Boost Donor Acquisition Success Rate with Zork
We actually dive deep with you
We've learnt the hard way to tell the difference between overpriced expert advice and valuable hands on support.
Service that's a partnership
We get into the depths of your mission, bringing assistance and genuinely helpful execution.
We're collaborators, thinkers, and doers who work with you, not just for you.
We tap in our network of carefully curated experts along the way as needed.
We're experienced, yet we approach every project with fresh eyes and open minds, ready to learn and grow with you.
Our service is about being a part of your story, helping you navigate the exciting waters of fundraising while keeping costs reasonable.
Eric Shinn
Senior Fundraiser & Campaign Manager
◾️ Born in Toronto in the 80’s, I was raised by self-employed artists, activists and entrepreneurs. My first job was at age 1, going door to door selling zucchinis from our family garden, which set the stage for my career in sales and fundraising.
◾️ Over the past two decades, I've raised millions of dollars for dozens of leading nonprofits across Canada. My specialty as a Fundraising Manager at Public Outreach Canada from 2009-2019, was to personally field test monthly donor acquisition campaign messaging at a local level in public with small high-performing canvassing teams, then travel nationally to support training staff and scaling campaigns to full capacity.
◾️ In 10 years of Face-to-Face fundraising going door-to-door, in malls and with street teams I have personally raised $100,000 in One-Time gifts from 500 new donors, and $30,000 per month in new recurring donations from another 2,000 donors, each of whom I met in person and directly asked to donate. In a single year, my team of 2-dozen fundraisers signed up 3,300 new monthly donors in Victoria, BC— 1% of the city!
◾️ With a background in journalism and writing for publications like Toronto Star, Vice and SAD, I also have the knack for written communication and interviewing. This informs my approach to trauma-informed ethical storytelling, crafting compelling calls-to-action and cases for support that respect rather diminish those in need of support. I don’t think sales is a dirty word, and I know from experience that empathy and ethical persuasion is the key to connecting with donors to act on their values.
◾️ My writing and fundraising expertise extends to grant writing and administration, from budgeting to crafting compelling support cases. I have worked administering grants for Canada Council for the Arts, National Film Board of Canada and Heritage Canada, and regularly support artists and artist-run centres in their fundraising initiatives. This year so far in 2024 my grant writing work has primarily been for Disability Alliance BC, resulting in successful funding for The Right Fit program matching wheelchair users with affordable accessible housing.
◾️ Let's discuss how I can leverage my expert experience to enhance your nonprofit’s fundraising performance.
Fundraising Mastery: 10,000 hours over 10 years
Over ten years at Public Outreach and as a consultant, I have dedicated my career to working on client campaigns for social justice, humanitarian, animal welfare and environmental causes.
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Vanessa Dayton
Fundraising and Operations Leadership
◾️ As a dynamic leader and catalyst for innovation, I am passionate about supporting Culture Integration to ensure successful mergers and acquisitions, and revenue growth driven by high-performance teamwork. Drawing on my extensive experience in the tech and startup sectors, I've effectively inspired and guided teams toward excellence at LOCI and VEME,
fostering seamless cultural alignment and operational synergy.
◾️ I bring a figure-it-out-as-you-go, can-do entrepreneurial spirit to purpose-driven organizations. I believe that nonprofits deserve the same software-enabled efficiency and innovation that drives revenue growth in the tech, startup, and online sales and marketing industries. My expertise in digital transformation and change management helps organisations enhance operations and fundraising efforts, leveraging advanced software and human teamwork to increase capacity, improving margins and results.
◾️ My ability to connect with individuals from diverse backgrounds fosters a vibrant and inclusive workplace environment, essential for both corporate and nonprofit success.
◾️ Beyond business endeavors, I am deeply committed to unlocking human potential and driving positive societal change, which inspires the Zork philosophy of work/life balance and healthy productivity. This commitment fuels my dedication to realizing transformative visions for positive social change and greater prosperity.
