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Featured Speakers 2008

The Buck Starts Here 2008 conference is honoured to present the following speakers who will offer volunteers and staff a range of information to help build strong community organizations.

Ellen Green has worked in the non-profit sector since 1986. From 1986 to 1999 she served as the Grants Officer and Gallery Curator for the Multicultural Heritage Centre in Stony Plain. In January 2000 Ellen assumed her current position as Director of Fund Development for Camp He Ho Ha, a summer camp for people with disabilities. In addition to preparing and reconciling grant applications, Ellen has served as a Grants Adjudicator for the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.

Speaker Profile : Ellen Green, Director of Fund Development

Camp Health, Hope and Happiness

Ellen is a member of the Alberta Association of Fundraising Executives, the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Canadian Association of Gift Planners. She holds degrees in English, Anthropology and Education and is currently working towards her designation as a Certified Fundraising Executive.

For the past ten years Ellen has presented workshops to urban and rural non-profit organizations throughout Alberta on a variety of topics including Grant Proposal Writing, Board Development, Strategic Planning, Special Event Planning, Establishing and Revising Bylaws and Trends in Fundraising, to name just a few!

Presentation 1 : Strategies for effective grant proposals

Learn how to prepare a Letter of Intent and cover letter, develop a professional and compelling grant proposal and submit a concise, effective on-line grant application. This course will provide you with valuable information about various types of grant proposals, projects and funders, along with approaches you can use to make a persuasive case for support for your organization and your project. A comprehensive 75-page manual is provided to all participants.

Course Content and Outline

Overview of Proposal Writing - generally accepted principles and practices
Types of projects, types of funders, and proposal development resources
Basics of a grant application: components, requirements, etc.
Questions and Answers, complete workshop evaluation

Presentation 2 : No More Chocolate Covered Almonds

Organizing successful fundraisers

An eighteen-year veteran of professional fundraising, Brian Shea has held senior management positions with the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, St. Mary's University in Halifax and DVA Navion; and gift planning positions with several organizations including the University of Alberta and St. Paul's Hospital Foundation in Saskatoon. For the past three years he has been the Chief Development Officer with the Alberta Cancer Foundation

Speaker Profile : Brian Shea, Chief Development Officer Alberta Cancer Foundation

Presentation: Talking to donors & clients about the social capital concept

Brian was a faculty member at Grant MacEwan Community College in Edmonton where he taught a gift-planning course for several years. He is currently on the faculty of CAGP's Banff Planned Giving Course that is taught twice yearly at the Banff Centre for Management. Brian is a past National Director of the Canadian Association of Gift Planners and has been a frequent presenter at many regional, provincial and national conferences.

Almost every person has a deferred tax liability that must eventually be paid to the government. There is a way in which people can be more proactive in how their tax dollars are used. This session will deal with several ways in which individuals can self-direct all or a portion of their "social capital" through philanthropy. This presentation will be of special interest to financial planners, lawyers and accountants as well as all charities. All professional advisors are invited to this presentation as guests of the foundation.

Being a true leader should extend outside the boundaries of a company to include an industry. Mr. Reid is a sought-after speaker at national and international conferences and has played a key role in advancing the development profession by acting as a coach and advisor to executives and non-profit organizations, and establishing innovative vehicles for private and philanthropic support.

Speaker Profile: Stu Reid, Vice President, KCI(Ketchum Canada Inc.)

As Executive Director, External Relations at the University of Calgary, Mr. Reid secured $150 million, ranking the university's endowment fund among the highest in Canada. Other notable projects with KCI include the Calgary Zoological Society, the Alberta Recreation and Parks Association and the Calgary Olympic Development Association.

His volunteer experience is equally as vast including serving as a Board Member and Campaign Chair of the Calgary Police Interpretive Centre, a member of the United Way of Calgary's Campaign Cabinet, a supporter of the Calgary Learning Centre and Executive Board Member on the EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts.

"The philanthropic sector is changing rapidly. It's becoming more competitive and organizations must face much higher donor scrutiny. They must be prepared to make their case to the right donors at the right time."

Presentation: Philanthropic Trends

Mike Grogan works with the Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organizations as the Project Manager of HR Initiatives. Mike has a Masters in Leadership from Royal Roads University and has worked with nonprofit organizations for over 20 years in areas such as leadership development, adult education and organizational effectiveness.

Speaker Profile : Mike Grogan, Project Manager of HR Initiatives, CCVO

Workforce Strategy for Alberta's Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector is scheduled to be released in 2008. This strategy was developed by stakeholders from the nonprofit/voluntary sector, in collaboration with the Government of Alberta, in response to the immediate labour force needs of the sector, while also addressing long-term issues. The strategy will be used to frame discussion within the sector and to provide direction for action, enhance existing initiatives, co-ordinate activities and avoid duplication of efforts. This session will provide an overview of the content of the Workforce Strategy and an update on actions that have been undertaken to fulfill the strategies.

Speaker Profile: Debra Ramage, Executive Director Chinook Hospital Foundation

Ellen Green	Brian Shea
Stu Reid	Mike Grogan
Cheryl Humphrey	Debra Ramage

Presentation: Workforce strategy for Alberta's voluntary sector

Presentation: Using a professional fund raiser

No More Chocolate Covered Almonds explores many aspects of organizing a successful fundraiser from the ground up and serves to remind people that newly launched fund raisers are an investment, one that often doesn't make money for the first three years. Pitfalls, pratfalls and practicalities of successful special event fundraising. Learn from the mistakes of others!

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Debra has been a member of AFP since 2000. She has sat on the AFP Calgary & Area Chapter Board of Directors for seven years and has held position of President Elect [2005], President [2006] and Past President [2007]. In 2001, Debra joined the National Philanthropy Day Committee [Venue Chair] and in 2002, Co-Chaired National Philanthropy Week. Debra also was a member of Chapter Services Division for two years prior to chairing in 2003.

Debra received her CFRE certification in 2001 and has been a member of AFP Calgary & Area's teaching faculty for a number of years teaching various modules of the Essentials of Fundraising, First Course in Fundraising and CFRE Preparation.

In addition to volunteering in with AFP, Debra is an active volunteer in the community and previously Co-Chaired the Membership Committee - Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organizations [2004 - 2006]; Past Member, Good for Business Coalition [Calgary]; Member, Board of Directors, various community and condo associations; canvasser and special event volunteer for a number of charitable organizations; past television host, 'Talk of the Town' Rogers TV Calgary in the early 1990's; past board member for an Alberta MLA. In Lethbridge, Debra has recently joined the Rotary Club of Lethbridge.

Debra and her husband Bill enjoy cooking, golfing, reading, watching movies and spending time with family. Debra is very proud to be the mother of daughter, Terra [30] and son, Dana [28] and her two adult step-children [Bob and Denise], all of whom live in Calgary.

Debra Ramage has been a fund development professional for close to 20 years and is currently Executive Director of the Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation, a position she accepted in the fall of 2007 in Lethbridge, Alberta.

Prior to joining the Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation, Debra worked for four years as Executive Director of Bethany care Foundation, a fundraising organization established in 2003 dedicated exclusively to providing support to Bethany Care Society. Previous to Bethany Care, Debra was the Director of Revenue Development with Heart and Stroke Foundation of Alberta, NWT and Nunavut, where she was employed for more than thirteen years. Debra has also worked with Aventa Addiction Treatment Centre for Women in establishing their fund development program and in the mid 1980's worked with Beverley Nursing Home where, amongst a number of other duties, she created the Beverley Foundation.

The fundraising profession goes beyond simply raising money. "It's about philanthropy - the act of giving and receiving. There's nothing more rewarding than putting a donation to use to enhance the quality of life of those in our care."

Speaker Profile: Cheryl Humphrey

Presentation: Integrated Human Resources [IHR]

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This session focuses on a strategically planned approach to what needs to be accomplished in organizations and involving people. With the changing demographic trends in the voluntary sector and an understanding of the challenges that organizations face, the need to look at an IHR approach is critical for voluntary sector organizations. This workshop will look at strategies you can employ to ensure you utilize the skills and talents that people [paid and unpaid] can bring to your organization.

The Workforce Strategy for Alberta's Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector was developed by stakeholders from the nonprofit & voluntary sector, in collaboration with the Government of Alberta, in response to the immediate and long-term labour force needs of the sector. The strategy will be used to frame discussion within the sector and to provide direction for action, enhance existing initiatives, coordinate activities and avoid duplication of efforts. This session will provide an overview of the content of the Workforce Strategy and an update on actions that have been undertaken to fulfill the strategies.

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