The Build Good Fundraising Podcast

#108: Live from Summit: The stories we tell, the supporters we keep—lessons in new donor acquisition & retention from UNHCR Canada, with Shairoze Walji

August 6th, 2025
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Walji

When emergencies happen, donors respond. But too often, that generosity fades just as quickly as it arrives.

While acquiring new donors is important, how can we better cultivate and steward those who have already given?

How do we bridge the gap between crisis-driven giving and long-term donor commitment?

And how do we engage supporters in a way that reflects the evolving expectations of Canadian donors?

This session recorded live at the Build Good Summit explores what’s changing in fundraising today – how donors are engaging across multiple channels, why traditional storytelling approaches no longer resonate, and what organizations need to do to build deeper, lasting relationships.

Shairoze Walji shares her full-circle story about how her family arrived in Canada as refugees and how, years later, she now works to support displaced people through UNHCR. Our personal connections to our work matter, and when we tap into those connections in the right way, we build trust, community and donor relationships that extend far beyond a single moment of crisis.

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