This year, Shaninomi Eribo, an MPNL graduate student, receives an MPNL Award for Black Emerging Fundraising Professionals.

Thanks to generous donor support, 杏吧原创 University offers this award to Black Students in the MPNL program.

“Racialised communities in Canada, particularly Black Canadians and people of African descent, continue to face ongoing systemic barriers to accessing social services and economic opportunities,鈥� Eribo says.

鈥淎s a Black fundraiser with strong passions around the intersections of green, affordable, and inclusive housing delivery, I recognize the role that I must play in working with key stakeholders to co-create initiatives that dismantle systemic barriers, build housing-trade-related skills, increase access to economic opportunity, and increase access to housing/home ownership within the Black community,” Eribo adds. “And as a soon-to-be graduate of the MPNL program, I couldn鈥檛 feel more empowered to embark on this journey.鈥�

Eribo also received the MPNL Social Innovation Fellowship Award in 2023.

Please visit PANL Perspectives for stories from past recipients of the MPNL Award for Black Emerging Fundraising Professionals, and .

Banner photo is courtesy of Jamshed Khedri.

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Katelyn first became interested in nonprofit work at the age of 16, when she secured her first job as a camp counsellor at a nonprofit summer camp. This position would influence her to choose a career in the sector — and would eventually lead to the MPNL program at 杏吧原创.

Summers have always been Katelyn鈥檚 favourite time of the year; from May to August, she鈥檇 immerse herself in nature and connect with campers and camp staff, including at-risk youth and children and adults living with medical conditions and special needs.

Katelyn was fortunate to have her skills take her on adventures across Canada to work with Easter Seals and CNIB. Some of the most memorable moments include rafting trips with campers on the Kananaskis River, in Alberta, learning to drive para-transport buses, and of course, becoming an expert air-band choreographer and campfire song leader.

Katelyn is passionate about lifelong learning. After she finished her degree in Cognitive Science, with a specialization in Linguistics, at 杏吧原创, she knew she wanted to continue working in higher education. She鈥檚 always been enthusiastic about connecting with youth and community members, and thus, was influenced to pursue recruitment and admissions roles in post-secondary institutions. She鈥檚 eager to immerse herself in the MPNL program and is looking forward to learning about how philanthropy influences higher education institutions.

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Jeanette is a passionate leader with 20 years of service in the nonprofit sector. After working in for-profit environments, she stumbled into a new career beginning as a humble volunteer and very soon after, discovered her passion for connecting stakeholders to a meaningful cause. She’s enjoyed development roles in education and healthcare sectors, and is currently the Director of Donor Relations at a private university in Hamilton. She holds a Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) designation and completed the Master of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership in December 2024.

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Jenna is a community-development communicator, researcher and fundraiser in the making. During her undergraduate degree (International Development at the University of Ottawa), she commenced and led a campus chapter of International Justice Mission, an anti-modern-slavery organization. The chapter won best philanthropic club award in 2021. She鈥檚 also worked for multiple federal parliamentarians on justice-related files, including end-of-life care and anti-human-trafficking efforts. She鈥檚 particularly interested in how nonprofits collaborate with other actors to create social and political change.

Through all of these experiences, Jenna realized that fundraising, event planning and creatively raising awareness of an issue were almost as exciting as the cause she was fighting for. Looking to put these interests into practice, she began working at Capital City Mission, a drop-in centre she had volunteered at for four years. Above all, Jenna is passionate about human connection and building communities that break down barriers between people. She believes that CCM is doing so tremendously, and she鈥檚 thrilled to be a part of the work being done to execute the organization鈥檚 mission and purpose.

Jenna is thrilled to be a part of the incoming 2022 MPNL cohort and at the prospect of developing the skills needed to commence a career in the third sector.

She spends her spare time reading historical fiction, biking around the city and being with the people she loves.

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Melissa is an outgoing individual driven by her desire to see real and effective change for marginalized populations in Canada. She holds an H. BMus from Wilfrid Laurier University specializing in ethnomusicology and anthropology. Her undergraduate research consisted of two major field work projects: a partnership with international music educators to discuss how music education provides a space for cross-cultural engagement; and a project with the Canadian Arabic Orchestra to understand how music plays a role in creating community and aiding in social integration for newcomers to Canada.

Melissa is a believer in education as one of the most valuable tools to enact change. During her undergraduate degree she was Director of Development and Head of the Grant Writing Committee for a student-led organization that provided fully funded scholarships to students from countries in conflict. She also worked as an English and Music teacher at a Syrian Refugee Education Centre in Lebanon for the 2021-2022 school year.

In pursuing an MPNL degree, Melissa hopes to gain skills working with nonprofit organizations aiding in the integration of immigrant populations in Canada. She has hopes to help others learn, grow and build relationships through music.

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During Brittany’s undergraduate time at 杏吧原创, she enjoyed the experience of university and the Neuroscience and Mental Health program. Throughout her studies of mental illness, substance-use disorders, neurodegenerative disorders and more, Brittany started to imagine an occupation that would allow her to help everyone; the MPNL program will open the right doors and provide the knowledge and networks necessary to be successful in government and non-government environments. Brittany will be working on her MPNL while working for the federal government and as a community coach for children.

In her spare time, she operates a small donation service that connects with various resources in downtown Ottawa and enjoys spending time with her dog.

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Amy is passionate about impacting the next generation of leaders, children and families. She pursued a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Calgary, as she thought her impact would be through the classroom, but her work in children鈥檚 ministry at Journey Church showed she was able to holistically support and empower families outside the classroom.

Her involvement with the Duke of Edinburgh鈥檚 International Award introduced her to the Passion to Purpose Program and community investment from a nonprofit perspective. She was able to build from her experience and develop Summer-Camp-In-A-Box, a grant-funded community initiative for Kids Cancer Care Alberta for two years. The program impacted more than 75 families, giving them a fun, portable camp experience in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Amy is excited to be part of the tenth cohort of the MPNL program and to further expand her community impact. Through the MPNL program, Amy hopes to develop greater leadership capacity and learn how to better equip young leaders to make a difference within the community.

Amy is a teacher and Children鈥檚 Pastor in Calgary, Alberta. In her free time, she enjoys spending time exploring outside, spending time with friends and family, and reading.

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Mandy has always thrived in building relationships with people and making them feel like family. She grew up in a family restaurant business with over 75 years of history in Edmonton, Alberta, and saw the impact of relations built over generations within a community.

After receiving her Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Alberta, Mandy entered the hospitality industry as a relationship manager with various hotel chains for more than a decade. Currently, she鈥檚 the Assistant Dean of Development for the Faculty of Native Studies, as well as the Dean of Students, at the University of Alberta. Her passion includes learning about ethical fundraising practices within Indigenous communities and strategizing on meaningful donor engagement to make long-lasting impacts.

Mandy has always wanted to gain more knowledge and obtain a secondary degree, but the opportunity never seemed right, until now. She鈥檚 excited to participate in the MPNL program and looks forward to building relationships with peers for years to come.

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Savanna (she/her/elle) was born and raised in BC and relocated to Lethbridge, Alberta, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology. She began working with a nonprofit organization, Lethbridge Family Services Immigrant Services, where she began her career assisting and working with refugees. She is now a program manager for the Resettlement Assistance Program, which helps settle Government Assisted Refugees into the community. The best part about her job is her team of dedicated and talented individuals who share her passion of helping newcomers. It鈥檚 this experience that drew her to the MPNL program; she hopes to gain insight into how to become an impactful leader in the nonprofit sector.

Besides having a passion for her work, Savanna is an avid runner and is currently working on a personal goal of completing a marathon in each of the Canadian provinces 鈥� only two more to go! She loves to work in her vegetable garden, and loves to cheer on the Toronto Blue Jays with her husband Mike and their two cats, Melky and Tilda.

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Douglas is the Supporter Relations Director of ADRA Canada (Adventist Development and Relief Agency), and has extensive experience and expertise in leadership, communications, fundraising and building relationships.

Originally from Brazil, he鈥檚 has worked for faith-based organizations all his career. His educational background includes a Bachelor’s in Business Administration, Bachelor’s in Theology, an MBA, and a Master’s Degree in Leadership. He finished his Doctorate program at Fuller Seminary, in Pasadena, California.

Douglas is married to Rebeca, and they have two children, Olivia Rachel (nine years old) and Christopher James (six).

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