The Discovery Pod

To earn the award AFP Outstanding Corporation, one must demonstrate an outstanding commitment to supporting the community financially and through encouragement and motivation of others to take leadership roles toward philanthropy and community involvement. In today’s episode, Lawrence Eade , the President of Purdy’s Chocolatier , shares many of his insights about the connection between community a...

Sports undeniably bring people together. Ryan Tattle knows this, and it inspired him to start a fundraising campaign through hockey games – which surprisingly did well than he expected. He joins Douglas Nelson to share the story behind Score for Cancer, a project that raises money on behalf of the Canadian Cancer Society. He looks back on how they amassed more than a hundred thousand dollars throu...

Welcoming a baby into the world is a blessing. However, raising them can pose some challenges if you're struggling to fulfill their needs. That is why having a foundation in a community that supports parents in raising their babies in different ways is very valuable today. In this episode, Sam Drier, the Director of Finance at BabyGoRound, makes a difference by assisting mothers and families with...

Does your institution set a strategic plan to build a healthier place to work and study for you? In this episode, Richard Horbachewski from Vancouver Island University shares how the university is set to help prepare students for success in every aspect of life. Richard is a fundraising professional and the Chief Advancement Officer and AVP of External Relations at the university. He talks about t...

Do you love skiing and look forward to competing in this sport? Then immerse yourself in an organization with a culture of excellence.  Freestyle BC  offers freestyle skiing programs in British Columbia, focusing on delivering ski programs that enable the athlete to succeed at the highest level of competition. In today’s episode,  Josh Dueck , an aspiring professional skier and coac...

It takes great effort and dedication to take a cause forward and more than a strategy to earn a donor’s trust. In this episode, the CEO of the  KPU Foundation  and Vice President of External Affairs at  Kwantlen Polytechnic University ,  Randall Heidt , joins Douglas Nelson as he shares the impact of donors on their institution and any organization. Their insightful conversatio...

Public health covers many different areas that are crucial to address. Equally crucial are the partners involved. In this episode, Kristy Kerr , the Executive Director of BCCDC Foundation for Public Health shares how the foundation, BCCDC, upholds to serve the community through disease surveillance, detection, treatment, prevention, and consultation. Strengthening the hallmarks of a strong and inc...

Taking the philanthropic road can be challenging, especially when finding the resources to support your mission. One of those is the power imbalance between a funder and the charitable sector. Our guest in this episode found a way around it through trust-based philanthropy.  Susan Byrom , the Executive Director of  First West Foundation , joins Douglas Nelson to share how they are embrac...

In this world full of trials, shining light and supporting others who are facing huge ordeals is a great thing we could do. After all, the world is much bigger than us, so we must contribute and give back to the world. In this episode,  Chantelle Krish , a passionate and experienced community leader, talks about her work in bringing people together to reach out and serve the community. Chante...

The demand for workers in British Columbia is much higher than the supply of workers. Migrants and those who leave the school system to enter the labor market for the first time are critical components of the new labor supply. In this episode,  Patrick MacKenzie , the CEO of the  Immigrant Employment Council of BC , shares the story of the Immigrant Employment Council of BC and the outst...

As soon as women have children, they're already at a disadvantage in their careers. This is what you call "The Motherhood Penalty," and  Maturn  is on a mission to solve that. Most organizations never really even thought about maternity leaves. Most of them just expected their employees to come back and pick up from where they left off. That is not how it works. Women need time to get ba...

There are communities that don’t have safe drinking water, which leads to adverse health outcomes, and these challenges have been associated with colonialism and health outcomes associated with poverty. The Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba is dedicated to ensuring that every child treated at HSC Winnipeg Children’s Hospital has the best care and experience possible. The CEO of Children’s...

September 30th is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, known as Orange Shirt Day, in Canada. It is the day to recognize the effects of the Canadian Indian residential system and honor survivors, their families, and those who never made it home. In this special episode, Douglas Nelson speaks with none other than the founder of Orange Shirt Day and the Orange Shirt Society,  Phyllis W...

The Discovery Pod is now on Season 7! Douglas Nelson shares what the show has in store with the new Director of Communications at The Discovery Group, Alex Wilson. They give us a sneak peek at episodes featuring leaders in the social profit sector, prominent authors and professors, and tech founders who brought tremendous value to society. They also look back on the lessons from past seasons, emph...

What changes can you implement in your organization so you can make a difference? Listen as your host Douglas Nelson sits down for a conversation with Malcolm Berry on BC Children’s Hospital Foundation’s philanthropic success. Since March 2021, Malcolm Berry has led the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation as president and CEO, bringing with him a proven track record of philanthropy and leadership ac...

There are so many things the social profit sector can do, and corporate partnerships can help them further achieve their goals. Tune into this episode as  Brad Offman  discusses corporate partnerships in the social profit sector. Brad is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer at  Spire Philanthropy , a management consultancy specializing in corporate-charitable partnerships and phi...

The Pacific Salmon Foundation is a nonprofit that focuses on rebuilding and improving the ecosystems for salmon. Running a massive organization with such a unique structure as this charity has is a one-in-a-kind challenge. We get taken into the ins-and-outs of the Pacific Salmon Foundation by Allison Colina , Vice President of Development, Marketing, and Communications. In this episode, she talks...

The Calgary John Howard Society  (CJHS) is a charity that has been reducing crime and making Calgary communities safer since 1949 by helping youth and adults make positive changes and move away from criminal behavior. They do this by addressing the root causes of crime through education, employment programs, housing, and support so individuals have alternatives to breaking the law. Joining Do...

Tension in the workplace can be counterproductive, but do you know that leaders can use healthy tension to enhance alignment in the effectiveness of their boards? In this special episode, Douglas Nelson is joined by two of his colleagues at the Discovery Group,  Margaret McNeil  and  Karen Gilmore , in a discussion about the role of healthy tension and how that tension plays out in...

The definition of a leader today is different from before. Douglas Nelson welcomes Roberto Erario , a Business and Leadership Coach. Roberto talks about how a leader before was someone who had a lot of knowledge. But today, a leader is someone who surrounds themselves with people who have the expertise to help them accomplish something greater than they can by themselves. One of the challenges the...

Raising money, for whatever purpose, is an inspirational act anyone can and should be proud of.  Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation  CEO  Jeff Norris  has dedicated his life to enhancing hospital care and improving its fundraising strategies. Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation is a provincial and regional independent charitable foundation that raises millions of dollars annua...

Around 20% of society has a mental illness, whereas everyone has mental health. Just like your physical health, this is something you need to take care of. Join Douglas Nelson as he talks to  Michael Anhorn  about how he runs his organization as a leader. Michael is the CEO of the  Canadian Mental Health Association . Michael believes in creating an inclusive society where no one is...

What are the elements of success for fundraisers to transition from raising money door-to-door to building programs and a culture of philanthropy? Douglas Nelson welcomes Ana-Maria Hobrough , the Vice President for Advancement at Sunnybrook Hospital Foundation . The first step is to identify your natural strength and skillset. Then figure out where you want to go with your project. It’s not about...

One out of 100 people have schizophrenia and three out of 100 people experience psychosis. Schizophrenia is not rare. People need to be aware of it and all the other mental illnesses. Join Douglas Nelson as he talks to the CEO of the British Columbia Schizophrenia Society , Faydra Aldridge . BCSS is a community-based nonprofit organization that focuses on severe and persistent mental illness. Its...

Do you strive to make a difference in the world? Wendy Beauschesne  is the CEO of the Alberta Cancer Foundation , which aims to help cancer patients face their situation. She has been in the healthcare industry most of her career but decided to be a philanthropist when she became CEO. This decision required a lot of adjustments and worked through talking to people within the organization for...