Fraser Green

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been curious about everything – and I’ve always had this larger-than-life imagination.

Today, my best ideas rarely come in meetings or while sitting at my computer. My creative impulses seem to happen when I’m skiing in the bush, riding my mountain bike or sitting by the woodstove with my guitar.

In my work, my curiosity has turned me into a self-confessed market research freak. I’m always itching to know what donors think, how they feel, and what motivates them to do the good works they do. I’ve learned that donors will tell us almost anything if we ask them the right questions – respectfully and thoughtfully.

Philanthropic consulting is actually my second career. In my younger days I was a political activist – CEO of the Federal NDP, Special Assistant to the Premier of Ontario and Director of Organization with the Ontario New Democrats. I loved that work as much as I love what I’m doing now. In both my careers, I’ve put my very best into trying to change the world for the better – and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

My wife (and soul mate) Jennifer and I live in an amazing log house in the country outside Ottawa. We share it with our two boys, our Labrador retrievers and our two strange cats. My daughter Rory has graduated from UBC and has started her fundraising career with the Canadian Cancer Society in Vancouver.

In my work, my true passions are writing and speaking. I co co-wrote a book called Iceberg Philanthropy and have contributed a chapter to a new book called ‘me-volution’. My latest book ‘3D Philanthropy’ is my opus. My articles (which I often call contrarian rants) are published in fundraising journals quite often.

I probably get my biggest charge when I’m speaking to groups of people. I love sharing ideas and challenging people to stretch their understanding. I love to open up to strangers – and see what happens when they hear me talk about people and events that have been so central in my life. I love the collective effervescence that’s almost always created in our time together.

Good Works – and everything it stands for – is in my soul. I’m committed the rest of my career to transforming fundraisers so that they can connect with their donors and constituents more deeply than they’d ever imagined. There’s no doubt in my mind that this work will always stir my heart and feed my soul.