Cynthia Armour’s knowledge and professionalism were spot on in every detail. She conducted a vital development audit, increased board engagement in fundraising and mentored our development staff. Her insight and clarity of purpose always inspire results and our growing annual campaign is evidence that our clients’ needs continue to be met. Francine Freeman, Director of Development, St. Stephen’s Community House Thank you for sharing your time and talents. We very much appreciate all you’ve done for the Peterborough and Area Fundraisers Network and not-for-profits in our community and across the world! Adoption Council of Ontario hired Cynthia as a consultant to work with the board, staff and revenue committee to create a full Fund Development strategy and framework. With her initial guidance and training, we have brought our agency from a small, struggling group of well-meaning people to a sustainable organization that is able to offer quality, evidence-based programs to our adoption community. One look at our website adoption.on.ca – shows the trajectory of success we have been on since 2011 when we contracted with her. Pat Convery, Executive Director, Adoption Council of Ontario Thanks very much for your work on this file. It wasn’t an easy one, too much history and strongly held views and you did a great job getting to the core of the issues given the interference of history and views. CEO, Ontario-based charity Your suggestion made SUCH an impact – I simply cannot thank you enough for your lateral thinking. Laurene Winkler, Trauma Mediator & Somatic Therapist It was a pleasure and a great success; the series is filling a keenly felt need and as you and I know…fundraising is a major concern for board members. I loved your presentation, which covered a lot of ground quickly and well. Jini Stolk, Creative Trust Research Fellow, Toronto Arts Foundation A BIG thank you for your leadership in this year’s Philanthropy Forum. You have been a key reason why its design and execution delivered great value. The Fundamentals “Ted Talk” format is brilliant! Dianne Lister, (then) Chair Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough, Philanthropy Forum It was a very thought-provoking conversation about some extremely important issues, particularly as we consider the elements to be included in our Sustainability Plan. We benefited from your experienced advice, expertise, and most certainly, your fine sense of humour! Carol Kelsey, (then) Board Chair, Seeds of Change Cynthia has a depth of knowledge and insight that powers her insistence on clarity. She puts that knowledge into practical terms as she listens carefully to what is being said, and what is not being said. She approaches each project with an open mind, and with an underlying discipline that gets things done, no matter what the character of the group at hand. Debra J. Chandler, (then) Community Organizer, Orchestras Canada Arts Consultant Cynthia has a gift for fitting in and getting to the source of organizational problems. She helps charities and boards take an honest look at themselves, determine the areas that need improvement and come up with an action plan to move forward. Deanna Guttman (then) ED Peterborough Symphony Orchestra It was a lucky day for me when I was introduced to Cynthia. She has recently been coaching me through the process of presenting my sales and marketing experience in a way that is relevant to the world of professional fundraising. She is extraordinarily skilled at cutting through to the key points and has a deep understanding of the world of philanthropy. Although she brings tons of down to earth humour to the task, Cynthia is both adept at time management and extremely results orientated. It is no small wonder that she is so highly regarded as an expert in her field! She is clearly a born coach and mentor. Susan Jasper, Chair, Telling Tales Festival I’ve enjoyed working with Cynthia over the past 4 years as she contributed a monthly Fundraising Q&A column to the CharityVillage website. Cynthia’s writing is very conversational and she maintains a warm, friendly style while always keeping the subject matter accessible – even when writing about complicated Canada Revenue Agency guidelines. It’s been a real pleasure getting to know Cynthia – she is very personable and communicating with her never seems like “just business”. I wouldn’t hesitate to work with Cynthia again in the future and I wish her all the best!” Marina Dawson, Editor Charity Village, 2013 Cynthia’s longstanding relationship with The National Ballet School is well respected by both management and board members. Her analytical, planning and facilitation strengths were an excellent fit for the School’s Board Retreat. She followed a very centred approach to appropriate board work and knew what responsibilities were better assigned to management; this clarity contributed significantly to the success of the outcomes. Robert Sirman, (retired) Administrative Director, Canada’s National Ballet School Cynthia’s presentation was brilliant! She provided me with excellent information and resources. I have taken away lots of practical tools and I am motivated to go back and work with my board on our fundraising plan. I learned more about Marketing in two hours with you today than I did working thirty-four years for the bank! Thank you very much. Our workshop was a great help. I think it ‘slowed down’ some executive members in their hurry to accomplish this task and spurred the rest on to realize the possibilities. It’s a great talent to run a meeting like that and not have tempers flare or feelings hurt. Thank you so much for exercising our brains this weekend and enabling us to see our ‘visions’ more clearly. We appreciate the energy you put into keeping us focussed and on track. Your enthusiasm, passion and belief in the value of the not-for-profit sector struck a chord in me many years ago. Your encouragement and belief in my skill set not only pushed me, but also brought Meals On Wheels to the forefront! We’re so thankful. We would not have raised the $250,000 without Cynthia’s attention to detail, wonderful prospect letters, foundation experience and high ethical and performance standards. Excellent workshop! Presenter bravo!! Wonderful! Best session I have been to yet! Great handout materials, great informative examples, lots of information with answers to questions. There are clear guidelines on how to be successful. Your enthusiasm changed my outlook on fundraising to a much more positive experience. Thank you very much!! One of the most well organized, specific and practical sessions I have attended. Proposal writing anecdotes from Cynthia AND the funder’s perspectives were most useful today. Cynthia’s farm is a casual, inspiring oasis to relax and rejuvenate. She’ll work with you on a strategy or leave you be to commune with nature and sort through your priorities. You’ll return to your office with a new perspective.
Participant, The Board’s Role in Fundraising
Jim, Board Member
Marilyn, Board Chair
Jane, Board Chair
Angele, (then) Executive Director
Ken, Manager
United Way of Canada – Conference Attendee
The Association of Fundraising Professionals – Fundraising Day Attendee
United Way of the Upper Ottawa Valley Inc. – Conference Attendee
Ellen, Fundraising Coordinator
Liane, (then) Executive Director, St. Stephen’s Community House
Testimonials