The Royal Alex Foundation offers the power of giving

During her time working in the financial world, Rishma Manji would often spend her spare time volunteering to help foundations raise money. But she never thought about making it her career until she learned about the work being done by the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation.

“I think my passion has always been in non-profit,” Manji says. “And then the combination of non-profit and health care and the direct impact it has on society really was what drew me.”

Manji first learned about the work of the Edmonton-based foundation after she found herself chatting with its president and chief executive officer, Sharlene Rutherford, about another matter.

“We weren’t talking about work, we were just talking about what she does,” Manji says. “So then I looked a little further into what the foundation was all about, and I was really intrigued. And so I kept a watch on the foundation and when there was a position available, I applied. One thing led to another and here I am.”

Manji, who moved from Calgary to Edmonton for her new job as a development officer, says she was excited to see how the work she and the foundation were doing impacted her new community.

“Philanthropy has always been something that has intrigued me, but I’ve only done work for foundations that really impact the Third World,” says Manji, who marked her one-year anniversary with “the Alex” in November. “And so it was kind of cool to see Canadian dollars working for Canadians.”

Rutherford, who has been with the foundation since 2005 and is its longest-serving employee, remembers fondly the first time she was able to show off a new piece of technology to the donor whose gift helped pay for it.

“I saw the look on that donor's face and was able to say to that donor, ‘Here’s what you’ve done. Look what you’ve enabled.’ And it was such a high to be able to do that,” she recalls. “I felt like I was walking on air because of what we accomplished together.”

In her role as president and CEO, Rutherford aims to see the foundation’s values – excellence, innovation, integrity, respect, strong relationships and stewardship – underline all of its actions and interactions. Everyone has a voice, she says, from the newest employee up to the board of
directors.

“Our success resides in the success of donor engagement, and the impact donors have on the hospital. That’s where our successes are, and if we always keep that in mind, then it makes the workplace far more enjoyable. And we believe in having joy in the workplace.”

That workplace sat empty but for Rutherford during the height of the pandemic. She, for one, is happy to have the tight-knit staff back.

“There’s so much energy here, you just feel a little bit more engaged and alive. And it’s so nice to hear laughter down the hallway,” she says.

“There’s even been a couple of days where I’ve had to close my door – when I’m either in a meeting or working on something – because I’m not used to the sounds down the hallway of laughter and chatter, but I love it. It’s like, ‘Wow, this place is alive!’”

Manji, meanwhile, says she has settled seamlessly into her new job and the Edmonton community except for one point.

“I think the most difficult thing for me,” she laughs, “was to put on an Oilers jersey.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Alberta’s Top Employers winners, published January 31, 2023 in the Calgary Herald and Edmonton Journal. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.