“I believe it’s important to place more value on philanthropic work and to clearly explain its impact.”

With this conviction, Renée Ladouceur embodies a new generation of professionals who want to place philanthropy at the heart of strategic issues.

Her career has been far from a straight line, and that’s what’s made it so rich. With a background in the hotel industry, where she occupied various positions in customer service, sales and event coordination, she started a shift about seven years ago: “I accepted a position as assistant to the director of development to see if this field suited me. I quickly discovered a real interest—even an affinity—for this work, in particular for donor relations.”

With a degree in biology, she initially thought of a career in research. While she didn’t end up in the lab, her scientific training endowed her with rigour and critical thinking, which she now puts to work analyzing impact and developing evidence-based strategies.

Renée also fights for better recognition of philanthropic work:

“Too often, the field is poorly understood, people think that we simply ask for donations—but the work is so much more strategic than that.”

Through her commitment to AFP Québec’s Education Committee, she contributes to promoting the obscure aspects of this work: building solid relationships, mobilizing resources, ensuring program sustainability and, above all, communicating its spinoffs in clear and genuine terms.

Alongside this work, she also volunteers with Heart in Hand Rescue, where she helps with intake and adoption of cats needing new homes. Clear evidence that commitment and caring for others are at the heart of everything she does!