Director, Major Gifts
| Position Overview | đź’Ľ |
| Organization: | Habitat for Humanity GTA |
| Position Title: | Director, Major Gifts |
| Reports To: | Vice President, Resource Development |
| Team: | 3 direct reports:Senior Development Officer, Researcher, Database Manager |
| Location: | Hybrid work model. Minimum of one day a week in office at 155 Bermondsey Road, Toronto. |
| Compensation: | $125,000 to $135,000, plus a comprehensive benefits and vacation package. Compensation will be determined commensurate with experience. |
| Use of AI: | Artificial intelligence is not currently used to screen, assess, or select applicants at any stage of the hiring process. |
| Is This You? | âť” |
You are a strategic, relationship‑driven fundraising leader who brings together philanthropy, mission impact, and long‑term donor engagement to deliver meaningful results. You excel at building trust with high‑value donors, deepening relationships over time, and securing transformational investments that advance organizational priorities. You understand what motivates major and legacy donors, and you know how to translate shared values into sustained, purpose‑driven philanthropic commitments.
You are energized by the opportunity to grow a major gifts and planned giving program. You bring discipline to portfolio management, creativity to donor cultivation, and confidence to complex solicitations — including six‑ and seven‑figure gifts. You see the full continuum of donor engagement and know how to strengthen the pipeline at every stage.
You are a people‑first leader who loves coaching, motivating, and aligning a team toward ambitious shared goals. You balance big‑picture strategy with operational excellence, using data, insights, and financial acumen to guide decisions, forecast revenue, and elevate performance. You collaborate naturally across departments and engage senior leaders, volunteers, and Board members with clarity, credibility, and purpose.
You are inspired by Habitat GTA’s mission and motivated by the chance to help address the housing crisis in the Greater Toronto Area. If you’re excited by the opportunity to shape a major gifts program and unlock transformational philanthropic support for one of the GTA’s most respected and vital organizations, keep reading!
| The Organization | 🏢 |
Habitat for Humanity Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is Greater Toronto’s most recognized provider and advocate of solutions that tackle the region’s housing crisis. The mission is to create a world where everyone has a safe, quality place to live. Habitat GTA is focused on creative solutions to address the affordable housing crisis in Toronto, Brampton, Caledon, York Region and Durham Region. With the help of volunteers, donors and community partners, they unlock change for generations by bringing the benefits of home ownership to more people and communities. Since 1988, Habitat GTA has built 23 new communities, empowering more than 500 families, and by 2030 expect to have 2,000 homes built or underway through an expanded housing model. Along the way, they provide unparalleled opportunities for community volunteers to give back, build skills, expand their networks and build lifelong friendships.
Habitat for Humanity started in 1976 in Americus, Georgia, thanks to the vision of Millard and Linda Fuller. Since then, it has grown into a global movement that operates in 70 countries. One of its most prominent supporters has been former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn, who launched the Jimmy Carter Work Project in 1984 and remained actively involved with the organization for over four decades.
Habitat for Humanity GTA is one of 45 Habitats across Canada, an independent non-profit corporation that follows an affiliate agreement with the national organization. Habitat for Humanity GTA was formed in 2014 by merging three existing affiliates: Habitat for Humanity Toronto, Brampton-Caledon, and York Region. In 2020, Habitat Durham joined Habitat for Humanity GTA, expanding the reach and impact in the Greater Toronto Area.
ReStore is Habitat for Humanity’s social enterprise that supports homebuilding activity. ReStore collects and sells donated new and used home items at low prices. The 10 GTA stores help Habitat GTA fund home construction and use more donor dollars for the mission. Habitat ReStore also saves natural resources, prolongs the life of household goods, and reduces waste and carbon emissions.
| The Position | 🖊️ |
The Director, Major Gifts is a senior fundraising leader responsible for the strategic growth, performance, and long‑term sustainability of Habitat for Humanity GTA’s Major Gifts and Planned Giving programs.
Reporting to the Vice President, Resource Development, the Director leads the full major giving continuum — prospect identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship — with accountability for growing the major gifts portfolio, strengthening the donor pipeline, and securing significant philanthropic investments, including seven‑figure gifts.
As a people leader, the Director oversees a team responsible for major gifts, planned giving, research, and database management, ensuring strong alignment between strategy, execution, and performance. The Director also plays a key leadership role in managing and activating the Major Gifts Cabinet, working closely with senior leadership, Board members, and volunteers to advance fundraising priorities and secure transformational gifts.
| Key Accountabilities | âś” |
Major Gifts Strategy & Revenue Growth
- Lead the development and execution of Habitat GTA’s Major Gifts strategy, driving year‑over‑year revenue growth across major and planned giving programs.
- Develop and implement short‑ and long‑term goals, objectives, timelines, and budgets to support sustainable growth.
- Strengthen and expand the major donor pipeline, ensuring consistent identification and progression of high‑potential prospects.
- Oversee strategies to increase donor retention, upgrade giving levels, and enhance the overall donor experience.
- Play a key role in securing transformational gifts in partnership with the CEO, VP Resource Development, and Major Gifts Cabinet Chair.
Portfolio & Donor Relationship Management
- Serve as the Primary Relationship Manager for a portfolio of high‑value donors and prospects.
- Personally lead cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for major gift opportunities, including six‑ and seven‑figure gifts.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with major donors, prospects, and philanthropic partners.
- Align donor interests with organizational priorities and projects.
- Ensure consistent, high‑quality stewardship, including customized reporting and recognition.
Planned Giving Program Oversight
- Provide strategic oversight of Habitat GTA’s Planned Giving program, ensuring alignment with major gifts strategy and long‑term revenue goals.
- Support and guide the Development Officer responsible for administering the program.
- Strengthen the pipeline of legacy donors through identification, cultivation, and stewardship.
- Integrate planned giving into major donor strategies as a natural extension of engagement.
- Monitor program performance and stewardship practices to support long‑term growth.
Major Gifts Cabinet & Volunteer Engagement
- Lead the management and strategic engagement of the Major Gifts Cabinet.
- Build strong relationships with Cabinet members, Board members, and senior volunteers.
- Support volunteers in prospect identification, relationship building, and gift solicitation.
- Plan and execute cultivation and solicitation activities in partnership with volunteer leaders.
- Support the development of additional volunteer leadership initiatives as appropriate.
Team Leadership & Performance Management
- Provide leadership and oversight to the Major Gifts team, ensuring alignment with fundraising priorities and performance targets.
- Ensure accurate and effective use of Raiser’s Edge CRM to track donor relationships, pipeline activity, commitments, and forecasting.
- Strengthen data integrity, reporting, and workflow efficiency in partnership with the Database Manager.
- Establish clear performance expectations and support team members through coaching, mentorship, and development.
- Monitor team performance against revenue goals and pipeline metrics, using data to inform decision‑making and continuous improvement.
- Foster a collaborative, accountable team environment that supports strong donor engagement and consistent results.
| The Ideal Candidate | 🌟 |
- Proven success leading and expanding a major gifts program with significant revenue accountability, including securing six‑ and seven‑figure gifts
- Demonstrated ability to build, manage, and advance a portfolio of major donors and prospects
- Deep experience across the major giving continuum — cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship
- Experience managing and supporting volunteer leadership groups such as fundraising cabinets, campaign committees, or Boards
- Strong people leadership experience, including coaching, performance management, and team development
- Strategic, analytical, and data‑driven, with strong financial acumen and comfort forecasting revenue
- Proficiency with CRM systems and a commitment to using data, insights, and systems to guide strategy and strengthen performance
- Exceptional communication, influence, relationship‑building, and cross‑department collaboration skills
- Genuine passion for Habitat GTA’s mission and a commitment to creating a world where everyone has a safe, quality place to live
| Application Instructions |  | 📋︎ |
Habitat for Humanity GTA is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Applicants must be eligible to work in Canada throughout the duration of their employment with Habitat for Humanity GTA. Proof of eligibility will be required. The successful candidate must receive clearance by a police background check.
Habitat for Humanity GTA is committed to ensuring a barrier-free, accessible and inclusive work environment. They welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities.
Preston Human Capital Group is conducting this search on behalf of Habitat for Humanity Greater Toronto Area. Â If you are looking for an outstanding challenge and meet the qualification criteria, we look forward to hearing from you. Please include a cover letter and CV addressed to Lori Radke at lori@phcap.ca. If you require accommodation during any stage of the recruitment process, please indicate this in your cover letter. The posting closes on Monday, May 11, 2026, at 5pm ET. Please note that only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Thank you for your interest.