About us

Hi, I’m Lacey (she/her), the founder of Balanced Good. As a mom of three, I get how challenging it can be to build a career as a leader in the charitable sector while balancing the demands of parenthood. Initially, Balanced Good was established to help me find some semblance of balance.

I have a genuine desire to make a difference in the charitable sector, and with more than a decade of experience in progressive non-profit fundraising work, I pride myself in creating strategic, authentic relationships with the organization I am championing as well as their donors.

My passion in the social profit sector, coupled with my previous in-house experience, and motherhood journey, has created a passion and motivation to truly rethink how we tackle parental leaves in the social profit space. I want parental leaves to be a celebrated life milestone, not a feared employment gap.

Hello! I’m Katie and I joined the Balanced Good team as the Chief Operations Officer. I have been working in non-profits and charities for the past 15+ years, working in the fields of health equity, food justice, and gender-based violence. My strength is building well-funded programs that are deeply rooted in community and advance an organization’s advocacy goals and mission. I have expertise in non-profit management, fundraising for programs, board governance, and equitable workplace policy development.

I am passionate about making the non-profit sector a more equitable and justice-oriented space for workers. My writing on workplace culture and non-profit sector change has been featured in the Toronto Star and Canadian Business. I believe that non-profits can be bold agents of change, and I bring my experience as a community organizer to my work in this sector.

After living and working in Toronto for 15 years, my family recently relocated to Oakville to be closer to family. I am a parent and know first-hand what it’s like to step away from work during a parental leave, and have also supported many members of my team in preparing for and taking a parental leave of their own.

I am excited to be part of the Balanced Good team and help non-profits and social good organizations do better work.

Hi! I’m Alex (she/her) and I joined the Balanced Good team in 2021. Fun fact, I also covered Lacey’s parental leave and saw firsthand just how hard it was for Lacey to step away from her career, while also understanding that employers want someone who can jump in and run with projects.

I have over a decade of experience working as a fundraiser in the nonprofit sector and care deeply about advancing the fundraising profession with a focus on diversity and inclusion. I’m a fierce advocate for social good and firmly believe that together, we can make the world a better, more equitable place for all. My passions are youth mental health, social justice, and animal welfare and I volunteer with several organizations that serve these worthy causes.

Building relationships is my forte. Nothing gets me more excited than bringing together individuals who are passionate about the social profit sector and supporting them in making the changes they want to see in the world.

I specialize in all aspects of major gifts, such as cultivating lasting relationships with donors and volunteers, fostering strategic partnerships, and developing capital campaign plans, proposals, and communications for donors.

I grew up in Guelph, and now live in Peterborough, after spending time living and working in Kingston, Toronto and Hamilton. I live with my husband, and our two dogs, and our cat (all rescues!).

Hello! My name is Cheyanne (she/her), I am a passionate fundraiser, driven in equal measure by delivering big-picture results and exceptional personal experiences for all stakeholders involved. I am most inspired when working with individuals and organizations to build meaningful, collaborative relationships for positive change.

Most of my fundraising experience is in annual giving and communications. I have been working in various non-profits and charities for nearly ten years, focusing on women’s equality, social justice, environmental and nature conservation, education, and community development. I have led various fundraising and communications programs, including direct marketing, direct mail, monthly giving, annual donor stewardship, online engagement, and communication campaign management. My strengths are in campaign writing and development, project management, and engagement organizing.

I love what I do and come to the social profit sector with the wholehearted intention to always learn and grow – both the organizations that I work with and myself as an ever-evolving fundraiser. I love contributing my skills to help communities and organizations thrive. When I asked colleagues to describe me, the words that came up the most were caring, positive, and energetic.

I currently live in my hometown of Brantford after living and working in Kitchener-Waterloo, Toronto, and Ottawa. When I’m not working, I enjoy spending time outside, finding new trails with my dog, and gardening.

Hi there! I’m SJ (they/them), a seasoned non-profit professional with nearly a decade of experience in Toronto’s charitable sector.

Both personally and professionally, I am dedicated to social justice and community-based advocacy work with a specific focus on youth, the arts, education, and LGBTQ+ causes. I’ve managed annual giving and donor programs, digital marketing, and online giving campaigns, and I also bring valuable experience in events and grant writing.

I’ve held a variety of positions across the non-profit sector, and to each position, I bring a sense of curiosity and collaboration. I’m a dedicated fundraiser and a strategic problem solver who is motivated to make our sector more impactful, efficient, and inclusive.

Having replaced an eighteen-month parental leave, having taken a leave myself, and as the former Managing Director of a charity in Toronto, I know how challenging leaves can be without proper support and planning. I’m excited to bring this experience, along with my passion for helping organizations and their causes, to my new role with Balanced Good.

Outside of work, you can almost always catch me and my dog Seger (like Bob) exploring the beautiful nature around Quebec City, where we’ve called home for the last year and a half.

Hi there! My name is Paula (she/her). I first joined the Balanced Good team through an internship in the Spring of 2022.

I have worked and volunteered in the Non-Profit Sector for over 8 years. My various focuses have been in food assistance programs, newcomer transitions and refugee claim process support, community development, and youth and student support with Christian organizations.

My passion for serving newcomers lead me to the world of fundraising.
Since joining Balanced Good I’ve developed a passion for learning what makes our clients passionate about their work and communicating their mission to their support base. I love thoughtful communication throughout the entire supporter-engagement process: whether it’s with reaching out to potential supporters, sending updates, or thanking them for their support.
I believe fundraising is about building relationships and connecting humans to the causes they care about – helping them bring about the changes they long for. I’m also an advocate for using inclusive language, driving socio-economic change in fundraising, and encouraging our sector towards community-centric approaches.

I love gardening, traveling, portaging, my church, and dancing in the kitchen. I grew up in the small town of Cayuga and currently live in Hamilton with my rescue cat Charlie.

Hi, I’m Fernanda (she/her) and I’ve just joined the Balanced Good team! My path in the social profit sector started right after college, moving through event planning, communications, fundraising, and operations. I’ve always been passionate about making a difference, a drive that’s been with me since organizing community fundraisers as a kid, like the dance show I put together to raise funds for local children.

Being a mom to three wonderful young kids, I learned the importance of balance early on. After my first son was born, I chose to stay home to avoid the common burnout in the social profit sector, and only recently decided to rejoin the workforce when I discovered Balanced Good. Their mission and vision to celebrate parental leaves and help fundraisers find balance in their work resonated deeply with me, showing a world where family and career can coexist beautifully.

I bring a unique skillset as a certified Life Coach, NLP, EFT, and Hypnotherapy practitioner, which not only enhances my efforts in the social profit sector but also fuels my passion for empowering people and organizations to succeed.

At Balanced Good, I’m excited to leverage my experience and passion to support other organizations and parents. Together, we’ll find sustainable ways to balance impactful work with joyful family life, ensuring success for both!