Eric Frans

Howdy! I'm Eric Frans (CFRE), National Director of Philanthropy for World Relief Canada.

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A fund raising executive and senior leader with fund development, not for profit management and strategic planning experience. Results-proven, growth-oriented, focused leader with repeated fund raising success for a varied group of not for profit organizations. Eric Frans, Certified FundRaising Executive (CFRE), is the Vice President, VisionPartners at World VisionCanada. For more than 20 years he has served as an executive, facilitator, and coach within the voluntary sector. With a rich background in ministry, business and not-for-profit environments, he brings a life-long learning perspective to his work. Eric has been married for 18 years to Eryn-Faye, the most beautiful girl in all the lands, and has an amazing daughter, Riley. Right after getting married in Texas, Eric and Eryn-Faye moved to Kathmandu, Nepal where they lived in a children's home. That experience changed his life, and during that time he realized that his true calling is working in the area of international relief and development. Eric's perspectives and understandings around the issues of development and philanthropy are colored by his personal interactions with people in developing countries as well as his experiences with individuals that work to make a difference around the world. Eric truly believes that more fundraising can be done over a good cup of coffee than with the shiniest brochure. AREAS OF EXPERTISE•    Fundraising and Marketing: Raised over $80 million in revenue in the last 16 years through leveraging innovative marketing and fundraising strategies and through attracting key resources from government, corporate, organizational, church and private relationships.•    Leadership: Led high-performing teams of staff across the country and provided indirect oversight for cross-functional teams around the globe. Established best practices through thought leadership, vision, education and mentoring for global colleagues.•    Turn-Arounds: Took organizations from declining yearly revenues to significant growth (between 23% to 375% in revenue increases) through innovative strategies, creative campaigns, culture change, team building, donor-facing communication and relationship cultivation.•    Strategic Communications: Created and implemented local, national and international brand strategies, coupled with strategic communication plans that increased public awareness and profile of the brand.•    Stakeholder/External Relations: Served as organizational ambassador and spokesperson with key stakeholders (board of directors, media, government, corporate, church, major donors) building organizational profile, credibility and partnerships.•    Change Management: Used proper tools to ensure that the staffing resources matched the needs of the organization/department, and provided opportunities for personal growth and career change for those in need of both.

Vice President, Vision Partners at World Vision Canada

March 2016 - Present | Mississauga, ON

Global Director of Philanthropy at World Relief Canada

August 2010 - March 2016 | Toronto, ON

Given a mandate to direct relationship building with core donors and the acquisition of new donors. Responsible for the management of all fundraising activities including major gifts, direct mail, online and special events as well as the oversight of the marketing and communications for WRC. Lead the creation of annual campaigns and national World Relief Sunday messaging and creative. MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES: 1. ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTION 2. CHURCH RELATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT 3. STRATEGY AND BUDGET 4. STAFF OVERSIGHT

Development Director at Family Life Canada

July 2008 - March 2009

Hired to create the development department from scratch. Develop a mass communication strategy, implement a direct mail program, demographic database of constituents, and major donor program.

Resource Development Director at Kelowna's Gospel Mission

October 2004 - June 2008

Oversee $2.4M annual fund as well as the 30k Club hybrid-capital campaign used to purchase new housing units for those in need of recovery, transitional and affordable housing in the greater Kelowna area.

Regional Manager at BC Special Olympics

2003 - 2004

Oversaw regional fund development for the provincial organization as well as program development (incorporating volunteer recruitment and management) on a provincial level.

General Manager at Hope for the Nations

1999 - 2003

Ran the executive structure of a multi-national not-for-profit orgnaization. Oversaw operations in 18 countries where projects were located and the three main corporate opffices in Canada, the United States and the UK. Oversaw the set-up of USA and UK offices. Built our coalition through network of individuals, organizations and business contacts. Developed communication systems and adminstrative structures to ensure proper implementation of governance coordination. Built and oversaw the managament team for the organization and acted as liason between the Board of Directors and the management teams.

Partner at Eric Frans and Associates

2003

Work with Lominger ™ tools for governments, NFPs and NGOs as well as for-profit businesses. Conduct workshops for groups, boards of directors and executive teams, and in addition, do personalized coaching on executive and board levels. Focus on strategic allignment, process management, team management, communication systems, learning agility and life-long learning using the Learning Circle

The University of Texas at Arlington

University of Louisiana at Monroe

University of Houston

• Global vision and strategy • Significant revenue growth • Dynamic leadership • High-performance team building • Skilled partnership collaboration • Savvy interdepartmental and cross-cultural communication • Turn-around expertise • Successful change management • Innovative brand development • Award-winning campaign creation • Loyalty galvanization • Comfort with ambiguity • Executive mentoring