10 Take-aways to Improve or Kick Start Your Symbolic Giving Program

Session 3 | 10:45am to 11:30am

Presented by Christine Smith, HJC and Dave Lavoie, Oxfam Canada

Are you wondering what could get your donors to give more? Do you feel like donors are looking for a more interesting, meaningful experience when they make their gift? How can a symbolic gift campaign help you find new donors and reengage your existing donors?

The session

It's the perfect time to introduce, or improve, your symbolic giving campaign for this holiday! This exciting session will explore how organizations of all sizes can take advantage of the growing demand of donors - young and old - to make symbolic gifts.

Many people call symbolic giving the 'Oprah-facation' way of giving.  This session will feature tons of real examples and results to help you better understand how symbolic giving can work for you - whether you are a large or small organisation.  

Speaker Biography

Christine Smith 
Fundraising and Innovation Consultant

Christine graduated from Queen’s University in 2004 with an Honours B.Comm degree and a specialization in Marketing & Communications. Christine began her non-profit career at the Children’s Aid Foundation in Toronto. During her time there, Christine held a number of roles working on program development, strategic partnership research and, most significantly, the management of the Foundation’s website redesign. 

Now at HJC New Media, Christine heads our Vancouver office and is the project manager and primary client contact for organizations such as Canuck Place Children’s Hospice, Oxfam, OSPCA, WaterCan and Ontario Nature among many others. Christine works with clients to plan, develop and carry out strategic online fundraising initiatives and also does some copy writing on the side.

Dave Lavoie
Core Donor Officer, Oxfam Canada

Dave Lavoie is a strategic and intuitive thinker with over 20 years of fundraising experience. Mr. Lavoie has extensive experience in managing direct mail, telemarketing, web based and face-to-face annual fundraising campaigns. He has specific expertise in the conversion of one-time gift donors into monthly givers. He has successfully managed campaigns at the national and international level.

Mr. Lavoie has worked in senior positions in both agencies and in non-profit organizations. During his career he has worked for, and help raised millions of dollars for human rights, performing arts and environmental organizations.

His broad range of experience has allowed him to gain a comprehensive understanding of donor stewardship. Mr. Lavoie has planned, developed and implemented a wide-range of innovative and leading edge fundraising activities.

Most recently, Mr. Lavoie has headed the implementation of Oxfam’s Canada Unwrapped online giving store. He is also the chair of the Unwrapped working group which is made up of ten Oxfam agencies Oxfam Great Britain, Ireland, Australia, America, New Zealand, Netherlands, Spain, Germany, France and Quebec. The Unwrapped working group’s goal is to maximize the potential of the Unwrapped online catalogue program throughout Oxfam.

Mr. Lavoie’s career choice is a direct reflection of his personal motivation to make a difference in the world. This is demonstrated by his long standing in the non-profit sector and his volunteer involvement in such organizations as Pathways to Education, Red Cross Western Zone and Frontier College.