Associate

Nkeonye Aniagu is a seasoned project manager with over nine years of experience in grants administration, advocacy, private sector engagement, program/project management, proposal development, board governance and financial management in the international development sector, specifically with nonprofit organizations and health charities.
She is passionate about balancing resources, communicating with individuals of different backgrounds, connecting the dots and taking a project from beginning to end. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and has worked with various institutional donors and foundations including USAID, GFATM, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, etc.
Nkeonye holds a M.Sc. in International Management of Health Systems from the University of Liverpool, UK. She also earned a bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Nigeria.

Fundraising Area of Expertise: Nkeonye’s core expertise is in Donor and Constituent Engagement. She likewise has vast experience in Board Training, Management and Governance; Development Program Review and Expansion Strategies; Strategic Planning; Interim Program Management; and Project Management.

Sector Experience: Education, Healthcare, International Development, Health Charities.

Nkeonye ‘s fundraising must have: Strong relationships! Build and nurture relationships with donors and prospects, keep them updated, appreciate them, involve them with your activities.

Contact Nkeonye at: [email protected]

Junior Associate

Kristina has close to 10 years of experience in marketing and communications, with a focus on creating inspiring content and collateral for print and digital platforms. She began her career working in professional sports and currently works for the fundraising arm of a university healthcare facility. Kristina earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from Concordia University in Canada.

Fundraising Area of Expertise: Kristina’s core expertise is in Donor and Constituent Engagement. She likewise has a wide experience leading marketing and communication projects, developing and aligning strategic messaging to specific audiences, and sharing engaging stories with the community at large.

Sector Experience: Hospital Foundations; Healthcare

Kristina ‘s fundraising must have: Compelling stories – they are how we connect with our families, friends, and community. Ask us how we can help with that.

Contact Kristina at: [email protected]

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]