Tomorrow (March 8) is International Women’s Day, and it’s a big thing (IMHO). The statistics tell us that seventy to eighty percent of fundraisers are women. In my own career as a fundraiser, I have only hired a handful of men — the rest were all women! Moreover, the statistics tell us that women only represent a little more than half of the small nonprofit CEOs. The disconnect is further amplified in the larger nonprofits, where women CEOs only comprise about a third. People — we can do better than this!
Many times, we hear of great successes, but far too often, we gloss over the circumstances needed to shape the success. Below (in order of appearance), are fourteen exceptional women who have been on the podcast (so far). Fourteen out of twenty-nine different guests. And I wasn’t even thinking about gender parity!
These women have really added to both my podcast and philanthropy in general:
Season 1
Barbara Crook is a writer, mental health advocate and philanthropist in Ottawa. She has been volunteer or board member in organizations dealing with mental health, youth at risk and the arts, as well as Jewish organizations.
Tricia Johnson is the Director of Communications and Development at the Ottawa Food Bank. She is passionate about building genuine relationships with people. She has a deep history fundraising for the arts in Ottawa and Toronto. Tricia has worked with Ottawa’s Chamberfest, Canadian Stage and the Royal Conservatory of Music. Tricia chairs the Ottawa Food Bank’s IDEA Committee, a cross-functional team that practices inclusion, continuous learning and actions focused on promoting food security for all.
For over 20 years, Betty-Anne has been guiding women, couples and families to realize their financial dreams. She has shared her vision with audiences around the world. With her specialization in strategic philanthropic planning and charitable giving she has been able to direct millions of dollars to the charitable sector. All while dramatically reducing taxes for those individuals she has assisted.
A skilled fundraising and donor relations professional, Delphine has been creating opportunities for donors to support Perley Health since 2013. She is now the Executive Director of Perley Health Foundation. Her passion is healthcare fundraising, focusing on seniors’ care. Before working at Perley Health, Delphine was working as a Communication and Fundraising Specialist at Carefor Health & Community Services. She was also the Director of Outreach at Ottawa Riverkeeper.
Patti Murphy is the Executive Director of the Youth Services Bureau (YSB) Charitable Foundation. Together with her team, they raise funds in support of YSB’s key programs. They ultimately aim to address the needs of youth in the community in the areas of mental health, housing, employment and justice. Prior to joining the YSB Foundation, Patti was the Director of Communications and Fundraising with the Ottawa Food Bank. She also spent 15 years at Bell, managing the company’s National Employee Giving Program.
Self proclaimed non-profit aficionado and coffee connoisseur, Susan Fochs originally hails from Door County, Wisconsin. She has a Bachelor’s in Human Services Leadership and Business Administration from UW-Oshkosh and a Master’s in Public Policy from Northwestern University. At 18, Susan founded the non-profit organization, Operation Not Alone (ONA). It is dedicated to serving military members and veterans under an umbrella of mental health initiatives. She still runs the organization almost 10 years later with a dedicated team of 6 people, and with a 6-figure valuation. She received national recognition for their global impact. Around the same time of launching her own non-profit, she was highly involved with the Miss America Organization (MAO). She held 3 local titles through the Miss Wisconsin Scholarship Organization. She earned recognition from the MAO with her charity work.
Season 2
Founder and president of Chavender, Jenny Mitchell (CFRE, DMA), works closely with not-for-profit leaders to change the world – one mission at a time. She assists clients, to inspire their donors and achieve their fundraising goals through personalized fundraising coaching and training. Before completing her CFRE, Jenny trained as a classical musician and earned her Doctorate of Musical Arts. She brings her creative approach, her drive for excellence, and her passion for people to the world of not-for-profits.
Deborah Rosati an award-winning corporate director and entrepreneur. She has been defined in three interconnected ways throughout her 35-year career. As a corporate governance champion, a catalyst for change and a community builder.
As the founder and CEO of Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB), an 850-member social-purpose company, Deborah is building a community of the next generation of women corporate directors. She accomplishes thus by advancing equity, diversity & inclusion (EDI), collaboration, courage, and confidence in the boardroom. Fueled by women holding only 26% of TSX-listed companies’ board seats, WGOB amplifies the voices of women leaders, board members and professionals across Canada. This is done through education, mentorship and allyship. It’s been called The Power of Three – one woman in the boardroom is a token, two is a presence, and three is a voice.
Lisa Zola Greer is a fundraising coach, nonprofit changemaker, major donor and author of the bestselling book “Philanthropy Revolution”. Her mission is to “Save Giving” by providing a clear path to success, supported by data, statistics, and interviews. With her help and direction, the nonprofit world will see its donors engaged and energized, their organizations sustainable and with increased impact, and a more honest philanthropic culture that will create a larger and more loyal donor pool.
Lynne Wester strongly believes that donor relations is the key to unlocking fundraising success and that organizations must be as dedicated to the donor experience — or DX — as they are to the ask itself. Known for positively disrupting the status quo, Lynne helps organizations when they need it the most – when crisis or opportunity arrive. Lynne delivers thought-provoking fundraising lessons with a keen focus on the donor experience, internationally known as the industry expert on donor relations. Her southern accent and crucial honesty resonate in rooms large and small.
Julia Worthington has been a fundraiser for over twenty-five years, working as a volunteer and professional fundraiser, for national, regional and international charities. In 2020 Julia created ‘Six Simple Steps to a Corporate Fundraising Strategy’ a training programme that helps fundraisers to develop their first corporate partnerships from scratch. Julia focuses her attention on smaller charities, working with many generalist fundraisers. She supports their career development through her training courses, webinars and facebook group, Corporate Fundraising Chat. Julia is also the trainer for CIOF Corporate Fundraising Management Level course.
Jennifer Johnstone is President & CEO of Central City Foundation, an organization that has been working to improve the lives of people in need in Vancouver’s inner city since 1907. Today, CCF is a $50 million Foundation that pursues this agenda through community-centered philanthropy rooted in a commitment to truth, justice and reconciliation. CCF owns innovative, sustainable social purpose real estate properties. They build relationships with leading community organizations to create the opportunities for investments in community-led solutions. Jennifer has long served as a Board member with several local organizations and was the Chair of the Board of AFP Canada.
Season 3
Aimée founded Refocus Fundraising in 2017 and recently joined Global Philanthropic Canada as a Senior Consultant. She has over 20 years of marketing and communications experience and being one of the first in the world to earn a certificate in Philanthropic Psychology. Aimée brings innovative approaches to charities across Canada, helping them engage supporters more deeply. This is especially true in legacy giving, which is her passion. Aimée is the author of “How to Talk About Legacy Giving” and regularly contributes to the sector as a speaker and teacher. She has held leadership roles in the Greater Vancouver Chapters of the Canadian Association of Gift Planners and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Brieanna Quinn is the Director of Individual Giving at Merit America. She has over 20 years of philanthropic development experience, raising record-setting donations at higher education institutions and national nonprofits. After graduating from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy with a Masters in Philanthropic Studies, she spent over a decade working for small and large universities, building comprehensive annual giving programs. She brings an innovative and collaborative approach where meaningful change is possible. In addition, Brieanna understands that developing thoughtful relationships takes time and approaches each encounter thoughtfully to ensure solid and lasting relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
So, on this International Women’s Day, I say thank you and l’chaim to all of these women who have so generously given of their time to be on the show. I am positive that these special women have also inspired others.
L’chaim,
jack
