Marine and currently sits on the board of Symphony NB. He is also a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) New Brunswick.

Neila Poscente has been empowering people to change their worlds for more than 20 years.

Armed with a Science degree from what is now Western University, she started her career in the pharmaceutical industry where she rapidly earned promotions to positions of increasing responsibility in the sales and marketing departments of two of North America’s blue chip companies.

After 10 years of business success, she joined the charity world where she spent the next 20 years of her career empowering people to make the changes they wanted to their lives and to their communities.

Neila has a proven leadership track record of establishing and implementing visionary strategic plans to achieve organizational objectives. As Vice President Health Promotion at the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, she applied her business acumen and marketing skills to help Ontarians live more heart healthy lives. As President and CEO at Southlake Foundation, she led teams of volunteers and staff to raise over $120 million (via four capital campaigns and annual fundraising) to bring world-class health care to her community. As a consultant, Neila has worked with grass-roots charities to build capacity and capital campaign plans tailored specifically for their organizations.

A dynamic public speaker, Neila has a talent for connecting with people from all age groups and backgrounds and for presenting theory and strategies in a practical, understandable way. She has organized and facilitated successful workshops for a myriad of audiences.

While her professional accomplishments are numerous, Neila is most proud of her own contributions to making her community a better place to live, the many friendships she’s made over the years and her wonderful family.

Tony Mariani is a Million Dollar seller and top performer with 25+ years of experience in media sales. He began his career in Broadcasting.

Most recently, Tony was a Major Gift Officer with St. Boniface Hospital Foundation.  In addition to major gifts, he worked to secure sponsorships for both the annual hospital radioathon and golf tournament.

Tony’s ability to gain client trust and confidence is the major reason for his success over the years

Tony is a proud member of Sons of Italy Winnipeg.

A veteran fundraiser, Michelle’s ethical and innovative approach to annual, major and planned gifts in campaign-based organizations has served donors well since 1996.

During her 16 years as a professional fundraiser, Michelle has obtained substantial and sustained investments for the preservation of endangered species, ancient forests, privacy and the open internet, human health, the arts and social justice.

Michelle has made literally thousands of asks as a frontline fundraiser, creating a unique perspective on what truly moves a donor to say ‘YES!’

Michelle believes a gift in your will or estate plan can be a powerful final act. She has been preaching this to anyone who will listen, convincing colleagues, family, friends and strangers on the sidewalk that planning ahead with a gift in their will, to any charity, can provide for family, give a funding boost to their passion project(s) and defer taxes.

Michelle currently serves as Vice Chair of CAGP’s Vancouver Island Chapter and recently obtained her CFRE credential.

Brigitte Mertling brings to the philanthropic milieu more than 20 years of professional experience in communications and marketing, having personally counselled more than 300 Canadian institutions and organizations regarding their fund raising, marketing and institutional communications objectives.

A former Vice President, Communications & Marketing of Ketchum Canada Inc., Brigitte now serves as Senior Consultant with Global Philanthropic to provide an integrated approach to fund raising communications and marketing – during times of active campaign fund raising, and during those all-important cultivation periods before, after and in-between campaigns.

Brigitte champions the Global Philanthropic belief that as public and private sector funding becomes increasingly more challenging to attract and retain, comprehensive, pro-active and philanthropy oriented marketing programs represent the key to long-term survival for not-for-profit institutions and organizations.

Brigitte is an award-winning copywriter, communications/marketing consultant, and fund raising consultant, with special expertise in pre-campaign planning, the Case for Support, major gifts, and fund raising campaign branding, marketing and communications.

Brigitte’s expertise in leading and developing complex communications and marketing products and programming for fund raising campaigns is second-to-none. She is the recognized leader in the Canadian market, having developed materials, brands, themes, and Case materials for hundreds of campaigns when associated with Ketchum Canada and other leading Canadian fund raising consulting firms. Her expertise includes the following products: Case for Support Development; Creative Development of Case-based Fund Raising Campaign Collateral Materials; Communications Planning; Market Audits/Market Research; and Strategic Planning

Brigitte’s experience with health-care related organizations is vast and significant, including a full list of over 70 healthcare related organizations, almost all of whom have engaged in large major gift fund raising campaigns (capital, endowments, etc.), where she was brought on to develop the campaign Case, branding, campaign marketing materials, etc. She has also worked with a wide variety of universities, community colleges, private schools, arts and cultural organizations and social service and community agencies.

Erica Branda is a results-driven communicator specializing in transformational ideas with over 25 years of experience.

In her most recent role at Simon Fraser University, she was Director of Marketing and Communications for SFU Advancement, responsible for communications and branding strategy for SFU’s award-winning 50th anniversary campaign, The Power of Engagement which is nearing its $250 million goal.

Erica believes that people give to people, not organizations. During her 10 years at SFU, she wrote cases for support and proposals for a broad range of teaching, learning, research and student initiatives. She has developed skill and intuition for speaking in a donor-centred voice that communicates the ideas and ideals of the cause.

Erica holds a B.S. from Cornell University, an M.S. from Boston University and is an Erickson Certified Coach.