Development, Marketing & Communications

Raised $4,000,000+. Raised 140,000+ volunteer hours. Raised skills and awareness

Is there such a thing as "real news"?
The Real News Network was one of the first to understand the power of mobile technology and YouTube. In 2004 streaming video that anyone could contribute to was still nascent. But Paul Jay saw the potential. If everyone has a camera in their hands, and can easily share those videos, everyone becomes a journalist. In 2004, TRNN launched as a pioneering viewer supported independent news channel supported entirely by membership and individual donations. I was a small part of their success, writing and reporting on grants, running membership and sponsorship drives, planning community events. 

Tech for social good. 
Technology is critical to how organizations manage and deliver programming and report on impact. It’s  a critical part of connecting with volunteers and donors. But how to pick which digital tools to use? What are best practices for creating and capturing data that demonstrates social impact? How to meet the requirements of ROI-focused funders and an informationally-empowered donor base that asks critical questions about outcomes before clicking the donate button?  in 2012, with my team, we launched Techraiser a program that allowed us to collaborate with small and mid sized nonprofits to create social change by working smarter in a digital world.

​Co-Wrote article for TIMReview on Open Architecture and Social Change
Research for CIRA's 2015 Factbook

Engaging Men and Boys
I started working for White Ribbon in January 2017. It felt like coming back to my academic roots. Once again I was thinking about men, masculinity, gender constructions and storytelling. My mission: turn White Ribbon into an innovative, digital first storytelling organization. There are so many examples of the impact of White Ribbon's work. How about this one - over several months, White Ribbon worked with mine workers on a notoriously violent location. After our team's engagement there, not one worker was disciplined for aggression or violence.  That's an outcome that everyone needs to hear about. 

​Article on grant-writing and design thinking
Article on active listening
Maple Leafs #MenOfQuality Campaign

I can fundraise. Can I timeraise?
The story of Timeraiser is a feel-good one. How about this for win-win-win? You've bought your ticket to Timeraiser. You're ready to bid your valuable volunteer time on artwork that is hung around a gorgeous room (think raw industrial space, food trucks parked outside, dry pear cider on tap). You've bid 100 hours. Now you have a year to volunteer that time before you bring your art home. And the artist has been paid by Timeraiser's organizing charity, Framework. Nonprofits benefit from skilled volunteers, artists get paid and you? Well maybe, you even changed your life.  

Scale the process
The social good sector is no stranger to instability and challenges. Organizations are perpetually underfunded and overburdened by the weight of the problems they are trying to solve. Lately, we've all begun to speak about a number of disruptions. The power of social enterprise models; the role of B corps in creating big systems change; how we can make money AND do good. Clearly the charitable sector, more accustomed to piecemeal solutions (because of the nature of donated support) is struggling to find where it fits in this brave new world. These are the kinds of questions I want to continue to explore. 

Blog post on Open Philanthropy
Blog post on Millennial engagement
Blog post on Social Innovation in Europe


B Current! B Awesome. 
Volunteerism is very important to me. It's a way to stretch my capacities and to keep my governance skills sharp. In spring 2017, I was invited to join the board of directors at b current - a theatre company 26 years young and focused on  the voices, experiences and values of Canadian and International Black and brown diaspora. I'm just a newbie on the board, but I'm finding my feet and looking forward to using new digital engagement strategies to contribute to the artistic vision of b current's talented director. 

b current's 2017-18 season!
*image credit: Valerie Kolakis