Eden Health Care Services has a new face at the helm of its fundraising efforts.
Eden Foundation announced last week that Dave Sawatsky has stepped into the director of development role, taking over from the departing Jayme Giesbrecht.
“Sawatsky brings broad leadership, strategy, governance, project/event management, and communications experience to the role from his years in the insurance industry and has demonstrated abilities in working collaboratively to implement new programs and processes at work and in his church,” the foundation board shared in a release.
The director of development position oversees all aspects of the foundation’s fundraising efforts, including donor relations, major gifts, planned giving, and events. Funds raised go to support Eden’s mental health programming across southern Manitoba.
Foundation board chair Barry Dyck said they are “delighted by Dave’s enthusiasm to be a part of the Eden team, pursuing Eden’s mission through all its programs.”
Eden CEO Brad Unger emphasized the vital importance of the foundation to the agency.
“It’s such a link and a connector between the community and the support from the community, the business community, the church and faith groups, and the general public, and it provides a real critical link both in terms of communication and storytelling and sharing what the work of Eden is.
“And then of course it’s the channel through which we receive a lot of financial and in-kind support from the community. That financial support is really vital to so many of our programs … we wouldn’t be able to do the work we do and to the extent we do without the work of the foundation.
“We’re really excited that Dave’s joined the team,” Unger said. “He has a real wealth of experience in leadership and doing some strategic thinking and planning … we’re going to need to tap into that, because we have a lot of plans and ambitions about our future.”
Sawatsky started in the role last week. He will work out of Eden’s offices in Winnipeg, Winkler, and Steinbach.
“There’s a couple things that drew me to the role,” Sawatsky shared on Friday. “One was that I was looking for the kind of involvement and the kind of organization that I could feel was really making a difference in the world, changing the world in a small way.”
He cited Eden’s leadership team as another big draw.
“I think they’re in really good shape in terms of a vision of moving forward. I wanted to be part of that kind of progressive movement,” Sawatsky said. “People really have an ownership and knowledge and awareness and visibility for Eden that I think is hard to achieve … but they’ve been able to do that for years.”
Sawatsky, who lives in Winnipeg but grew up in the Altona area, says among his first tasks in the weeks ahead is to reach out and build up his connections in the community.
“I have lots more connections to make,” he said, noting his people and project management skills will certainly be put to good use in this new role. “I’m new to the world of development and the specifics of fundraising, but I’m really excited to learn.”
