We’re thrilled to introduce Ingrid Graham as the new Executive Director of Nellie’s, effective July 1! Ingrid has been a driving force at Nellie’s for over nine years as our Director of Development, and has also been our acting co-executive director for the last year.
Since joining Nellie’s in 2016, Ingrid has grown our fundraising to over $1 million annually, supporting programs and services that help women and their children reclaim their strength and resilience. She built a comprehensive marketing and communications program to build awareness of the complex work Nellie’s does, and led the capital redevelopment of Nellie’s current location. To mark the organization’s 50th anniversary, Ingrid led our rebrand project in 2024, which included new mission, vision, and values statements, alongside a refreshed visual identity complete with a brand-new logo and website.
Ingrid brings both stability and a clear sense of direction to Nellie’s, aiming to strengthen our reputation in the sector while delivering on our mission and advancing our strategic plan.
“We need to make sure that our programs aren’t stagnant, and that we take some chances,” says Ingrid. “I want us to be an organization that is willing to learn and grow as needs change — to be very nimble and flexible in how we work.”
In her first six months, one of her primary areas of focus is building new relationships, and deepening existing ones, with staff, partners, and community members. These connections are vital as we work to strengthen core services and foster a culture of collaboration and care — one that can keep evolving to meet rising and increasingly complex needs.
Over the summer, Ingrid plans on reaching out to our elected officials in the Toronto-Danforth riding, including city councillor Paula Fletcher, MP Julie Dabrusin, and MPP Peter Tabuns. “I need to put Nellie’s back in front of them so that they can know the challenges that we’re facing, and what we need from them,” says Ingrid. “We only work well when our partnerships work well together.”
Another key part of Ingrid’s vision for the year ahead is long-term financial planning. This includes exploring new partnerships to sustain essential programs, and launching a community volunteer fundraising committee to identify revenue opportunities and host third-party events.
“This is something I’ve always wanted to do — and it’s a way of bringing in our male allies onto a committee,” explains Ingrid. “We have so many major gift donors who are male, and it would be great to have a group to help move us forward in fundraising, and to connect with their networks.”
Alongside this, Ingrid is prioritizing stronger internal connection and cohesion. Staff engagement surveys and feedback sessions will help align the team around shared goals. With different parts of our organization often working independently — and some, like our Community Housing team, in a separate office — we don’t always immediately see how our efforts connect across the organization.
“We want to always be focused on our mission and vision — together,” says Ingrid, who hopes that one day we can have our entire team under one roof again.
With her thoughtful leadership, commitment to our mission, and bold vision for the future, Ingrid is exceptionally well suited to lead Nellie’s into its next chapter. Please join us in welcoming Ingrid into her new role!