Connie (left) at Effect Hope’s 2025 Staff Summit
If you’ve ever called Effect Hope with a question about your donation, sent in a cheque, or called to update your giving — chances are, Connie was the one who answered. She’s often the first voice a donor hears, and for many, she’s the reason a phone call feels like a conversation with a friend.
We sat down with Connie to learn more about her path to Effect Hope, what her days look like, and why she’s known around the office as its “heart”.
Journey to Effect Hope
Connie’s path to Effect Hope wasn’t linear. Many years ago, she left a career in the financial sector, thinking she might look for something in the non-profit or church world. But life had other plans: family circumstances led her to step away from working for nearly 15 years, to care for her family, including raising her daughter.
When the time felt right to return to work, she chose to let go and place everything in God’s hands, trusting that He would lead her to where she was meant to be. Then, within a month of applying, she received a call from Harin Watson, Effect Hope’s former Director of People & Operations.
Her decision to later accept the role came naturally. In her conversations with Harin and Lee‑Anne, Director of Finance & Operations, Connie felt a deep sense of peace and belonging. The culture at Effect Hope felt warm, welcoming, and guided by grace—a place where she knew God had led her.
That warmth has stayed with her ever since. After spending years in a fast-paced, corporate environment, there was something calming about Effect Hope: colleagues who care, share a sense of humour, and a team with the same values and beliefs.
Her Role and Relationships
Connie’s role at Effect Hope is crucial. Donors want to know their generosity is being handled with integrity, and Connie is the one building that credibility. Some donors call to share a prayer request. Others need to update their information. Either way, Connie meets them with care.
“People may not realize how much I actually do,” she reflects. To many, she’s simply the first voice they hear when they call. But her role goes well beyond answering the phone. She’s the main point of contact who builds trust and relationships with donors, which means following up on every single inquiry, no matter how small. If a cheque hasn’t arrived yet, if a receipt is needed, if someone is just checking in — Connie has to remember what each person needs and follow through.
No two days look quite the same. While there are routine duties like answering phones, emails, or opening mail when in the office, her tasks shift depending on what donors need — generating receipts one day, following up on paperwork the next. When she’s working from home, she turns her attention to donor retention and other ongoing projects. Through it all, one thing stays constant: her favourite part of the job is hearing the different stories donors share with her — like one donor who sends a cheque every month, along with a handwritten letter and a little cartoon, asking Connie how she’s doing and letting her know she’s praying for her. “It’s very nice, very sweet, when you receive notes like that,” she says. “And when I’m being recognized on the phone — ‘oh hi, Connie, how are you doing?’ That means a lot.”
A Memorable Donor Story
When asked which donor story has stayed with her the most, she didn’t hesitate.
A woman called in on behalf of her father, who had recently passed away. He had been 90% blind for nearly his entire life, yet he had spent his years quite generous, always looking to help others. His daughter carried that same spirit — and despite her grief, she spoke with a warmth that struck Connie deeply. She explained that she wasn’t afraid, because she knew she would see her father again in heaven.
Connie was moved by her positivity in the face of such loss. “She stayed with a positive attitude,” Connie recalled, “and she wanted to donate despite everything that happened.” Her father had raised her to give, to notice people in need, and to help wherever she could.
What Donors Have Taught Her
Spend enough time answering donor calls, and certain truths start to reveal themselves. For Connie, one stands out above the rest: generosity and grief often live side by side, but people still give.
She’s spoken with donors amid grieving who choose to give as a way to honour someone they love. She’s talked to a grandfather who called simply to open an account so his granddaughter could start donating too — planting generosity in the next generation.
“There are a lot of people suffering out there,” Connie says, “and just the little time or money you spend can make a big difference.” It’s a lesson she’s learned not from a training manual, but from donors themselves, one conversation at a time.
How Donor Connection Advances the Mission
For Connie, the relational side of her work isn’t separate from Effect Hope’s mission — it is part of how the mission moves forward. Donors give because they trust that their gift will be used well, and that trust is built through honest, caring communication, not assumptions. When a donor calls with a concern, Connie has learned it’s rarely about complaining for the sake of it, but rather because they don’t fully understand what’s happening behind the scenes.
It’s also what fuels her hope for where Effect Hope is headed. She sees leadership genuinely working to improve, including a new strategic direction, more focused teams, and better systems to replace older, more complicated processes. “I think everybody is trying to help this organization go to the next level,” she says. “We all have the heart to make this organization better.” For Connie, every donor relationship she nurtures on the front line is a small but essential part of that larger effort.
When we asked how it feels to be seen as the “heart of the office,” Connie was quick to redirect the credit. “I think everybody is the heart of this organization,” she says, “because without any one of them, this cannot work.” Still, she embraces her part in it: as the point of contact, she’s glad to help out wherever she can, because it keeps everything running the way it should.
A Heartfelt Message to Donors
If she could say one thing to Effect Hope’s donors, it would simply be: “Thank you. Every dollar counts,” she says. “It’s actually going to bring hope, to bring dignity to people who, because of illness, disability, or circumstance, don’t have the same opportunities many of us take for granted.”
Every letter, every cheque, every prayer reminds her why this work matters. Because behind every gift is a story, and behind every story is a person who simply wanted to help.
