Mena Gainpaulsingh
President and CEO | Purposeful Fundraising Inc.
Ottawa, ON, CANADA
A seasoned fundraising professional who is passionate about connecting charities and philanthropists so they can do good, together.
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Biography
Mena has been working as a fundraising professional for almost two decades. Her first role was at the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, where she worked on a capital campaign to build a new treatment centre for torture survivors.
Since then, Mena has worked as a fundraising consultant and trainer for a broad range of organizations, including WaterAid Canada, Starlight Children’s Foundation and Virgin Unite. She has delivered training internationally on fundraising strategy, individual giving, capital campaigns, grant-writing and donor stewardship for organizations that include AFP Ottawa, Toronto and Kingston, Algonquin College, the Institute of Fundraising UK, the Institute of Fundraising Ukraine and the City of Ottawa.
In a voluntary capacity Mena has sat on the boards of the Institute of Fundraising, the Institute of Fundraising’s National Convention 2010, the Steering Committee for Starlight Children’s Foundation and served as Co-Chair of the Fundraising Committee for Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre. She now sits on the AFP Ottawa Chapter Board, where she is President-Elect. She also sits on the Steering Committee for Prime Ministers Row, an initiative to develop Canada’s first street museum.
She is dedicated to supporting the professional development of fundraisers and enjoys helping charities navigate their way through their various fundraising challenges.
Industry Expertise (2)
Non-Profit/Charitable
Fund-Raising
Areas of Expertise (10)
Fundraising Best Practices
Leadership
Philanthropy
Proposal Writing
Strategy
Event Management
Volunteer Management
Grants
Public Speaking
Strategic Planning
Education (1)
University of South Wales: LL.B., Law
Affiliations (2)
- AFP Ottawa Chapter: President-Elect
- Prime Ministers Row : Steering Committee
Links (3)
Articles (11)
Is fundraising REALLY a priority in your organization?
Hilborn: Charity eNews2017-06-15
Most charities are concerned about money. Whether they need to raise more funds to implement new programs, or their funding for existing work is declining, fundraising often features heavily in what keeps managers and boards of directors up at night. Despite this, these same organizations often fail to make fundraising a true priority. Even in situations where new revenue is a desperate need, they still put off the urgent job of actually fundraising, or investing resources into it...
Ten mistakes organizations make with their Case for Support: Part One
Association of Fundraising Professionals - Greater Toronto Chapter2017-04-03
Over the years, I’ve seen some amazingly powerful Case for Support examples – but I’ve also reviewed a number that miss the mark. Here are some of the most common mistakes that can significantly affect the impact of a Case for Support document and as a result, the chances of running a truly successful fundraising campaign...
Whose job is it anyway? Roles and responsibilities in your fundraising program
Hilborn Charity eNews2017-03-08
The most successful fundraising shops have a team approach to fundraising and donor engagement. These are organizations that have a strong culture of philanthropy, where everyone is playing a role in helping the fundraising to thrive. Here are just a few of the main roles and responsibilities that different people can play in fundraising for your organization...
Building a board that likes to fundraise
LinkedIn2017-06-08
There is much evidence to demonstrate that when board members are engaged in fundraising, organizations raise more money. Despite this, such board involvement remains a challenge for many non-profits...
How to fix your leaky fundraising bucket
LinkedIn2017-05-31
In last week’s post, I shared some of the the various reasons why your fundraising bucket might be leaking. This week I’m delighted to be joined by Sarah McKinnon to provide you with some answers on how you can go about fixing your bucket!...
Is your fundraising bucket leaking?
LinkedIn2017-05-26
This week, I’m talking about leaky buckets. Fundraising buckets to be precise. Fundraising is one of the challenges that keeps many Executive Directors of charities up at night. As the competition for funding increases and as donors become more focused on the demonstration of charitable impact, we all have to work harder at keeping them engaged and on board...
Ten mistakes organizations make with their Case for Support: Part One
LinkedIn2017-05-03
Over the years, I’ve seen some amazing, powerful Case for Support examples – but I’ve also reviewed a number that miss the mark. Here are some of the most common mistakes that can significantly affect the impact of a Case for Support document and as a result, the chances of running a truly successful fundraising campaign...
Top 10 Donor Stewardship “Rules” to Ensure That Your Fundraising Thrives: Part 2
LinkedIn2017-04-26
This is a seemingly obvious part of donor stewardship, but ensuring that you treat donors how they expect to be treated is essential. That means that if they say do not call, don’t call. If they want only one appeal a year, then ensure one appeal is all they get. If they ask for their details to be changed, ensure that it is done promptly...
Top 10 donor stewardship “rules” to ensure that your fundraising thrives
Purposeful Fundraising2017-03-14
Good donor stewardship is king in successful fundraising. When you treat your donors with respect and help them to feel appreciated, not only will they stay on board, they will feel encouraged, and maybe even compelled, to give more. More the point, they will feel good about it...
Top tips from practitioners in gift planning – part two
Hilborn Charity eNews2016-06-21
As we go about our daily lives as fundraisers and gift planners, we all know what a boon it can be to have experts sharing their experiences and helping us to look out for pitfalls that could slow us down or trip us up. What could be better than a friendly voice offering sound guidance? For this reason, I decided to ask 5 experienced fundraising professionals to share their best advice; from how to get started if you are in a small shop, to how to become a better gift planner. You may be surprised at what they had to say...
Top tips from practitioners in gift planning – part one
Hilborn Charity eNews2016-06-14
As we go about our daily lives as fundraisers and gift planners, we all know what a boon it can be to have experts sharing their experiences and helping us to look out for pitfalls that could slow us down or trip us up. What could be better than a friendly voice offering sound guidance? For this reason, I decided to ask 5 experienced fundraising professionals to share their best advice; from how to get started if you are in a small shop, to how to become a better gift planner. You may be surprised at what they had to say...
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