Roshani Morton

What gets you excited about coaching?

Fundraising alone is hard. With someone in your corner, it gets a lot more fun (it's right there in the name). What excites me most is the moment you realize you can do this. The ask you were dreading turns into a conversation you're glad you had, and the people you were nervous to call become partners in your mission. Then come the miracle moments, when God shows up in ways neither of us could have planned. Sometimes hope needs to be a shared weight, that's what I love about coaching!

What's your #1 tip for gaining new funding partners?

Start with your money mindset. I know asking can feel scary, but what's the worst someone could say? No. You've heard that word before, and you're still standing. A no isn't a verdict on you or your calling. Often it just means "not yet." If you never ask, the answer is already no, so you have nothing to lose. Every ask invites someone to be part of what God is doing through you, and that's a gift worth offering.

Tell us about a time where you helped someone overcome a significant barrier to successful fundraising.

For the past two years, I've had the privilege of walking alongside the executive director of the Indigenous Family Centre in Winnipeg. For a community with a long history of colonization and oppression, outside money has often come with strings attached, so it made sense to be wary of accepting donations. Together, we've been rethinking what fundraising can be. It isn't just about receiving. It's ministry. When the Centre invites donors in, it gets to minister to them too, by sharing the truth about colonization and the history of Indigenous peoples in Canada. Each donor relationship becomes a step toward reconciliation. Watching this team step into that has been one of the joys of my work, and I've learned as much as I've taught.

Where can we find you on the weekends?

With my crew! That's my husband, our four boys (yes, I'm outnumbered), and our dog, Bella, who makes sure I get my steps in. We're a family of entrepreneurs with a dried fruit business, so some weekends we're selling at farmers markets and holiday markets. Market days turn out to be great fundraising practice. My boys have learned that the worst anyone can say is no, and trust me, they ask.

Where have you served as a missionary?

Every culture gives differently, and what works in one place may not work where you serve. I learned that firsthand by living and fundraising in Costa Rica (jungle included), Chile and Canada, and by overseeing teams across Latin America, from Mexico down to the southern cone. From Canada, I raised funds for development projects in Africa and Asia. Today I raise support from 238 Canadian churches across the country for local ministry here in Canada.