Celebrating our Chapter Volunteers: National Volunteer Week – April 19-25
In celebration of #NationalVolunteerWeek, we want to say thank you to all of those who continue to give back in their personal and professional lives.
Volunteers from across the city have come together during this critical time to care for those in need and have truly proven to be the backbone of society when the most is at stake. This week, we thank and salute you along with our healthcare heroes and those working in essential services during this time.
Our Chapter would not be where it is today without the support of our members who have contributed countless volunteer hours and ideas to help us in delivering quality professional development opportunities and education to fundraising professionals and those in the non-profit sector. This week we want to take the time to recognize just a few of you…
Meet our Fundraising Day Committee (Cont’d…read part 1 & part 2)
We are excited to work with our Fundraising Day committee next year to see their ideas come to life & hope that you’ll save the date and join us for Fundraising Day on June 1, 2021.
Ochelle Baller – Education
Ochelle Baller grew up living on a mountain as a little girl in the Philippines, where every day she would walk for miles to fetch water and do her laundry by the river. Thirty-one years later, her humble beginnings led her to make a shift in her career from corporate real estate to non-profit. Her passion for making a difference in the community, coupled with her experience in administration, education, management and marketing, has equipped her in undertaking the creation of the Partner Development Lead position at Ghana Rural Integrated Development (GRID). As a mission-oriented individual, Ochelle enjoys working at GRID, whose mission is to enable poor communities in Northern Ghana meet their needs in a sustainable manner. After attending the 2019 Fundraising Day conference and gaining valuable insights, she is thrilled to give back and serve on the Fundraising Day Education Committee for the first time.
Do you have a favourite volunteer / Fundraising Day memory?
Being new to the sector, I never thought that I would be selected to be a part of the Fundraising Day Management Committee. I’m very grateful for the warm acceptance of the team and the AFP staff.
What words of advice would you give to someone who’s new to AFP and/or thinking about volunteering?
Be open-minded to many new ideas and people. Don’t let being new and inexperienced stop you from sharing your ideas and insights!
Carol Froom – Senior Leaders Track Lead
Carol made the rather unique jump from an art buying career at Harlequin Enterprises (yes, the romance books) to the world of fundraising in 1988. During the 80’s and 90’s Carol held senior leadership roles at World Vision Canada. She later started her own marketing and communications company serving non-profits and the banking industry.
Returning to fundraising in 2000, Carol held senior leadership roles in World Animal Protection and Christian Children’s Fund of Canada. Since 2010, Carol has led the Resource Development team of Emergency Relief & Development Overseas (ERDO).
Besides being passionate about causes she believes in, Carol’s keys to longevity in fundraising include strategic focus, creativity, a sense of humour and building teams of excellent people.
Carol’s loves include her husband of 35 years, three adult children (a fundraiser, music producer and graphic designer) and a one-year old granddaughter.
Liz Chornenki – Delegate Experience
Liz Chornenki is the Annual Giving Officer for YWCA Toronto. She has a love of donor stewardship, direct mail, and writing for digital. Liz is also passionate about changing the face of fundraising to include more marginalized fundraisers!
Katherine Verhagen Rodis – Networking Lead
Katherine Verhagen Rodis is the Senior Coordinator, Philanthropy and Prospect Research at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation. She is a proud member of CAGP and APRA Canada. As well, she’s a member of the CSP Book Blog Review Panel, a 2nd-time committee member for AFP Fundraising Day and an AFP Speaker Discovery Series alumna. She’s also an alumna of the Fundraising Management program at Humber College (class of 2018), with a M.A. in English at the University of Toronto.
She pursued grant writing and management as a graduate student at the University of Toronto, a volunteer grant writer for small and mid-sized charities and also as a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Bonn, in Bonn, Germany. She taught undergraduate writing composition and rhetoric at the University of Toronto and OCAD University for 11 years. #neurodiverse, #bivisible, preferred pronouns (she/her).
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Stay tuned to learn more about our Chapter volunteers this week!
On behalf of all of us at the AFP Greater Toronto Chapter,
THANK YOU! 💖👏👏👏