For this edition of 7 Questions, I’m pleased to feature Ophelia Yu, Senior Director, Alumni Relations at Simon Fraser University (SFU). While our paths did not cross at the time, Ophelia and I both worked in advancement at UBC and SFU, and I have enjoyed following her career since then. Today, she leads alumni engagement efforts at SFU, helping foster lifelong connections between graduates and the university. I recently had the opportunity to ask her 7 Questions about her career journey, leadership lessons, and what continues to inspire her work.
1. Who are you, and what do you actually do?
My name is Ophelia Yu, and I’m the Senior Director of Alumni Relations at Simon Fraser University. I oversee the team that manages engagement of SFU’s global alumni population: building, cultivating, strengthening, and stewarding these important connections on behalf of the university.
2. What pulled you into the nonprofit world?
As a teenager, planning out my whole life, I was certain I’d become a medical doctor because I wanted to pursue a career where I could help people. With life’s twists and turns, I learned to see that there are many different paths and ways to help people, and to accept that things don’t always (usually) go to plan. I was a volunteer with Richmond Hospital Foundation for many years through my high school and university years, at their fundraisers and galas. When I started building my career, my eyes were opened to the nonprofit world and the possibility that this work could be my profession. I started as a Development Assistant with the UBC Faculty of Medicine, which brought together work in healthcare and medical research with a profession that helped me figure out what I was good at. The rest is history, documented on a resume, and hopefully some positive impact made along the way.
3. Tell me about a moment that made you think, “Yes. This is why I do this.”
Within fundraising and development, I was drawn to specializing in donor relations and stewardship; what I love to call the business of gratitude. From that perspective, it’s always felt important to me to find moments to pause and acknowledge the things that make me feel grateful and engaged in this work, so I’d like to think I’ve had a few of these moments. One that comes to mind is an example of quiet recognition and stewardship. One of the named buildings at my organization was being decommissioned; the naming had lasted a significant amount of time and “for the life of the building,” but we made an effort to create a commemorative plaque to be installed in a program-related space. The surviving family members of the named individual couldn’t visit the space in person due to personal reasons, but I had the opportunity to go through the storyboarding with them and share photos of the new recognition with them online. It meant a lot to them to see the story and legacy continue to live on, and it meant a lot to me to be able to be part of that effort.
4. What’s something about working in nonprofits most people don’t understand?
The deep and complex “architecture” of the nonprofit world. It doesn’t matter if you are in a small or large shop, healthcare or education; it’s all incredibly complicated and impossible without the dedication and efforts of many people. There are layers of financial responsibility and compliance, mixed with best practices and regulations, and then the nuances of the organization’s unique mission. Plus, relationship management (whether with donors or alumni) is both a science and an art, and is done very intentionally and with consideration.
5. What’s one thing you wish more fundraisers or hiring managers knew?
I think SFU AAE’s leadership says it well: one team, one goal. Individuals and teams have their unique value proposition and metrics for success, but we are all ultimately working towards the same big goals. Fundraising, alumni engagement, donor relations, administrators; we’re all subject-matter experts, working together towards the greater purpose and mission of our organization.
6. What’s a small, underrated habit that’s helped your career?
Practicing gratitude is one, but I mentioned that earlier. So perhaps a bonus habit I’ll highlight here is learning to de-center myself. Building up a small habit of reminding myself in (appropriate) moments that “it’s not about me.” This applies in so many ways, from navigating difficult conversations, setting boundaries, breaking away from perfectionism, fostering empathetic partnerships, and it helps me ground myself when the work starts to overshadow the why. This also helps me better focus on the moments when it is appropriate to center and prioritize myself. For my mental health, my ambitions, and to be clear on my values.
7. Finish this sentence: “The future of fundraising is…”
…fueled by cooperation over competition.