2022 40 Under 40 Winners

Over this past fiscal year, Natasha relaunched Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation’s direct mail program, achieving 130% of revenue targets, the most successful year to date, all while reducing the cost of the program to $0.10 CTRD.

Natasha has impacted stewardship and donor retention for her organization, implementing improved donor stewardship practices and programs that increased their donor retention rate to 49%.

She has held speaking roles for a number of organizations and events including AFPNB's National Philanthropy Day Workshop, AHP's Convene Canada, AHP's summer webinar series, and BBCON 2021.

Natasha earned her CFRE Certificate in November 2021 and gives back to the profession by serving as membership chair of the AFP New Brunswick chapter’s board of directors.

I first began in healthcare philanthropy as a volunteer, organizing blood drives out of gratitude for saving my husband's life. In 2015, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to join the Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation as their Event Coordinator and was introduced to healthcare philanthropy as a profession.

Philanthropy is a natural fit for me. Following my parent's example, I have been volunteering and running fundraisers for various organizations since I was a kid. Like so many others, my family and I have made many hospital visits, so understand first-hand the critical needs and widespread impact of healthcare in our communities. I was inspired to choose a career in healthcare philanthropy because it is an incredibly fulfilling, substantial, and impactful way to serve my whole community. 

When the pandemic hit, I was only 3 months into my first management role. It was challenging to learn how to lead a team while learning to work remotely while pivoting programming and adjusting to restrictions. It was a real test for me and a crucial step in realizing my capacity to grow in this profession and be a leader.

One of my great passions in life is learning. I love to try new things and learn new skill sets, which makes me a bit of a serial hobbyist. I enjoy reading and learning about almost anything, often disappearing down a Wikipedia rabbit hole far too late at night. It's in these pursuits that I often learn more about myself too. Finding a new nugget of knowledge, or mastering a new skill is a thrill for me and so important in gaining perspective and critical insight into who am I and how I fit into the world.

Find a mentor. That's the best advice I could give someone new to healthcare philanthropy. I'm so grateful to the mentors I've had, they're guidance has been immeasurably valuable.