As Vice-President, Philanthropy, Chris is a member of the foundation Executive team and contributes to the development and oversight of organization strategy and objective setting. Additionally, Chris leads the foundations' philanthropy team, who in FY23 were responsible for generating $83.5 million of the foundation's overall goal of $100 million. Chris has eight direct reports. In their words: "Chris truly believes that thoughtful stewardship and donor experience are key components in philanthropy. He encourages his team and other colleagues to take their time to plan and be creative when thanking their donors. He shares his approach with his colleagues to inspire them to think outside of the box when they plan for new touch points with any level of their donors." "Chris is an amazing leader with many positive attributes. His leadership inspires our philanthropy team greatly and all the staff in his team feel positive and motivated."
I unknowingly got into philanthropy in grade 5 after organizing a penny drive that raised over $1,000 for the Toronto Humane Society. Fast-forward to being a student at the University of Toronto (U of T), where I worked at a call centre soliciting alumni. After completing a Master's degree and deciding not to pursue a PhD, I knew fundraising was a profession where I could make an impact. I began in Donations Management at U of T processing gifts before getting my first donor-facing role as a development officer in the Faculty of Medicine. I've been in healthcare philanthropy ever since.
After personally experiencing the impact that disease can have on one's family, and after committing to a career in philanthropy, I knew that I wanted to contribute to healthcare. As a fundraiser, I have the privilege of playing a small role at improving patient outcomes, elevating quality of care, and supporting the discovery of new understandings of health and illness. I’ve always been motivated to advance meaningful change that improves people’s lives. Working in healthcare philanthropy affords me ample opportunities to do this, for which I am grateful.
The realization that my professional insight matters. I was working with a physician on a solicitation and despite her reluctance, I encouraged her to passionately express the impact that a philanthropic investment would have. Long story short, we closed a gift from this prospect who was labelled as unlikely to give. This, in combination with other experiences, gave me the confidence to be more vocal because I realized that my perspective as a fundraising professional has value. Regardless of how influential a donor, volunteer, or academic is, they seek our guidance and support. Internalizing this has been transformational for me.
The Toronto Maple Leafs, but they're a lost cause. Professionally, I've always been passionate about mentoring. Whether informally, when approached by a colleague to provide advice or an opinion, or formally when members of my team present challenges and we problem-solve together. There's no better feeling than seeing someone else succeed and knowing you played a part in that outcome. In fundraising, we are surrounded by quantitative successes like funds raised or number of gifts closed, but it's the qualitative "wins'" of witnessing colleagues develop confidence in their own craft and progress in their careers that I find most fulfilling.
Identify your personal and organization's “why”: 1. Why did you get into fundraising? Reflecting on this and answering honestly will enable you to openly share your story and cultivate genuine relationships. 2. Why should someone engage with your organization? I often hear fundraisers talk about what differentiates their organization from others, but I prefer to focus on areas where my institution is delivering impact regardless of whether it's unique or not. Independently research your organization, determine the “why,” and find a personal way to articulate it. Focus less on facts and figures and more on stories that are impactful, digestible, and memorable.
I love to be outdoors—rock climbing, hiking, kayaking, and running. I've completed a half marathon and intend to compete a full marathon in the near future.