Category: Canada Associates

Senior Associate

With over 20+ years’ experience Debbie Flinn, MBS, CFRE, is a fundraising/capital campaign and strategic planning expert. Deeply familiar with all aspects of institutional advancement, her expertise includes major gifts, planned giving, donor engagement and relationships, project and risk management, capacity building, obtaining, and managing federal grants, and establishing corporate relationships with Fortune 500 companies. 

Debbie brings expertise in creating new and sustainable funding sources for organizations in the healthcare, education, and community-based membership and advocacy sectors. And, having held significant roles the US, Canada, and New Zealand (where she also led a team of three hundred health professionals in hospital and community health settings and conducted quality health research and Six Sigma process mapping), Debbie she has raised over $100 million. 

Fluent in French and English, Debbie holds a BA from Carleton University, an MBA from Averett University, and a Graduate Certificate of Nonprofit Management from Duke University. 

Fundraising Area of Expertise: Debbie is a Fundraising Campaign and Strategic Planning expert. Her wide experience also spans the areas of Major and Principal Gifts, Planned and Legacy Gifts, Donor and Constituent Engagement, Project Management, Risk Management and Fundraising Governance and Development Program Review and Engagement Strategies.  

Sector Experience: Healthcare, Education, Community Based Membership and Advocacy  

Debbie’s fundraising must have: You do good work! We can help you do better by establishing meaningful donor relationships to advance your organizational capacity. 

Contact Debbie at: [email protected]

Associate

Patrick Estey has over 12 years of nonprofit experience ranging from major gifts, strategic planning, and annual giving. Over the course of his career, Patrick has held senior leadership roles in healthcare, post-secondary, and community organizations. Patrick holds a Masters in Philanthropy & Development from Saint Mary’s University and has achieved Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) designation.

Fundraising Area of Expertise: Patrick’s core expertise is in Fundraising Campaigns and Strategic Planning. He likewise skilled in the areas of Major & Principal Gifts, , Development Program Review and Expansion Strategies, Annual Giving, Donor and Constituent Engagement.

Sector Experience: Healthcare, Education, Community Based Membership and International Development sectors.

Patrick’s fundraising must have: Authenticity and Passion.

Contact Patrick at: [email protected]

Senior Associate

Lisa Di Veto is an accomplished fundraising and communications professional who has made significant contributions to strategic development and marketing programs for leading nonprofit organizations. She has served in a number of diverse development functions for religious institutions, children’s causes, and natural resource associates. As a consultant, her clients have included the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, the Metropolitan Toronto Zoo, and the Royal Botanical Gardens. In these capacities, Lisa was responsible for drastic increases to fundraising revenue and donor bases, as well as the successful development and implementation of numerous strategic plans.

Fundraising Area of Expertise: Lisa has extensive experience in all aspects of charitable fundraising including creating and implementing innovative strategies to diversify income and increase revenue from annual giving, major gifts, legacy giving, government and foundation grants. In addition to helping charities reach and exceed revenue goals, she enjoys finding previously unrealized income potential, enabling the organization to advance its mission for years to come.

Sector Experience: Over the past decade, Lisa has helped hundreds of churches with declining donations and increasing expenses strengthen their sustainability through the development of revenue generation strategies for major and legacy gifts, grants and annual giving programs. She also successfully counseled arts and cultural organizations as well as charities in the health, science and environment sectors.

Lisa’s fundraising must have: A compelling case for support, motivated board, knowledgeable staff, solid financial data and strategic plans are all useful when creating a tailored approach to meet your group’s needs.

Contact Lisa at: [email protected]

Associate

Frances Buczko is a passionate and savvy fundraising professional with almost 15 years of experience collaborating with organizations like WWF-Canada, Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation, Bridgepoint Health, Gallery Lambton, and YWCA. She has a track record of exceeding objectives through skilled capital campaign management and has led projects from $3 – $60 million.

Working in the banking industry for nearly 20 years, Frances possesses a formative perspective and diverse skill set. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Science degree. She holds certificates in Fundraising Management, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Management, and completed The Original Canadian Gift Planning Course and the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ First Course in Fundraising.

Frances is committed to community engagement and encouraging a culture of philanthropy. She has been an active volunteer with the Bata Shoe Museum Resource Development Committee, Canadian Association of Gift Planners, Association of Fundraising Professionals, Rotary Club-Toronto Forest Hill, United Way, CNIB, and Women’s Assault Helpline. 

Fundraising Area of Expertise: Frances’ core expertise is in Fundraising Campaigns and Strategic Planning. She also has extensive experience in Campaign and Volunteer Management, Major Gifts and Sponsorship Solicitation, Stakeholder Relationship Management, Campaign Audits, Feasibility Studies, Proposal Writing, Planned Giving, Prospect Identification, , Leadership and Human Resource Management, Event Sponsorship Solicitation and Project Management

Sector Experience: Healthcare, Arts & Culture, Social Services

Frances’s fundraising must have: Passion – stakeholder engagement that is built on relationship building through information sharing, collaboration and brand awareness.

Contact Frances at: [email protected]

Junior Associate

Gaurav (Gary) is an experienced web developer specializing in custom web application development, digital marketing, and data analytics for nonprofits. His previous work has included roles as Senior Front End or Web Developer at the University of Toronto, CIBC, and hjc. His work with nonprofits has included web development and digital marketing for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation of Canada and CIBC’s Run for the Cure, Sunnybrook Foundation and RBC’s Race for the Kids, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada’s Big Bike, Ride for Heart, and Jump Rope for Heart, and the WWF’s CN Tower Climb, among others. Gary holds a Bachelor of Technology degree from Swami Vivekanand Institute of Engineering and Technology, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Web Development from Humber College, and he is currently completing a Data Science Certificate from the University of Toronto. Gaurav is an active volunteer in his local community as well as in India, and in 2018, was awarded the President’s Excellence Through Innovation Award from the University of Toronto.

Fundraising Area of Expertise: Fundraising Campaigns and Strategic Planning

Sector Experience: Education; Healthcare

Gaurav’s fundraising must have: A captivating, user-friendly website with coordinated digital marketing campaigns.

Contact Gaurav at: [email protected]

Associate

Tanya Astolfo is a seasoned information professional with over 20 years of experience with hospital foundations and consulting firms. Tanya’s career began in academic libraries and evolved into prospect research and prospect management. She has built and managed a research office and collaborated in the development of a prospect management system at a healthcare foundation. Tanya is an APRA International and APRA Canada member and volunteer. She earned a bachelor’s degree in History and Anthropology from St. Thomas University in New Brunswick, Canada.

Fundraising Area of Expertise: Tanya’s core expertise is in Advancement Services. She also has extensive experience in prospect research and prospect management.

Sector Experience: Consulting, Hospital Foundations, Healthcare

Tanya’s fundraising must have: Strong prospect pipeline and informed fundraisers

Contact Tanya at: [email protected]