Launch Pad Grant

The Launchpad Coaching Grant program has given our organization an incredible opportunity to learn, grow, share, and collaborate with an experienced team. Our coaches were accepting and encouraging, showing us ways to promote our unique facility and make donors, old and new, feel appreciated and invested in our success.

Stephanie Huolt, Executive Director, Canadian Energy Museum

The coaching sessions opened our eyes to the importance of having a strong communications strategy as a foundation to forming and expanding our relationships with the public, our partners and, in particular, with our donors.

Howard Shimokura, Sunshine Valley Tashme Museum

Launch Pad challenged us to be creative and be fearless... Professional, approachable, and thoroughly available to the Parkwood gang, the Trust team have pushed us, and continue to inspire us, to use our storytelling to generate and offer stellar interpretive programming!

Samantha George, Curator, Parkwood Foundation

While I’ve felt confident in our projects before, I feel more confident in my abilities to pull things off when I can dismantle things into their most minute parts and then reassemble. The Launch Pad grant has enabled me to do just that, and I’ve already applied some of what I’ve learned to other projects. This was a fascinating process, and I am deeply thankful for the opportunity!

Christina Reid, Executive Director, Heritage Abbotsford Society

Our coaches Nhanci and Alison were immensely helpful in providing us with their expertise on sponsorship. As a small team of staff and volunteers, we benefited tremendously from the resources developed through our coaching sessions. These sessions gave us concrete steps to move forward with our sponsorship strategy. We are looking forward to putting these lessons into practice.

Kelly Burwash, Toronto Railway Museum

Launch Pad helped refine our thinking on the messaging of our project and fundraising approach! Nhanci and Alison helped us build confidence to qualify and approach potential donors.

Emily Davidson, 1588 Barrington Building Preservation Society

The knowledge we gained through our Launch Pad Coaching Grant has been a game changer for our campaign to fund ongoing restoration of our Victorian era Town Hall in Acton, Ontario. Thank you!

Peter E. Rowe, Vice-Chair, Heritage Acton

Our Launch Pad coaching resulted in a series of actionable and impactful recommendations. While our shop is still a work in progress, it is closer to a professional retail operation and the Launch Pad grant played an important role in that progress.

Coleen Crane, Executive Director, Colony of Avalon Foundation

Some of the things that were very beneficial for us that are perhaps more difficult to report on include the very practical, nuts and bolts, advice about building sponsorship packages that get attention. Also helpful were your outside eyes that were able to see things from a different perspective.

Sean French, Lougheed House

It was such a terrific experience. Their coaches worked with us one-on-one and truly listened to our needs and the needs of the organization.

Twitter Post, Diefenbunker

We were very excited to have been selected as a participant for this initiative and the benefits to our organization will be felt for years to come. The team at the National Trust put together a concise plan to help us attain our objectives and followed us every step of the way. This was a truly enriching experience for our organisation; the support and coaching by the National Trust team was exemplary.

Emmanuel Comtois, Treasurer of the North Highlands Community Museum and Culture Centre

The Launch Pad Coaching Grant was a great experience for our board members involved in communications at the Grand Theatre in Indian Head. The National Trust team reviewed our communications products and gave us the advice and encouragement to become effective story tellers about our building, our volunteers and our community.

Bruce Neil, Grand Theatre

The Launch Pad Sessions were a great benefit to our organization. The facilitators took the time to find out what was important to us and where they could help the most. They met us where we were at and were invested in our organization growing and succeeding.

Chris Matthews, Executive Director, Crowsnest Museum & Archives

Both Nhanci and Alison clearly brought a wealth of experience, passion and great ideas to the project. The entire process including the final report was outstanding! We now have concrete material to work with and share in our endeavour to open Belle Vue’s Doors again!! We want to thank the National Trust, Nhanci and Alison for a wonderful experience and all of their support!

Anne Rota, Manager of Tourism and Culture, Town of Amherstburg; Linda Jackson, Chairperson of Outreach, Belle Vue Conservancy; and Jennifer Ibrahim, Tourism Coordinator, Town of Amherstburg

Working with the coaching partners was a fantastic experience. They provided through insight into strategic initiatives that are going to prove beneficial to Ministers Island…. I would recommend this training to any group looking to improve their presence on social media.

Paul Nopper, Operations Manager, Ministers Island

Launch Pad gave us our path forward. We’re underway and it just wouldn’t have happened without Launch Pad.

Aggie-Rose Reddin, Vice Chair of the Glenaladale Heritage Trust

A fantastic experience that couldn't have come at a better time!

Launch Pad Participant