Imoleayo (Ayo) Adeyeri
Advisor, Donor Relations
Imoleayo (Ayo) is the donor relations advisor with AdaptAbilities in Edmonton, Canada. Ayo is a non-profit professional with fifteen years of work experience in program management and fund development. She’s helped non-profit organizations raise funds and implemented non-profit programs in Africa, the United States and Canada.
Ayo developed foundation-specific fundraising resources and tools for over 350 American Red Cross relationship managers and created value propositions for the organization’s signature $1 million high school blood scholarship program. On behalf of the American Red Cross, she received grants from foundations in Honolulu during the 2015/2016 Typhoon Soudelor. She managed American Diabetes Association donor relations efforts, community relations, and workplace giving in Indiana State.
Ayo became a resident of Canada in 2018 and joined Compassion House Foundation, an organization that provides accommodation to women undergoing cancer treatment as the first director of philanthropy in its 23 years of existence. She created fund development strategies; annual giving program through direct mails, monthly giving programs, and set up community led voluntary fundraising committee for the organization. In 2019, she became one of the faces of Hillberg and Berk International Women’s Day celebration Venus Pin Campaign to raise funds to support women’s empowerment in Canada.
Ayo received a Masters of Arts degree in Philanthropy from Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Masters of Science degree in Finance from University of Leicester, United Kingdom and Bachelors in Accounting and Management from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology in Nigeria.
She consulted for Food Banks Alberta, a network of food banks in the Western Canadian Province. She serves on the board of Action for Healthy Societies, a community based organization serving newcomers to Canada including immigrants, refugees, permanent residents and others. Ayo is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Global IDEA committee and grades national scholarship applications for the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy, Canada. She recently became an awardee of the Alford Group Mentoring and Leadership Development Program.
How did you get interested in the fundraising profession?
It was borne out of necessity, I transitioned into fundraising after 7 years of work experience as a program manager. Until 2015, that I migrated from Nigeria, developmental programs/projects were mostly funded by international donors and agencies. The leadership of the organization I worked with at the time became curious on cultivating indigenous donors and corporations to support nonprofit work, and based on my experience in managing and fulfilling grant requirements, I became a natural fit to lead that process. We created employee giving program to raise unrestricted funds, because the grants were restricted. The funds lubricated the process of fundraising, we built relationships with high net worth individuals and corporations in the country- maximized the corporate social responsibility provisions.
I became more curious and searched for formal trainings on how to raise funds. Fortunately, I discovered Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and put in my application. The program was perfect because it allowed students gain hands-on experience in a nonprofit organization while studying. I interviewed with the American Red Cross National Headquarter in DC from Nigeria and secured my graduate assistantship before securing my visa. So during my studies, I supported the Corporate and Foundation Programs. There, I developed American Red Cross ‘foundation-specific’ emergency and disaster relief solicitation resources, used by 350 American Red Cross relationship managers to increase foundation revenues by 25%. My fundraising journey started in North America from there I have worked in different capacities with several great organizations such as the American Diabetes Association, Lumina Foundation, Compassion House Foundation and currently with AdaptAbilities in Canada.
What is something you wish you had known early on in your fundraising career?
Find a way to research an organization before accepting a job. Don’t take at face value everything you see, read or told in interviews about an organization’s supposed values and guiding principle. It’s best to do a deeper dive on culture and leadership style by asking current or past employees if possible. A lot of nonprofits are not perfect but be clear about the values you are willing to compromise. Also, it’s okay to negotiate your salary and decline if you are not satisfied. You have to be 100% happy at your fundraising job to be successful.
What is the one quality every fundraiser should have?
A successful fundraiser must have a great attitude. The profession is largely about building relationships with donors, volunteers, colleagues, partners, collaborators and many more. A great attitude can open any door and sustain relationships.
What inspires you about the fundraising profession?
I am inspired that my work can ultimately change someone’s life in a positive way- donors and program beneficiaries. It’s such a good feeling to have the ability to help great nonprofits sustain their mission. I mean, nonprofit fundraising is a thankless, never-ending work but, with immense possibilities and impact.
How do you want to be remembered as a professional?
I want to be remembered as a professional who helped donors make the best philanthropic decisions by supporting most worthy causes and, as someone who acted with integrity, grit and fairness while at it.