THE OPPORTUNITY
We are seeking a Chief Development Officer to lead all fundraising efforts in support of the Child Development Institute’s mission and strategic goals. The Chief Development Officer (CDO) will develop and oversee the implementation of a comprehensive fund development plan focused on growing revenue from corporations, foundations, government and individual donors. The ideal candidate will care deeply about children and young people, and will value having the opportunity to contribute to the transformative work that we do at the Child Development Institute (CDI).

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, and serving as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the CDO will work closely with colleagues to align fund development strategies with CDI’s overall strategic plan. The CDO will facilitate and strengthen the collaborative relationship between the Fund Development team and other CDI departments in order to understand funding needs, streamline communication and workflows, and articulate key initiatives to donors.

The CDO will also work closely with the Board of Directors, the new Bright Futures Advisory Council, and with the CEO and Senior Leadership Team to refine CDI’s unique value proposition and to identify, cultivate, and solicit prospective partners, funders and donors.

This role requires a seasoned fundraising professional with extensive experience in the non-profit sector. The successful candidate will have a proven track record of cultivating, securing and renewing significant 5-, 6-, and 7-figure donations and partnerships from corporations, foundations, government and major donors. The CDO will also represent CDI to external stakeholders and act as an ambassador for the organization.

The CDO will demonstrate exceptional leadership skills in mentoring and supervising their team of direct reports. We will be adding to our Fund Development team, and the CDO will determine the appropriate structure and focus of roles. The CDO will set clear goals and expectations for achieving fundraising targets and other key performance indicators, and will provide team members with support, encouragement, and guidance to reach these objectives.

Alignment with our core values of Accountability, Collaboration, Inclusion, Innovation and Service Excellence is required from candidates. The CDO will be expected to uphold CDI’s commitments to IDEA (inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility) and contribute to Senior Leadership Team’s IDEA Work Plan, working with colleagues to make measurable progress on IDEA at CDI.

ABOUT THE CHILD DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
The Child Development Institute (CDI) is a Canadian charity that has brought hope and built brighter futures for at-risk children and their families since 1909. CDI has served over 30,000 children over the past five years alone. We work with each child and family’s unique strengths, needs and challenges, helping clients to uncover their abilities, giving them tools to succeed, and supporting them in overcoming significant challenges.

CDI provides community-based services that have grown to provide a comprehensive continuum of care, including those listed below. Direct services are offered at multiple sites in Toronto, and CDI has also scaled the delivery of its signature evidence-based programs (like SNAP and MIM) to a growing network of affiliate organizations across Canada and internationally.

• Child & Youth Mental Health Programs
  • Social, Emotional and Behavioural Counselling
    • Stop Now and Plan (SNAP) Programs
      • Camp Wimodausis
    • Family and Community Counselling
    • Intensive Family Support Program
    • Start Right Social Skills Program
    • School Day Treatment Program
    • Child and Adolescent Services for Abuse and Trauma (CASAT)

• Learning Disabilities and Mental Health Counselling
  • Therapeutic Recreation
    • Young Warriors
    • Mindfulness Martial Arts (MMA) Program
  • Towhee Summer Camp (Haliburton, ON)
  • Feelings First Workshops

• Gender-Based Violence Programs
  • Mothers in Mind® (MIM)
  • Here to Help
  • Shelter and Community Based Services
    • Shelters Program
    • School Liaison Program
    • Taste of Home
    • Transitional & Housing Support Program

• Early Years and Child Care Services
  • Early Learning Centres
  • EarlyON programs

We are a highly collaborative organization, sharing our research, knowledge and expertise through partnerships and collaborations, training, consultation, and publications. Thanks to CDI’s uniquely robust research capacity and proven track record of innovation, we are a trusted thought leader in children and youth services, with specialized experience in mental health, childcare and addressing family violence.

We are proud to be accredited through the Canadian Centre for Accreditation, a third-party organization that accredits Canadian social service and health care providers based on accepted practices that promote ongoing quality improvement and responsive, effective community services.

CDI has a budget of nearly $23 million, with about $15M coming from Government, about $4M from fees for service, and about $2.5M from donations and charitable grants. Our head office is at 197 Euclid Avenue, Toronto. We have about 230 full-time and 120 part-time employees across eight sites.

IDEA & Truth and Reconciliation: Since 2023, CDI has deepened our commitments to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA), and to Truth and Reconciliation. We benefited greatly from the revitalization of our IDEA Advisory Committee, making encouraging progress on implementing key priorities of the IDEA Work Plan, including IDEA measurement and benchmarking through our employee survey conducted in November 2023.

By implementing proactive and inclusive human resources strategies, since 2023, representation of racialized communities has grown from 25% to 34% on the CDI management team and from 22% to 44% on the executive team.

Moreover, to create a more inclusive culture at CDI, and to educate ourselves on vital IDEA calls to action, CDI has organized and hosted meaningful programming and events with leaders from equity-deserving communities, focused on specific topics like Truth and Reconciliation, Black History Month, Black Mental Health Week, and 2SLGBTQIA+ Pride.

In 2024, CDI engaged third-party IDEA consultants to conduct an Organizational Assessment to identify strengths and areas of improvement with respect to IDEA across the agency. This assessment, informed by surveys, interviews and focus groups with staff, Board members and external stakeholders, culminated in an IDEA Action Plan released to all staff and the Board in Fall 2024. This Action Plan includes concrete, measurable multi-year commitments to advancing IDEA across the organization. The CEO reports to all staff at Quarterly Town Halls on progress made with implementing the Action Plan.

CDI has also recently completed customized IDEA training for all managers and senior leaders. The organization remains deeply committed to continuing our IDEA and Truth and Reconciliation journey.

For more information about CDI, please visit www.childdevelop.ca

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

1. Fund Development Strategy and Execution:
   • Develop and oversee the implementation of comprehensive fund development strategies to achieve CDI’s revenue goals for greater reach, impact and sustainability.
   • Identify, cultivate and steward relationships with corporations, foundations, government and individual donors.
   • Integrate IDEA (inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility) into fund development strategy and execution, including intentional partnership development and inclusive donor engagement and stewardship practices.
   • Lead Fund Development team in securing five-, six-, and seven-figure grants, gifts and contributions to expand CDI’s evidence-informed programs and initiatives across Canada.
2. Team Leadership and Development:
   • Develop and lead a high-performing, results-focused Fund Development team, fostering an inclusive and collaborative work environment.
   • Set clear goals and expectations for achieving fundraising targets and other key performance indicators (KPI), along with providing concrete, supportive guidance to reach these objectives.
   • Mentor and develop team members, providing guidance and support to achieve their professional goals.
   • Encourage and embody a hands-on approach, ensuring team members are engaged and motivated, while delegating effectively.
3. Collaboration and Integration:
   • Work closely with the CEO and Senior Leadership Team to align fund development strategies with CDI’s overall strategic plan.
   • Contribute to Senior Leadership Team’s IDEA Work Plan, working with colleagues to make measurable progress on IDEA at CDI.
   • Facilitate and strengthen collaborative relationship between Fund Development and other CDI departments to understand funding needs, streamline communication and workflows, and articulate key initiatives to donors.
   • Consult closely with program teams to gain in-depth insight into the impact that CDI’s services achieve.
   • Work with Board of Directors, Bright Futures Council, CEO and senior leadership team to hone and refine CDI’s unique value proposition to diverse segments of donors, funders and stakeholders.
4. Corporate Fundraising:
   • Develop and implement strategies to secure significant contributions from corporate partners.
   • Cultivate and manage relationships with corporate donors, ensuring alignment with CDI’s mission and goals.
   • Strengthen value proposition to corporate partners by developing employee engagement and skills-based volunteer opportunities, recognition programs and other win-win offerings.
5. Foundations:
   • Identify, cultivate and secure contributions from foundations by generating warm leads and booking appointments with senior officers, trustees and other key contacts.
   • Oversee management of grant-writing processes, systems and timelines, ensuring timely, high-quality and targeted submissions.
   • Collaborate with other CDI departments to develop proposal content to align with each foundation’s priorities while ensuring that grants target CDI’s specific programmatic and revenue needs.
6. Government Relations:
   • Work collaboratively with CEO and government relations consultants to liaise with government officials and agencies to secure funding and support for CDI’s programs.
   • Oversee management and preparation of transformative funding proposals to government ministries and departments.
   • Liaise with other CDI departments to develop relevant content and impact statistics for government proposals and presentations.
7. Major Gifts and Donor Relations:
   • Lead efforts to secure major gifts through individually cultivating transformational donors while overseeing the Fund Development department’s prospecting and cultivation activities, ensuring a robust pipeline of prospective donors.
   • Engage CEO, Board members, and Bright Futures Council in major gift cultivation and stewardship through securing appointments with donors and prospects, and overseeing meeting preparation (e.g., prospect briefing notes) and follow-up (e.g., thank-you notes, actioning next steps).
   • Create and oversee execution of donor engagement and stewardship plans (including regular communications, impact reports, special events and recognition opportunities) while integrating IDEA in the development and execution of stewardship strategies.
8. Board and Advisory Council Engagement:
   • Collaborate with the CEO in engaging the CDI Board of Directors and the CDI Bright Futures Advisory Council in identifying, cultivating, and stewarding major donors.
   • Provide support for Board and Council involvement in donor cultivation efforts, ensuring alignment with CDI’s strategic goals and IDEA commitments.
9. Data, Analytics, and Reporting:
   • Utilize data and analytics to track revenue generation and measure the effectiveness of fund development strategies.
   • Prepare and present reports on fundraising progress, donor engagement, and revenue outcomes.
   • Ensure data-driven decision-making to optimize fundraising efforts and achieve financial goals.
10. Financial Management:
    • Work with Finance and the CEO on developing long-term financial sustainability strategy for CDI, with a central focus on revenue growth and diversification.
    • Collaborate with Finance team to ensure annual financial objectives are met and resources are effectively utilized.
    • Collaborate with Finance team to ensure accurate revenue forecasting and proper allocation of funds to eligible expenses.
    • Oversee the development and management of the fund development budget.

QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS:

• At least 5-7 years of senior executive experience in fund development within the non-profit sector, with a preferred focus on healthcare and/or social services.
• Proven track record of securing five-, six and seven-figure gifts from corporations, foundations, government and major donors; able to provide history of transformative grants and contributions secured.
• Strong leadership and team-building skills, with the ability to inspire, motivate, coach, and manage a diverse, dynamic team.
• Experience working with a range of philanthropic contacts, whether existing or new donors, including corporate, foundation and individual prospects, to cultivate for potential giving opportunities.
• Stewardship-focused with demonstrated ability to nurture, grow and sustain donor relationships.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to develop and implement effective fund development strategies.
• Self-starter with a hands-on approach and the ability to work collaboratively with colleagues.
• Proficient in data-driven decision-making; experience utilizing Raiser’s Edge, Salesforce or comparable CRM for analysis and reporting.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

KCI Search + Talent has been retained to conduct this search on behalf of Child Development Institute. For more information about this opportunity, please contact Tara George, Executive Search Consultant at KCI Search + Talent via email at CDI@kcitalent.com.

Please send your resume and letter of interest to the email address listed above by June 10, 2025.

The salary range for this position is $175,000 – $185,000 plus comprehensive benefits.

To view the full Executive Brief, please visit: www.kcitalent.com.

CDI is firmly committed to diversity within its community and welcomes applications from racialized persons/persons of colour, Indigenous People of North America and the world, persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ persons, and those who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas. We are committed to providing equitable opportunities in employment and to providing a workplace which is free from discrimination and harassment. We are equally committed to providing an inclusive and accessible workplace. If you require accommodations, please let us know.