“Our team uses similar team structures and software to modern-day tech companies, such as a team structure with many specialized departments, as well as using software like Slack, Jira, and G Suite products to enhance efficiency.” Remarks BSSF Founder & Director, Aariz Mawji.
Edmonton’s Ben Stelter School Fundraiser (BSSF) is growing fast, nearly tripling their team size ahead of the 2026 fundraising year.
Within a one-month hiring campaign, they took off from a team of 19 to a groundbreaking 48 passionate students.
The surge is driven by the organization’s mission to help bring Canada’s first Proton Therapy Centre, The Ben Stelter Centre for Proton Therapy & Neurosciences, to life.
It’s a move that organizers say will allow for more ambitious projects and improved long-term scalability.
Mike Stelter, the Ben Stelter Foundation’s Executive Director, gave me his reaction to the team’s growth.
“We were honestly very surprised to hear how much the team has grown, going from 19 to 48 is incredible […] It speaks to the impact this program is having and the kind of young leaders who are stepping up to make a difference in their community.”
The student-run initiative made an advanced decision with a new internal structure: it’s now split into the 6 departments of Coordination, People, Promotions, Social Media, Finance, and Technology.
Founder and Director Aariz Mawji said the student-led initiative is reflecting the structure used by modern corporations when talking to us.
“Our team uses similar team structures and software to modern-day tech companies, such as a team structure with many specialized departments, as well as using software like Slack, Jira, and G Suite products to enhance efficiency.”
The structure allows for greater specialization, drawing from a range of student talents.
Students are also being given a rare opportunity that lets them use their individual skills in a professional, team-based setting while supporting a worthwhile cause.
The Technology department has played a key role in the BSSF’s recent expansion.
A major focus for the team has been the new BSSF GPT, an AI tool that will streamline workflows and provide instant access to information internally.
The Director of Technology, Nathan Stinner, described the complex system that went behind their AI assistant.
“The BSSF bot is basically a shortcut, instead of having to look through files, Google sheets, all of that, to basically have the answer pulled right away […] It just represents such a huge advancement in our team’s workflow and how efficient we can be.”
The team is also working on a public version, helping participating schools brainstorm ideas alongside 24/7 support. Stinner sees this as a long-term AI strategy as they scale.
“The [BSSF] has gone from 10 schools to 50 last year, and we’re hoping to get 100 in the coming season […] We’ll have more questions rolling in, and an AI assistant can answer questions efficiently without over-stressing human representatives from the fundraiser.”
Meanwhile, the Social Media and Promotions teams are actively working to market mostly through social media platforms or ad campaigns and flyers, respectively.
These two teams will increase their outreach to more schools, sponsors, and partnerships, while making a larger digital publicity/presence possible.
Graphic Designers and Video Editors have been integrated into this marketing ecosystem, producing high-quality graphics that are either still or motion-based, respectively.
Taking into consideration its exponential level of growth, the BSSF continues to grow the Finance team through a strategic lens.
The department balances team budgets, tracks donations/expenses, and manages all other financial decisions. Last year’s finance team kept the BSSF’s expenses down to just 2.6% of the total revenue.
The Finance department also plans on using a complex statistical Revenue Prediction Model to ensure that costs are controlled.
The People team has driven significant internal flow by managing meetings, slideshows, and human resources. Their team works with schools and student leaders across Edmonton to administer smooth progress and promote the BSSF.
As the BSSF continues to grow its reach, the Coordination team is playing a key role in supporting student leaders across various schools, working directly with participating schools, and helping execute each school’s fundraiser effectively.
The organization has made a clear message with this one-month hiring spike; 2026’s team will have a previously unseen level of efficiency while being scalable and sustainable.
What began with a single student inspired by Ben Stelter’s legacy has grown into one of the most structured, professional, scalable, and high-functioning student-led initiatives that is taking school fundraising in Edmonton to the next level.
About the Author
