Aviv Milgram

Director, Member Engagement & Communications

Aviv joined our team in January 2023 to lead PFC’s integrated member engagement and communications strategies and activities, in support of its advocacy, collaboration, and learning goals.

Coming from a background in both the philanthropic and non-profit sectors, Aviv’s experiences range from grants management and operations to directing strategic initiatives and stakeholder engagement. Her involvement has spanned from national philanthropy addressing community resilience, Indigenous reconciliation, and climate change, to local Montreal-based arts, culture, and heritage work in the museum sphere.

Aviv holds a BA from McGill University and an MA in Religion in Global Politics from SOAS, University of London.

Inès Chaâlala

Director, Learning and Partnerships

​​Inès is the Director of Learning and Partnerships at Philanthropic Foundations Canada and leads the development and implementation of PFC’s learning agenda and related strategic partnerships. Before working at PFC, Ines held several positions at the United Nations and civil society organizations in Canada and globally.

During most of her 15+ years career, Ines has been building bridges and strengthening collaborations and partnerships through capacity-building and knowledge mobilization, designing and facilitating peer-to-peer learning programs and communities of practice, developing tools and resources and engaging with a wide array of actors – nationally and internationally – including with governments, civil society organizations and the private sector.

Some of her issues of expertise include environmental policy and governance, innovative financing mechanisms for sustainable development, civic engagement, diversity, equity and inclusion and cross-sectoral collaborations to help solve major societal challenges.

Liza Goulet

Director, Member Relations and Research

Liza is Director of Member Relations & Research. In this role she is responsible for member relationship strategies and management, as well sector research on topics of interest to members in philanthropy, foundation management and grant making practice.

Her career has spanned the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.  Early in her career she worked in Africa with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) as Coordinator of the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives which focused on Rwandan women and children. She was Managing Director of The Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children and then researcher at the Senate of Canada working on the promotion, ratification, and implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Liza has a BA in Communications and a bilingual graduate degree in International Development and Cooperation from the University of Ottawa, and has completed PhD courses at the University of Victoria in BC.

Michele Fugiel Gartner, PhD, CAP®

PFC-PhiLab Post-Doctoral Fellow in Philanthropy and Public Policy

Philanthropic Foundations Canada/Philab

Michele is a philanthropic practitioner and researcher. She holds a PhD from the University of St Andrews, School of Management, where she studied the roles and experiences of foundation professionals. The research drew together a conceptual framework of the professional from the study of professions and highlighted the entry to exit of CEO experiences in UK family foundations. She also is an instructor in the Nonprofit Management Extension Certificate at Mount Royal University and researches critical pedagogies for teaching nonprofit management. Michele received her MA in International Studies and Diplomacy at the University of London, SOAS exploring US public diplomacy and soft power.

Michele’s philanthropic experience includes the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Social Venture Partners Calgary, Trico Charitable Foundation, and the Centre for the Study of Philanthropy & Public Good. She obtained her Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® designation in 2016 and is a member of the Global Philanthropy Advisory Group with the Society of Estate and Trust Practitioners (STEP). She produces the Women in Philanthropy podcast and offers advisory services to individuals, couples, and family foundations. She resides in London, UK.

Sara Krynitzki

Director, Public Affairs and Research

Sara has spent over 20 years leading non-profit initiatives across Canada. She began her career in fundraising, has worked on Parliament Hill, and for over eight years managed community initiatives and granting for one of Canada’s largest community foundations, allocating millions of dollars annually, and connecting philanthropy to the greatest needs to tackle inequity.

As Director of Public Affairs and Research, Sara guides PFC’s thought-leadership, advocacy agenda, research, and public relations activities to foster good public policies for the sector and to advance impactful, forward-thinking philanthropy.

She has a BA in Political Studies from Trent University and a Master’s in Public Policy and Public Administration from Concordia University. Having lived in several communities across Canada and internationally, Sara is now based in Toronto with her husband and three children.