Strengthening philanthropy and fundraising capacity at Forests Canada
Challenge (What We Saw)
Forests Canada (formerly Forests Ontario) was experiencing a staffing gap during a critical period for its fundraising team. The team needed to sustain momentum while building a more structured, strategic fundraising approach to support long-term impact and mission delivery.
Our Perspective/Process
Balanced Good provided interim support during this staffing gap and completed a comprehensive evaluation of the existing fundraising program. We emphasized relationship-building, internal collaboration, and systems improvement. Working closely with Forests Canada’s business development, communications, and leadership teams, we developed tools, strategies, and frameworks to build internal capacity and create alignment across departments.
Opportunity for Change (What We Did)
- Created a 2024–2027 Annual Development Plan with success metrics.
- Enhanced campaign messaging and Case for Support materials across programs.
- Strengthened donor pipeline through prospect research and supported with grant writing.
- Integrated Salesforce Database best practices for donor segmentation in direct mail and e-appeal campaigns.
- Developed a new Legacy Giving strategy, mapped a prospect journey, created legacy brochure content, and donor stewardship tools.
- Fostered a culture of philanthropy and introduced internal practices to improve cross-department communication.
“We loved working with Balanced Good on the development of a fundraising plan and strategy! They heard what we needed and, working together, they helped to build our team to meet our needs and fill our gaps. We have a solid plan, great resources and more confidence in the team.”
Kim Sellers, Director of Business Development, Forests Canada
Outcomes
Together, we’ve established a clear multi-year fundraising roadmap, equipped the team with tools and training, and improved donor engagement through tailored communication. New systems now measure impact more effectively, and fundraising is fully integrated into the organization’s mission.