About – BuildGood

We raise money for great causes so they can do more good in the world.

We’re fundraisers, just like you. We know what it’s like to be in your shoes. To be responsible for bringing in the money needed to achieve your mission. We show up every day to help builders of good, like you, be successful.

Our medium is direct marketing, and our heroes are the people you serve, your volunteers, your staff and your donors…good people working together to do good.

When we come alongside your team, we apply the latest insights from philanthropic psychology and supporter motivation to create fundraising campaigns that keep donors engaged, committed, and giving.

Our medium is direct marketing, and our heroes are the people you serve, your volunteers, your staff and your donors…good people working together to do good.

When we come alongside your team, we apply the latest insights from philanthropic psychology and supporter motivation to create fundraising campaigns that keep donors engaged, committed, and giving.

Are you like many nonprofit leaders today?

You’re so busy that you’re constantly putting out fires instead of building strategies to increase revenue.

You know you need to communicate with your donors more often, but you don’t have the time to do it all.

You’re so close to your work that you find it hard to explain in a simple, clear and compelling way that will resonate with your donors.

You know that data is the backbone of all good fundraising…but you don’t know how to get the most out of your data, and you are intimated by it all.

You work hard to attract new donors…but then you struggle to keep them.

You can’t hire for every skill, so you end up wearing multiple hats—and you lose valuable time you should be spending doing things only you can do: build personal relationships with donors.

We’re here to help you.

You don’t need the headache of finding (and affording) in-house expertise or training for new skills. You just need a partner to fill in the gaps and create donor communications that win donors’ hearts.

When you hire us to help with your fundraising, we apply everything we know about the art and science of fundraising to help you raise more money, retain more donors and build long-term donor value.

You can count on us to:

Apply the latest in philanthropy psychology and behavioural science to create a fundraising program based on donor motivation and commitment that increases revenue in the long term
Produce compelling multi-channel direct mail fundraising campaigns
Increase giving through email fundraising
Create middle donor programs that build donor lifetime value
Help you upgrade donors through telemarketing and phone scripts
Guide you as you scale up your stewardship for donors at all levels
Create donor-loving newsletters that raise money
Help you identify planned giving leads that have the power turn into a large, consistent revenue stream
Teach and train you to improve your fundraising strategies and donor communications in the years ahead

The Result?

You’ll raise more money. On average, our clients have raised 55% more in the first year of working with us—and some have doubled their revenue.

You’ll feel less worn out. You’ll have more time to do the important things only you can do. Your donors will feel loved and appreciated.

You’ll have peace of mind, knowing your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters are done for you—and done well. And you’ll feel like your fundraising campaigns can bring you joy, instead of frustration.

Your Growth Team

Our remote team is made up of in-house strategists that have worked as fundraisers and leaders at growth-minded nonprofits, as well as independent professionals.

Mike is a fundraising strategist that has helped nonprofits in Canada, USA, Germany and South Africa increase their revenue through direct-response fundraising and marketing. He’s on a mission to help nonprofits build predictable fundraising success by focusing on donor needs, identities and values. He’s the host of The Build Good Fundraising Podcast and co-host of the Donor Growth podcast.

Prior to joining BuildGood, Janelle was the Director of Operations for Manitoba’s largest food bank, helping the organization navigate rapid growth in revenue and demand for services during COVID-19. Janelle leads the administration and day-to-day operations of our team.

Becky leads the relationships with clients and the development of fundraising campaigns. Prior to joining BuildGood, Becky focused on donor relations and stewardship at an international development organization. She holds a degree in Psychology, a diploma in Public Relations and a Certificate in Fundraising Copywriting from the Institute of Sustainable Philanthropy.

Caitlin is obsessed with helping clients love their donors well. Her degree in Communication and certificate in Fundraising Copywriting are the foundation she uses to create radically human campaigns that move people to give. She has worked in the nonprofit world for over a decade and her love for the sector just keeps growing.

Katherine has a huge heart for helping charities make a lasting impact in our world. Prior to joining BuildGood, she worked with the largest homeless shelter in Edmonton, Alberta in various capacities for over a decade, and has gained a passion and enthusiasm for fundraising in her time there. She holds a Certificate in Fundraising Copywriting from the Institute of Sustainable Philanthropy and is in the process of completing her Certificate in Fundraising Management. .

Hannah is a passionate and enthusiastic fundraising professional. She’s driven by helping you find new ways to build stronger relationships with your donors. Prior to BuildGood, Hannah worked in major gift fundraising and individual giving for an international development organization. She holds a degree in Arts and Contemporary Studies, with a focus on non-profit management. She always has a book, pen, or goal recommendation for you.

Carly was the in-house designer for Manitoba’s largest homeless service provider, helping craft multi-channel fundraising campaigns during a period of tremendous donor and revenue growth for the nonprofit. Since then she has worked for both corporate and nonprofit clients, designing direct-response campaigns and advertising campaigns that move people to action.

Should you hire us as your agency?

If you are looking for a fundraising agency, you’re probably wondering if we’re a right fit.

If you…

Want to grow your revenue from individual donors and are willing to invest in building a broad base of supporters over time

Are looking for the expertise of a partner — not a vendor who will simply take orders to execute your fundraising

Believe donors grow more valuable every year they’re with you, and you appreciate the nature of sustainable, long-term growth that results in greater donor lifetime value

Want your fundraising strategy, donor communications and data all working together, but you need some outside expertise to make it happen

…then we might be a good fit for you.

Is now the right time to hire an agency?

Typically, we are most effective in the following scenarios:

You are struggling to produce your appeals and newsletters. You might be down a staff member or two, you’re worn out, and there’s never enough time in the day to get it all done.
You are growing and you want to use your momentum to really level up your fundraising
You are standing at a crossroads — you either need to hire more fundraisers, or you need to bring on an agency
You are working with some kind of agency or freelancers already, but you feel like there is more value to unlock in your donor file
You don’t have enough in-house capacity to manage a direct-response fundraising program, but you know it’s crucial to build one so you can retain your donors, upgrade supporters into monthly givers, identify mid-and-major donors, and cultivate planned giving leads.

The Fundraising Agency That Helps Nonprofits Grow