Three years ago, the Ben Stelter School Fundraiser was run by one student, Aariz Mawji. Now, the fundraiser has an internal team of over 50 students, working together for the same goal. Organizing this large team is no small feat, and there have been many changes in structure over the years. Recently, the configuration has shifted again to prepare for the fall, which is gearing up to be the largest fundraiser yet.
The widest-reaching changes start at the executive level, as teams converge into new teams, the well-seasoned executive members shifting responsibilities in order to cover every area needed for the fall fundraiser. Along with this expansive restructuring of the various departments, the leadership has shifted to a co-director based model.
One large example of this shift is the newly-formed Media team, made up of the various news channels of the BSSF, not just including this news site, but also the livestream and newsletter teams, working separately to achieve the same goals for the promotion of the fundraiser.
“I am now more focused on building the foundations for the fall fundraiser’s larger outreach and success,” said Alex Sokolovski, leader of this improved team.
One of the most exciting developments in the media department is the new livestream team that will be working to stream events during the fall fundraiser. Another media subteam is working on a newsletter to further inform schools and communities about the fundraiser, and all the members, including Sokolovski, have noticed a greater connection in the departments’ ideals and projects.
Another significant movement is the new Brand and Digital Marketing department, a unique coalition of the previous Social Media and Technology teams. Nathan Stinner, as Director of Brand, leads a team that focuses on the fundraiser’s outward brand across all internet and community platforms.
The other half of the team is led by Dutt Vyas, who was the previous Director of Promotions, a team that worked on physical marketing. A desire to work with and improve the BSSF’s social media presence led Vyas to move into the role of Director of Digital Marketing.
As co-directors of this new team, the two are allowed to have more flexible roles, and work with each other to handle different sides of the important task that is increasing the fundraiser’s reach. Although this new team is a significant move for the two, the passion at the base of the work is the same.
“My leadership style still stands in hard work, perseverance, and determination”, Vyas explains.
Perhaps the most important shift to the future is highest up in the team’s structure, in the implementation of the new Co-Director model of leadership. Ana Shah, previous Director of Operations now has the role, working alongside Director Aariz Mawji to lead the team of over 50 dedicated students.
“I now get to work with all the departments and all of the team members rather than just focussing on one department”, says Shah on the progression. This new opportunity to advocate for the organization is something new and cherished to Shah.
“In the fall, processes have to be very efficient and cohesive, and our fall structure capitalizes on everyone’s individual talents”, elaborates Shah. “The new subteams especially allow each member to take charge in a role that is meaningful and impactful to them and for the initiative”.
As the anticipation grows for the fall fundraising effort, the new fall structure will be exciting to see in action, as it will allow the skills and talents of the team to be maximized and more aligned to the different goals the fall brings. With over 50 passionate members working to support cancer patients in bringing proton therapy to Canada, every one of them motivated, this fundraiser is looking to be the most successful one yet.
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