Our name is who we are, and it’s what we do.
We’re fundraising consultants who specialize in individual giving.
That means we work directly with your cause to grow giving and spread donor love in mailboxes, inboxes, and everywhere in-between. We help you get personal with each and every donor through direct marketing that’s tailor-made to create your biggest fans.
Part of our recipe for success is that we’re master storytellers (the other part is our team, plus a top secret only revealed to our clients). We craft compelling and moving stories that deeply connect supporters to your cause.
Get to know the team in your corner.
Yes, we’re fundraising consultants. But our real work is building trusting relationships between you and your donors.
We specialize in telling stories that come from the heart and the soul.
Before you give us the chance to tell your stories, we’ll give you the chance to read ours. This is where we introduce you to the people who will work hand-in-hand with you and your donors.
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Jose van Herpt
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Fraser Green
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Holly Wagg
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Jennifer Benedict
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Charlotte Field
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Ronen Tal
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Morgan Steacy
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Melanie Scholz
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Margaret Bigelow
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Nadine Cheney
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Jenna Robertson
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Phil Downs
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Danielle Stevens
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Alison Turmelle
Managing Director & Philanthropic Counsel
My “work hard, play hard” approach to life has always been a blessing and a challenge (and caused my parents a few sleepless nights over the years). As a mom of two boys, I now understand the juxtaposition (and fear), but never suppress passion for living, desire to do well and appetite for new adventure.
Fundraising was not my first professional calling but I landed in it by design. I was formally trained in marketing and advertising and landed in the high-tech sector. I was a software developer who made their way to consulting as I couldn’t be contained to a cubicle! In addition to being far too social for the cubicle life, I had an overwhelming desire to do something altruistic. Fundraising married my skills and motivation.
I believe in karma and in leaving the world a better place than how we found it. One of my all-time favourite quotes is from Mother Theresa ““Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” My passion for fundraising originates from my desire to leave the world a better place and my motivation lies within unlocking the inherent potential in others to do the same.
Definitely don’t let my nine-to-five-all-business persona fool you. I’m always game for trading my heels for hiking shoes and finding my Zen somewhere in the back country trying to outrun the black bear dinner bell. There is a perfection in nature that fills the soul and recharges the battery allowing mind and breath to reacquaint.
When I’m not braving the backwoods, I’m volunteering; whether it be providing mentorship to the next generation of fundraisers or lending my skills to a worthy cause. I am grateful for all the opportunities and experiences in my orbit, the amazing people that I interact with and all of my smart, passionate colleagues. Life is good!
philanthropic counsel
When people ask where I’m from, I’m never quite sure where to start. Depending on the period of my life, I could have been living in Toronto, Montreal, or Tel-Aviv. But one thing all three of my hometowns taught me is that people are wonderful. We tell stories and share our lives. And we all want to make the world a better place.
And so, when I fell into the fundraising world, it turned out to be a stroke of good luck. Years later, I’m still amazed that I have the opportunity make a real difference in the lives of people who need it most. If that sounds corny, well, it is. But like any good direct mail piece, it’s also true.
I started my career in management consulting and that first fundraising role opened my eyes to the beautiful, data-driven puzzle that is direct marketing. It is complex and fun. Messy and full of opportunities to experiment. An Excel-based playground that is only limited by our imaginations.
Somewhere within the numbers lies a perfect spot for every organization, where spending is optimized and donors feel engaged and proud. The search for this personal fundraising utopia is what drives my work.
When I’m not analyzing results or writing copy, I’m probably throwing myself around a basketball court or baseball diamond with reckless abandon. Or climbing some rocks.
PHILANTHROPIC COUNSEL
I was fortunate to grow up in a world surrounded by people who recognized that their good fortune carried a responsibility to share at least some of what they had with those around them who had less. The youth group at my temple was crucial in instilling this value. We ran food drives, volunteered at hospitals helping children our age with disabilities, and expanded our knowledge of the ways people needed help through passionate discussion.
When I moved to Taiwan after finishing a BFA in Acting, I was struck by how little I really understood the challenges people around the world face. My passion for helping swelled, but I still didn’t have an outlet to fulfill the desire.
I never knew how I would put that passion to use in life, but when I found myself floating without a real career, my childhood friends rallied around me, and one of them suggested the perfect career for me: fundraising. I could blend my love of storytelling with my drive to help, and a fundraiser was born.
As I built my career, I discovered a talent for working with data, finding ways to blend data-driven insights with the human insights that I feel instinctively from years of training to recreate people’s traits as an actor.
Now I get to focus my attention on trying to make sure that there is money to solve the big questions that face us today. Will we have a planet to leave our children? Will the planet they inherit be equitable and just? And will we be able to provide food, water, and basic human rights for every single child born?
These are the questions that get me out of bed every day, and the stories I want to tell give people hope that the answer to each of them is “yes.”
Philanthropic Counsel
My earliest philanthropic experience was “helping” my mother canvass our neighbourhood for the Canadian Cancer Society when I was about 10 years old. Specifically, I remember knocking on the door of a family home with 3 kids. It was dinnertime, the house was loud and chaotic, and the woman who answered looked worn. Even as a child, I would have understood if she brushed us off and slammed the door. But instead, she scraped up all the change she could find and gave us $10 in dimes and quarters. I still remember how eager she was to help any way she could, despite all the mayhem around her.
I think about that moment a lot. At the time though, I never considered growing up to be a fundraiser. That all came to be, albeit unexpectedly, a few years later in 2010. I was a young twenty-something, new to Ottawa and in need of a job.
Rumors of a federal election had the city abuzz, and Jack Layton’s NDP team was looking for people power. So I was hired on as a part-time fundraising caller. The election ramped up, the NDP gained 65 seats in the “Orange Wave” of 2011 and I found myself a home on the NDP fundraising team.
I had a degree in Public Relations, but it didn’t take long to realize that I could apply some of my PR skills to fundraising – by crafting and creating appealing, intriguing and personalized messages. I wasn’t writing press releases, but instead could be a little more authentic, less formal and really speak to the donor directly. It was much more rewarding – and I was hooked.
Today, I’m the worn-looking mom at the door, tripping over dinky cars to find cash for whatever cause needs it. The universe is weird sometimes but I’m grateful I get to play a small part in the good of it.
PROJECT SPECIALIST
I grew up in a small town in Nova Scotia and learned, early on, that helping others is just what one does for your family, friends, and community. Writing letters for an elderly great aunt who’d lost her vision, finding sponsors for walkathons to raise money to build a new rink, and participating in Girl Guide community activities were small ways to help.
Present day finds me putting in a lot of volunteer hours with theatre groups (never onstage – I prefer to be the support system off in the wings!) as well as a few different Art organizations. I love community theatre because we’re all there to help each other bring the best possible production to the stage – and we have an extraordinarily good time doing it! I love colour and form and I explore that though uncountable hours at my easel, accompanied by good jazz or classical music and a glass of wine.
It’s a funny thing, aging. You really do learn what life is about and what really does matter. It’s not the ‘stuff’ and it’s not the size of the bank account. It’s what you’ve done to make this world a better place; it’s the realization that giving is so much more satisfying than getting. I am proud to be part of a team that helps organizations connect with their donors in the best possible way. We’re all in this together.
PROJECT SPecialist
Born and raised in Ottawa, I first entered the world of fundraising and philanthropy through my local church and Girl Guides community. The passion for helping and sharing was further sparked by working alongside my mother. As long as I’ve been around she’s dealt with chronic pain and disability, but it never stopped her from pitching in. She was the Girl Guides leader for my friends and for several years beyond, she volunteered at my school to read books to the differently-abled children, and employed me to assist her in craft days and games.
That caring and community-driven spirit continues on in me, and I’m so excited to be a member of Good Works and a part of something bigger.
Having previously worked in the printing profession, I got a lot of experience managing the production side of things. However, it left me feeling like I wanted to play a bigger role in the world around me. Working in graphic design for a few years helped me assist people on an individual basis, but still lacked the far-reaching impact I desired. Enter Good Works – and the whirlwind of direct mail, fundraising, digital strategy, and so much more for non-profits. I’ve jumped into the deep-end, and the water is great!
Every day is a new challenge to make a positive impact on the world around me – and I hope I’ve come full circle, from selling cookies to improving the lives of people everywhere. Doing Good Work!
Project Specialist
As a life-long resident of Ottawa, I have been exposed to philanthropy for as long as I can remember. Whether it was the Jerry Lewis Labour Day Telethon on TV, going door to door for Boy Scout bottle drives or knocking on my neighbours’ doors selling raffle tickets for my minor league hockey teams, there always seemed to be some type of charitable activity taking place.
It is only natural then, that philanthropy should continue to be a part of my life as organically as it has. I had not made a conscious decision to seek out a career in philanthropy, but as something that has been such an ever-present part of my life, I think I am just instinctively drawn to it. I have found that I what I get out of the act of giving, is more valuable than the gift itself.
Today, philanthropy in my life takes many forms, but the giving that means the most to me is the giving that comes uniquely from me. This kind of giving includes donating blood or volunteering my time to help addicts find recovery. It the kind of giving that is personal and powerful and helps me to feel like I am not just passing through this life.
I love structure. I am comforted by knowing where everything is, where it will be and how it will get there. I am very fortunate to be able to apply that love of structure when I come to work each day, to help others benefit from the powerful act of giving.
Project specialist
I was born in California and spent my first 15 years living in both San Diego and Ottawa. My California family is all about the bigger picture – peace, equality and the environment. Fundraising is part of their DNA. Both my parents are wonderful role models, teaching the importance of empathy and giving back at an early age. I was lucky enough to have visited many parts of the world – to ask questions, see the beauty in simple things, be appreciative and show compassion.
My background is graphic design and print production. Over the years I’ve realized that my favourite piece has been working on projects and being part of a team. Call it synergy, teamwork, harmony or something else – something special happens when people work as a group towards a specific goal.
Whether it’s dog walking for the Humane Society, helping out at the foodbank, office fundraisers or helping friends/family with design for their fundraisers – I’m in!
Communications, Digital & Marketing Coordinator
Currently on parental leave
I can’t hide the way I’m feeling. Like actress Kristen Bell once said on Ellen, “if I’m not between a 3 and a 7 on the emotional scale, I’m crying.” That’s me to a tee.
That might be why I love the work I do so much. I get to connect so deeply with so many causes. I often find myself tearing up when writing appeals, cases for support, or thank you letters. It makes me so passionate about telling organizations’ stories.
I was drawn to the charitable sector from an early age. Though I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do, I knew a career of helping people would bring meaning and purpose to my life. When I was young I used to help my mom canvass our neighbourhood for donations to the Canadian Cancer Society. I saw firsthand what incredible things can happen when a community comes together.
Like many in others in the sector, I fell into fundraising somewhat by chance. My environmental studies background connected me with a number of non-profit organizations early in my career, but I enrolled in a fundraising Graduate Certificate program on a whim. I was exposed to a world I didn’t know existing…and I loved every minute of it.
I thrive on building relationship, telling stories, and connecting people with the causes they are passionate about. I love that, as a Good Worker, I get to see real impacts from the work we do across so many organizations.
I feel so lucky to be part of the brilliant and inspiring Good Works team and to get to work with so many amazing fundraisers every day.
A journey to our roots.
Way back in 1986, Fran Lowe decided to create a consulting agency in Ottawa to help local charities get better results from their direct mail programs. In those days, pretty much every charity relied only on the mail to communicate with, and raise money from, their donors.
Fran had a gift for really connecting closely with her clients – and helping them connect closely with their donors. She simply had a knack for heartfelt intimacy. And that knack helped her clients achieve tremendous donor loyalty.
In 1989, Jose van Herpt joined Fran to help service a growing client family and the agency’s reputation for great client service and superb storytelling continued to grow.
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