Connecting Donors to Their Cause
Published Tuesday, July 16, 2024
Shelley Graham, pictured at the hockey rink with her youngest son Jamie.
Meet Shelley Graham, Manager, Major Gifts & Campaigns.
Shelley joined the Foundation in fall 2023 after more than 20 years working in the non-profit sector. She viewed the Foundation as a champion team when it came to fundraising. “The Foundation does it right. They have people in place for each fundraising program and administration, giving its fundraisers the time to build relationships with donors.” Coming from a much smaller team, she was looking forward to having this support.
Some people see fundraising as a sales role. Shelley looks at it from a people lens. “My job is not about me selling a need but rather helping donors connect to their cause,” says Shelley.
She has experienced a shift from working with mostly corporate donors with her previous employer to focusing more on individual and family contributions because of the Foundation's personal connections. “I love engaging with people, understanding their stories and learning more about their lives and connections to causes like cardiac or cancer care, or specific patient care units,” Shelley explains. “This makes my connection to the cause even stronger, hearing these stories and the passion behind them.”
Shelley sees many interesting changes and opportunities ahead with regards to philanthropy in Thunder Bay. “As our community grows and changes culturally, we'll have to explore those potential prospects and their needs, which might be different than years ago,” she says. “Also, there is a generational turnover in our community of giving/philanthropy, both in the corporate and personal worlds. These are the people I grew up with and have relationships with – and we get to build that next generation of giving.”
People often donate to Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation because they had an amazingly positive experience at the Health Sciences Centre. Inspiring others who haven't had to use the Hospital yet or may not have had the best experience can be a challenge according to Shelley, but not impossible. “People can't dwell on a negative care experience. Rather, look to how you can support healthcare to make sure the next person gets the care they need. After all, every single person in the community is going to access care from the Hospital at some point in their lives.”
When Shelley isn't busy meeting with donors for the Our Hearts at Home Cardiovascular Surgery Campaign and raising funds to purchase new and replacement equipment for continued exceptional patient care at the Regional Cancer Centre, you can find her at the hockey rink cheering on her youngest son.
If you would like to support either cardiac or cancer care at the Hospital or another cause you connect with, call our Donation Centre at 807-684-7275 or visit www.healthsciencesfoundation.ca/donate.