From Executive Directors, Development Directors & Board Members

“Heather is one of the most dynamic fundraisers I have worked with. Goal-oriented, strategic, productive, passionate, intelligent, and sensitive. She combines all the qualities that charities need in charting and following a successful path.”
Simon Trevelyan, President, S.T. Legacy Group

“Simply put, Heather is great and has been a huge help to us. She has been extremely generous with her time, energy and advice and she really knows what she is doing. What I find so refreshing is that she is always thinking of ways for us to move forward. Her ideas are both creative and practical. She understands the nuts & bolts and the strategic. We are very fortunate that she has brought her passion to Big Life Foundation.”
Greg Gubitz, Chairman, Big Life Foundation Canada

“Heather has been immensely helpful to us as we seek to retool our fundraising strategy. Her ability to look at our materials and immediately reframe individual items in a development-faced way is impressive, as is her skill in articulating an overall focus so that all materials work well together. She has us well on the way to a new refocused strategic plan.”
Elizabeth Napper, Co-Director, Tibetan Nuns Project

“Heather has a comprehensive knowledge of fundraising that allows her to create customized fundraising strategies based on information collected from multiple sources. She is a keen listener who patiently places order and structure into her strategic fundraising suggestions. Her passion for her work and for causes worthy of support is tangible. She instills an infectious feeling that success and progress are close at hand.”
Joseph Elworthy, Executive Director, Vancouver Academy of Music

“‪Heather came to work with Pacific Parklands Foundation as a contractor in 2015 to help us review our mission and values. Heather is a CFRE and is very knowledgeable in a number of areas including fundraising, organizational requirements, board relationships, and much more. She has been responsible for guiding our new web site and our legacy giving message. I find her work ethic outstanding, she is passionate about donors and understands how to communicate with them. Heather is a self starter, a great team player, and always coming up with good, innovative ideas.”‪
Joe Hargitt, CFRE, ‪Executive Director, Pacific Parklands Foundation

“I am writing in my capacity as Executive Director of Seva Foundation to recommend the services of Heather Wardle as a development and communications professional of the highest caliber. While she served as the Development Director of our sister agency, Seva Canada, I had the pleasure to work with Heather on many occasions. Her interpersonal skills, professional capacity, years of experience, and strong work ethic were appreciated by all who interacted with her. Heather is very creative and highly motivated to serve others through her work. The quality and value of her efforts was evident in everything she undertook from the development and maintenance of Seva Canada’s website, to her innovative fund raising efforts, to her management of internet-based and other forms of media communications, to excellent donor relations. Of special note is Heather’s devotion to humanitarian causes and her tireless efforts to be of service to those in need. I would strongly recommend her as a self-starting and focused professional in the field of development and communications who also has the capacity to be a caring and strong team player.”
Jack Blanks, Executive Director, Seva Foundation

“Heather possesses a unique combination of traits – focused commitment, intelligence, creativity, a collaborative nature and genuine warmth – which make her a natural leader. Under Heather’s leadership, our small Canadian “sister-organization” left many of us at U.S. Seva in awe of her accomplishments. Heather’s clear vision of direction, her commitment to both the program and the people served, and her genuine concern for donors and volunteers, enabled her to accomplish much in her tenure. She not only continuously reached her fundraising goals, but generally exceeded them.”
Julie Nestigen, Development Director, Seva Foundation

“Heather’s help with strategic planning and communications was invaluable. She helped our organization zero in on our strengths and move forward to more clearly and effectively communicate our mission and projects. She was very generous with her time and skills, and was insightful on the organizational development front as well. I highly recommend Heather’s services to other small organizations facing challenges regarding how to proceed and how to get their message across to donors. Heather’s heart for service and selfless devotion also distinguish her as a professional whom you can trust and respect wholeheartedly. I imagine anyone would want Heather on their team!”
Kay Sandberg, Founder & Executive Director, Global Force for Healing

“Besides being an absolute joy to work with, Heather implemented many marketing initiatives for our organisation which were largely responsible for our success in enlarging our donor base and resulting contributions. In addition to developing and maintaining a loyal group of donors, she also played a leadership role in establishing a strong on-line presence and has an excellent working knowledge of the internet environment. I was constantly amazed at her unbounded enthusiasm and always represented to me, the epitome of our theme “compassion in action”. Heather is a team player and would be a great asset to any organization.”
D.H., Board Member

“Over the past several years, I have known Heather Wardle – mainly through my association with an international blindness prevention and relief charity, Seva Canada, where I serve on the volunteer board of directors. During much of that time, Heather has been employed by Seva as a development and fundraising specialist. Apart from her considerable technical and practical knowledge of the field, I have been in awe of her seemingly inexhaustible energy, her enthusiasm, and dedication to the tasks at hand. She is always organized, thorough and detail-oriented. She is particularly good at presenting plans or results – which she does with typical enthusiasm, as well as passionate concern for the subject. I have noted she often gladly takes advantage of relevant professional development opportunities when they arise. I am pleased to provide this recommendation in support of her planning for future activities within her chosen area of expertise – namely, non-governmental organizations, charities and not-for-profit societies that are trying to make the world a better, and more human and sustainable place.”
Ian C. McLennan, Board Member ian@ian.mclennan.com

From Donors and Volunteer Fundraisers

“Your dedication and most especially your concern and love for the people Seva helps was abundantly clear, not just to me but to the Nepalis we met on our trip and, I am sure, in the other countries you have dealt with. You will be greatly missed.” A.Gordon, donor

“I truly believe that your personal touch, compassion and enthusiasm for each and every little advancement have encouraged so many – like us – to donate and volunteer.” A. Frigon, donor

“ I have so appreciated the personal touch that you bring. It is a model that I have recommended to other organizations of which I am part. Thanks for all your caring, it really is evident.” H.F., donor

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me [my fundraising campaign] the success that’s it’s been. I could not have done this without your encouragement, guidance, and help every step of the way.” P. Hogue, donor and volunteer fundraiser

“You have been such an encourager and an inspiration to me to try to raise more funds and further awareness of Seva’s work. Your warmth and your quick responses to all my questions and needs for materials has been so helpful.” S.R., donor and volunteer

“Heather is best described as highly positive, creative, inclusive and respectful, extremely enthusiastic and dedicated, and of high integrity. She always looks for the positive in all situations, creating positive conditions in which positive results arise. She has a forward-looking perspective, she looks ahead, rather than behind.  She embraces change. She is highly creative, her ideas have an extensive range, and she thinks beyond conventional boundaries. She constantly seeks new ways of doing things, she is never afraid of asking others how they do things.” R. Goh, donor and volunteer