Category: Canada Associates

Junior Associate

Gillian Aitken has over 5 years of experience in fundraising and strategic development. In this time, she has executed a wide range of fundraising initiatives from writing grant proposals and cultivating funding relationships with corporations and foundations, to managing major gift programs and direct mail campaigns. While most of her career has been spent fundraising for charities in Canada, she spent four months in Varanasi, India, preparing successful grant proposals for a local literacy charity. Gillian earned her bachelor’s degree in Global Politics from Carleton University.

Fundraising Area of Expertise: Gillian’s core expertise is in Major and Principal Gifts. She also has extensive experience in Donor Engagement and Donor Journey; Direct Mail; Board Relations; Fundraising Events.

Sector Experience: Education; Youth Empowerment; International Development

Gillian’s fundraising must have: Internal donor strategy meetings.

Contact Gillian at: [email protected]

Senior Associate

With more than 19 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Mark Banbury’s career has spanned the globe and key philanthropic sectors. Some of his previous professional roles have included Global Chief Information Officer for Plan International (UK), Chief Information and Constituent Services Officer for Heart and Stroke Foundation (Canada) and the Director of Information Systems and New Media for SickKids Foundation (Canada). In these capacities, Mark has managed operational teams including IT, Human Resources, Communications, Operations, Facilities, and Purchasing/Warehousing/Logistics. Additionally, in 2011, he oversaw the global communications aspects of the launch of Plan International’s successful Because I Am A Girl Campaign and the UN International Day of the Girl Child. Throughout his career, Mark has consistently been on the senior management teams of large organizations where he both led and was a key participant in organizational strategic planning.

Mark graduated from Ryerson University with a Bachelor of Applied Arts (Honours) in Radio and Television Arts and has taken graduate courses in the areas of organizational development, distance education, and media.

Fundraising Area of Expertise: Mark specializes in Advancement Services, Management and Governance, Data Analytics, Project Management, and Fundraising Technology.

Sector Experience: Mark has global experience in the health, education, international development, and membership/advocacy sectors, across several large organizations. His notable work has included the transformation of several large recurring giving programs through the use of applied technology and analytics. Mark has led over a half dozen major nonprofit CRM implementations/stabilizations/replacements across these various sectors.

Mark’s fundraising must have: Integrated systems that present a single source of truth are fundamental to supplying data and analytics that drive good decision making. Building on a good strategic plan and a robust governance structure, technology can make the difference between just sustaining an organization’s mission and transforming an organization into a sector leader.

Contact Mark at: [email protected]

Junior Associate

Kyle is a core team member of the firm serving our back-office operations, with responsibility for monthly performance plans, financial projections & forecasting, and vendor relations. A junior at the University of Toronto in the Rotman Commerce program, Kyle is pursuing a specialization in Management with a dual focus in Data Science and Strategy, along with a minor in Economics. Outside the classroom, Kyle is involved in the Rotman Commerce Students’ Association as the Director of International Student Affairs.

Fundraising Must Have: Solid back-office operation

Associate

A seasoned professional, Charmain Emerson helps people realize their real story. She strives to empower authenticity and inclusivity to drive economic opportunities. She is a passionate communications leader/strategist with lived experience and professional expertise that have organically extended into facilitating community consultations, DEI board governance, stakeholder relations, brand reputation management, and media relations.

Charmain co-founded the Black Opportunity Fund, a charitable organization creating economic and social change across Canada, and through her own agency she has advised some of Canada’s leading corporations as well as vital public sector organizations serving Canada’s most vulnerable citizens. Clients and colleagues describe her as an energetic and motivational collaborator, and problem solver who is committed to delivering positive outcomes.

Entering the field as a broadcast journalist with the Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC), Rogers and Global, Charmain later served as the Legislative Communications Advisor for the Minister of Culture and Communications Ontario and held Director of Communications roles for multiple for and nonprofit entities, including the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Charmain volunteers extensively serving on the Board of Canada’s fastest-growing hospital network, Trillium Health Partners Foundation, Canada’s iconic Soulpepper Theatre Company, and the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion.

A graduate of McMaster University, Charmain holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts, English and Humanities.

Area of Expertise:
Charmain’s predominant expertise is Donor and Constituent Engagement. She also excels in Board Training Management and Governance and Project Management.

Experience:
Arts and Culture, Education, Community Based Membership and Advocacy, and Healthcare

Fundraising Must Have:
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Governance

Senior Associate

With more than 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Roger D. Ali is a seasoned professional with deep and broad experience as a fundraising executive, administrator, and consultant, committed to the industry and the discipline, as exemplified by his recent election as the Chair-Elect of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Global.

Roger is a major gifts strategist with a proven track record of leading teams and comprehensive fundraising and marketing programs to raise $120 million+, including several capital and endowment campaigns. Some of his previous experience has included: President & CEO, Niagara Health Foundation, Vice President, Development, Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation and Executive Director, Bishop Strathan School Foundation.

Roger also holds a Chartered Director (C. Dir) designation in Governance from the DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University; an MBA from Athabasca University as well as a Post Graduate Certificate in Administration and Management and is a Certified Fundraising Executive since 2000. He has continued executive level education at Harvard and Stanford Universities, and is the past President of the AFP Golden Horseshoe Chapter, where he was awarded the Recipient of Outstanding Leadership Award in 2017.

Area of Expertise:
Roger’s predominant expertise is in Fundraising Campaigns and Strategic Planning. He is adept and demonstrates expertise is in Board Training, Management and Governance, and Major and Principal, Planned and Legacy Gifts.

Experience:
Healthcare, Community Based Membership and Advocacy

Fundraising Must Have:
A well-written plan to guide your fundraising efforts with staff and volunteers.