Fundraising Manager

Position Title: Senior Fundraising Manager
Organization: Wildlife Conservation Society Canada
Position Location: WCS Canada Head Office, Toronto, ON (Hybrid)

• Position Type: Full-time
• Position Level: 8
• Term: Permanent
• Salary range: $75,000 to $85,000 annually based on experience
• Program: Advancement

• Date Written/Revised: October 4, 2024
• Reports to: Director of Advancement, Forough Shafiei
• Supervises (Direct supervision only): N/A
• Start Date: TBD
• Position Contact: Director of Advancement, Forough Shafiei
• Application Closing Date: The job post will remain open until the position is filled.

Position Summary

Addressing conservation and climate challenges depends on inspiring people to understand the benefits of biodiversity and to act on their love and connection with the natural world. Wildlife Conservation Society Canada (WCS Canada) aims to broaden and deepen conservation engagement with a wide range of audiences — from political leaders to Indigenous communities to the public – and to transform the relationship between society and nature in a way that benefits wildlife, ecosystems, and people.

WCS Canada is seeking a Senior Fundraising Manager to help advance our mission by playing a central role in growing our organization’s fundraising capacity and building meaningful relationships and engaging existing and prospective donors.

The position will be responsible for articulating our conservation work and funding needs to support individual, corporate and foundation partnerships and other fundraising activities. This will include managing a donor and prospect portfolio and the creation of Impact Reports, proposals and grant applications, and meaningful stewardship correspondence.

WCS Canada’s unique position among other conservation groups is our science and linked policy engagement. Our efforts include a unique blend of on-the-ground field research and programs that work with Indigenous and local communities to protect priority places and species that operate alongside a national program that influences conservation policy and practice across Canada. This affords us engaging and important material such as charismatic wildlife and beautiful landscapes – with which to work to compel donors.

This position will be a vital member of a small, successful, and motivated team working toward implementing our five-year fundraising strategy. The ideal candidate will have exceptional interpersonal, communication and project management skills with a passion for wildlife and nature conservation.

At WCS Canada we are dedicated to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, included, and empowered to make a difference. You will join a team of incredibly talented and passionate people committed to creating a world where wildlife thrives in healthy lands and waters, valued by all communities that benefit from the beauty and integrity of life on Earth. Here are some other benefits of working here:

• Competitive salary
• Health and Dental benefits, Life Insurance, Health Spending Account (HSA)
• RRSP Program
• Paid Holidays, Paid Vacation, Paid Sick Days and Self-care days
• Parental Leave
• Weekly Wellness Sessions
• Training and Professional Development Opportunities
• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice & Accessibility Team
• Mentorship Program

Principal Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the Director of Advancement to develop targeted solicitation strategies, customized proposals, sponsorship packages, briefing documents, and presentations to secure individual, corporate and foundation gifts.
• Manage donor relationships for a portfolio of new and existing donors from cultivation to solicitation and stewardship.
• Develop communication messages and materials in support of Annual Giving and donor stewardship initiatives, including strategizing concepts, identifying key themes, target audiences and delivery channels, culminating in well-managed production.
• Champion planning, writing, and delivering fundraising emails, and segment lists, and undertake regular email performance tracking and analytics to maximize response and conversions.
• Develop proposals, grant applications, and donor reports in collaboration with our conservation scientists, ensuring the accuracy and integrity of information while creating compelling audience-centric material.
• Deliver superior donor stewardship – including prompt, personal and meaningful gift acknowledgement correspondence, timely renewals, strategic monthly conversions, and gift upgrades.
• Write and produce compelling communications that spotlight and share donor stories.
• Develop and manage the production of bi-annual Impact Reports and WCS Canada’s Annual Report.
• Help coordinate donor stewardship and fundraising events and participate in donor cultivation.
• Work with the Communications Team on the design and production of any marketing and communications materials related to fundraising including digital advertising through social media and Google Ads.
• Contribute to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace that promotes engagement and belonging.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications/ Skills/ Experience

• A degree in fundraising, communication, marketing or a similar field of study or work experience equivalent.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in fundraising, with expertise in developing high-quality customized corporate, major gift and foundation communications including proposals, reports, letters, and other communication assets.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with a strong sense of diplomacy, and demonstrated ability to build strong, collaborative relationships with colleagues, volunteers, donors, and other stakeholders.
• Superlative writing and communication skills, with a strong ability to inspire and motivate donors in response to calls to action, and reflective of a well-evolved understanding of correct grammar, punctuation, and syntax.
• Proven ability to work in a multi-layered, complex, results-orientated institution with multiple internal and external stakeholders.
• Exceptional project management skills and capability to establish new standards of success.
• Excellent ability to produce high-quality work and adaptable to tight, changing deadlines, combined with comfort in managing multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines.
• Understanding of current and emerging best practices in the moves management process and digital fundraising.
• Demonstrated commitment to advancing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion principles.
• Commitment to professional development and personal growth.
• Ability to work independently, rise to new challenges, with an unwavering commitment to detail.
• Computer proficiency in using the MS Office suite.

Preferred Qualifications/ Skills/ Experience

• Familiarity with Raiser’s Edge fundraising database is a strong asset.
• Experience with graphic design, Adobe Suite, and email marketing platforms is a strong asset.
• Bilingual (ability to write formal communications in French) is an asset.

Office Safety Plan Compliance

WCS Canada is committed to providing and maintaining a safe environment for our employees, contractors, and partners. As part of this unwavering commitment to safety, it is a condition of employment that all WCS Canada employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with a COVID-19 vaccine series approved by Health Canada or the World Health Organization.

How to apply:

Please submit your CV and a cover letter explaining your interest in this position and relevant skills and experience via this link.

For questions regarding the position, please contact Forough Shafiei at fshafiei@wcs.org 

For questions regarding the application process, please contact Okechukwu Ezibe at oezibe@wcs.org

Application Closing Date: The job post will remain open until the position is filled.

About WCS Canada

WCS Canada (wcscanada.org) was established as a Canadian conservation organization in July 2004. We are committed to championing accessibility, diversity, and equal opportunity. Our mission is to save wildlife and wild places by improving our understanding of and seeking solutions to critical problems that threaten key species and large wild ecosystems throughout Canada. We implement and support comprehensive field studies that gather information on wildlife needs and then seek to resolve key conservation problems by working with a broad array of actors. WCS Canada has a track record of our science being recognized as relevant, credible and legitimate by researchers, NGOs and agencies. WCS Canada is independently registered and managed, while retaining a strong collaborative working relationship with sister Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) programs in more than 60 countries.

Diversity and inclusion are core WCS Canada values. We value the diversity of the people we employ and work with and we strive to provide an inclusive and equitable workplace in which we recognize the unique characteristics, skills and experiences of all employees. We are committed to engaging our employees in our diversity, equity and inclusion work and together we aim to create a workplace where all staff feel they belong and can grow.

WCS Canada’s programs occur on the homelands of Indigenous Peoples whose relationships various governments are described in historic Treaties, modern land claim agreements, and negotiations around unceded lands. We recognize and support Indigenous Peoples in Indigenous-led conservation initiatives as well as the international ecological and social commitments and responsibilities to Indigenous Peoples that Canada has signed, including the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Convention on the Trade in Endangered Species, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Our commitment to collaboration with Indigenous Peoples ranges from provision of scientific advice to co-creation of research and conservation priorities. We respect Indigenous knowledge systems and include Indigenous ways of knowing in research and conservation programs. We engage in land use planning and impact assessment processes that affect Indigenous Peoples, seeking ways to advance conservation as well as opportunities to sustain the livelihoods and cultures of Indigenous communities. We seek to motivate positive conservation outcomes by supporting effective governance and decision-making processes by Indigenous communities, particularly by supporting Indigenous and Community Conserved Areas.

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