Meet Our Speakers
Nathan Ball
Author: Workbook Edition, A Spirituality of Fundraising, USA
Nathan Ball has been instrumental in the establishment of the Henri Nouwen Society and Henri Nouwen Literary Trust. Nathan and Henri were great friends and worked together in the L’Arche Daybreak community north of Toronto for the last 10 years of Henri’s life. Nathan has had a long connection with the L’Arche movement providing leadership in Canada at L’Arche Daybreak and then as the founding Executive Director of the L’Arche International Foundation. Today, Nathan lives with his family in St. Louis and he’s involved in partnerships and development for L’Arche USA. Nathan authored the workbook edition of Henri Nouwen’s book, A Spirituality of Fundraising.
Alice Prema
Fundraising Strategist, India
Alice Prema brings over 25 years of experience in institutional development through supporting organizational restructuring and enabling strategic resource mobilization & program sustainability initiatives.
Alice is actively engaged in providing Consulting and Advisory services to Individuals and Institutions across Asia, Europe and Middle East for leading institutions and charities . She has been associated with major charities such as World Vision, Oxfam, CARE, ActionAid, Damien, Sesame workshop India Trust, HIV AIDS Alliance, Greenpeace, IFRC, Plan, YMCA, Salvation Army, American Red Cross, German Red Cross etc.
Felix Wiegner
Alliance Mission, Germany
Felix serves with Alliance Mission in the fundraising department where he works with missionaries and helps them to grow their support circles and their partnerships with churches. He shares keen insights about the current situation in Europe and the role of the Global South in the future of polycentric mission funding.
Liz Waldy
Fundraising Director, Mission Without Borders International, UK
Liz Waldy brings many years of fundraising experience from various organizations both UK based and international, including ActionAid UK, United Bible Societies, and Tearfund. She runs retreats, online and in person and integrates the wisdom of her training as a Spiritual Director to her ministry of fundraising.
Peter Roebbelen
President, Charis Foundation, Canada
Peter has over 30 years of pastoral experience and has a huge heart for helping others listen to Jesus. Peter’s book, Mercy – Life in the Season of Dying, was released in 2018. He is a graduate of the University of Toronto, Tyndale Seminary and Arrow Leadership and currently serves as an Arrow trainer. For the last 15 years, Peter has had the privilege and joy of leading The Charis Foundation which seeks to bring hope and healing to the world in the name of Jesus. This has allowed Peter to travel extensively and experience the world in all of its beauty and brokenness. Peter loves spending time with his growing family, getting his hands dirty in their many gardens and generally spending as much time as possible outdoors.
Rebekah Burch Basinger
Consultant, USA
Rebekah Burch Basinger is a long-time consultant on fundraising and board development, working primarily with theological schools and other faith-based nonprofits. In addition, she has served in the administrations of three church-related colleges, directed a Lilly Endowment-funded project on fundraising effectiveness for the Washington, DC-based Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, and currently serves as Project Director for the In Trust Center for Theological Schools’ Wise Stewards Initiative. A frequent contributor to In Trust Center’s webinar and podcast series, as well as In Trust magazine, Rebekah’s primary focus as a writer in 2025 is a series of essays marking the 25th publication anniversary of Growing Givers’ Hearts: Treating Fundraising as Ministry which she co-authored with the late Thomas Jeavons.
Redina Kolaneci
Founder, Christian Fundraising Consultancy, UK & Albania
Redina serves as the Director of Christian Fundraising Consultancy. She is passionate about helping Christian charities build their fundraising on strong biblical foundations. She loveseeing the faces of mission leaders and fundraisers lit up with big smiles when they realize (often) for the first time that fundraising is part of God’s plan for their ministry.
Zenet Maramara
Founder, Christian Stewardship Association, Philippines
Zenet is the founding president of Christian Stewardship Association and a founding board of the Christian Council for Transparency and Accountability. She is on the board of Global Trust Partners, a spin off from the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) international work.
She is co-founder and chairman of Christians in Conservation, an A Rocha Associated Project, a creation care NGO. For two decades, she has been advancing the teaching and practice of a faithful steward in all areas of life. She advocates a simple and minimalist lifestyle not only to help the planet but to enjoy the world, unencumbered by its material trappings.
Wendy
VanderWal Martin
Director of Development, HNS
Wendy VanderWal Martin joined the HNS team in May 2023. She was introduced to Henri Nouwen as a teenager and counts him as one of her primary spiritual guides. From 2002 – 2021, Wendy served as Executive Director of Generous Space Ministries. Wendy lives in the liminal space at the intersection of a mystical heart and visionary strategist and is passionate about cultivating spiritually vibrant communities. Wendy holds an M.Div. from Tyndale Seminary and D.Min. from Knox College, Toronto School of Theology.
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