Stacy Cardigan Smith, MPNL, CFRE

Stacy Cardigan Smith is a philanthropy, communications, and marketing leader with nearly two decades of experience helping organizations strengthen relationships, inspire generosity, and create meaningful community impact. She is passionate about connecting donors' values and aspirations with opportunities to support lasting change.

Throughout her career, Stacy has advanced organizational growth and community engagement through strategic communications, stakeholder relations, fundraising, and donor engagement. Prior to joining Abundance Canada, she spent more than 13 years at The Winnipeg Foundation, where she held leadership roles across fundraising, donor engagement, communications, marketing, and capacity building.

Earlier in her career, Stacy worked as a journalist with CBC's Enterprise Journalism Unit. The experience shaped her appreciation for the power of storytelling to inform, engage, and inspire action, a skill that continues to inform her leadership approach today.

A committed community builder, Stacy has contributed to initiatives focused on neighbourhood engagement and community well-being, including serving as the inaugural volunteer chair of her neighbourhood association and co-leading a collaborative research project with the University of Winnipeg exploring grassroots approaches to community safety.

Stacy holds a Master of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership from Carleton University, a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Winnipeg, and a Journalism Diploma from Red River College Polytechnic. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and is currently completing a Certificate in Management and Leadership through Royal Roads University.