Meet the Executive: Maureen Harrison

This is the first in a series of profiles of the people who serve on the Executive Board of the CAGP Saskatchewan South Chapter.

I am currently the Chief Development Officer at Luther College High School, a position I’ve held since 2014. I have been a member of CAGP since 2016, and this is my first year serving on the executive for the CAPG South Saskatchewan Chapter.

As a fundraiser, I feel that curiosity, communication, and integrity are essential in my day-to-day work and in order to build meaningful relationships. I truly enjoy learning about a donor’s passions and interests! It is incredibly rewarding to help donors realize their philanthropic goals while at the same time raising money to help my organization deliver on its mission. I also believe strongly in the importance of personal growth and life-long learning. As part of my commitment to professional development, I was proud to earn my CFRE Designation earlier this year.

In my seven years at Luther, I have helped the College successfully complete a $13.5 million capital campaign. I have also worked to grow our planned giving program. This included writing gift acceptance policies, publishing marketing materials, producing direct mail pieces, and establishing a legacy society. While bequests have been the “bread and butter” of our planned giving program, I have also helped several donors support Luther by making gifts of publicly traded securities. I have also worked with donors to facilitate gifts of life insurance.

As someone who was brand new to fundraising when I started at Luther, and as the only fundraiser in a “small shop,” I have found my CAGP membership to be very beneficial. I have taken advantage of several CAGP professional development opportunities including the National Conference and the Strategic Gift Planning Bootcamp. The ability to earn CFRE continuing education credits from these sessions is a bonus! I regularly consult the “Planned Giving for Canadians” e-book, which comes free with a CAGP membership. The “Ask an Advisor” service has also been helpful for me on several occasions, like when I had a quick question or when I needed advice on a new particular scenario.

Volunteering on the local CAGP chapter executive has been a valuable networking opportunity and has also helped me grow my leadership skills. As the local chapter co-lead for the national Will Power campaign, I have had a behind the scenes look at the campaign structure and goals, and have a better understanding of the work required to implement a national initiative.

When I'm not fundraising or volunteering for CAGP, you can find me doing yoga, riding my bike, trying out a new recipe in the kitchen, puttering in my yard, or spending time with family and friends.

email: maureen.harrison@luthercollege.edu