Karen Shields is an experienced not-for-profit leader with 15 years in fundraising and strategic management. She leads the Individual Giving program at the Barrier Reef Foundation having joined the team in mid-2019. Her role is focused on implementing large-scale integrated campaigns to raise much-needed funds and awareness to protect and restore the Great Barrier Reef, one of the 7 natural wonders of the world.
Before joining the Foundation, she was Head of Individual Giving at the Children’s Hospital Foundation (Qld), and prior to this spent 11 years developing best practice fundraising programs as Executive Manager, Individual Giving at Cancer Council Queensland.
In her roles she has championed and lead the introduction of new fundraising streams within organisations and has also worked across capital campaigns, corporate partnerships, merchandising, membership, and major gifts.
Her passion for keeping the donor central to program design means she is dedicated to ethical fundraising as well as successful fundraising. Prior to fundraising, the platform for Karen’s direct marketing knowledge was formed working in the retail sector for 10 years with a leading global retailer. She joined the FIA Code Authority in May 2020.
