Director, Campaign and Major Gifts
We are proud to be building the equitable Seneca, and welcome applications from candidates who can contribute to the diversity of lived experiences, perspectives and approaches. Joining Seneca means being part of an inclusive community working hard to dismantle barriers to access, student success and employee potential. If you require accommodation during any part of the recruitment process, please contact jobs@senecacollege.ca.
Position Summary:
Seneca’s Advancement and Alumni team is responsible for raising more than $5 million each year to support Seneca students as well as engaging and servicing more than 200,000 Seneca graduates around the world.
Seneca is laying the foundations for a significant leap forward in philanthropy, engagement and alumni programming in support of our new strategic vision. We are looking for a proven fundraising professional with the drive and ambition to lead our growth in transformative, major gifts.
Reporting to the Executive Director, Advancement and Alumni, the Director, Campaign and Major Gifts is responsible for the overall strategy, management, execution, and evaluation of all major giving activity at Seneca, including capital and comprehensive campaigns. The incumbent will carry their own portfolio of major donors and prospects, and will oversee the major gifts team, having overall responsibility for the identification, cultivation, solicitation, recognition and stewardship of prospects and donors to Seneca, while developing strategies and tactics to inspire significant donations to Seneca’s priority projects. This position is also responsible for overseeing prospect management, research, and all communications specific to major giving that persuasively communicate Seneca’s mission and programs to stakeholders. The individual will have outstanding interpersonal skills, the capacity to work with diverse Seneca partners including the Board of Governors and President’s Office, and be able to work under pressure and meet deadlines and ambitious targets.
Responsibilities:
Fundraising and Strategic Planning
- Solicits and secures pledges, cash donations, sponsorships, and in-kind donations of $25K and up from individuals, corporations, foundations, public sector, and community organizations, in keeping with strategies and goals identified by Seneca.
- Works closely with the Executive Director to plan, manage, and oversee all major giving fundraising campaigns undertaken at Seneca.
- Develops and regularly updates goals for revenue, donor and prospect pipeline, and project completion, in order to evaluate the success of the major giving program.
- Plans, implements and measures initiatives to increase revenue from major giving at Seneca.
- Leads the development and production of materials for the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major gifts, working with internal and external writing and design support.
Administration and Human Resource Management
- Motivates, supervises, and manages the work of three full time positions (two Senior Development officers and a Major Gifts Coordinator).
- In consultation with the management team, works to establish and refresh policies and procedures relating to all development activity.
- Manages the major giving budget.
Prospect and Campaign Management
- Leads the development of campaign plans to include fundraising targets, campaign schedules, funding priorities and cases for support, volunteer management, branding, and messaging.
- Works with internal and external prospect research resources and the major giving team to identify and qualify new prospects, assigning them to funding priorities and relationship managers to ensure the ongoing growth and operation of the major giving prospect pipeline.
- Provides recommendations on the priority of prospects based on research findings and analysis of those findings.
Qualifications:
As part of our commitment to dismantling barriers to success and job opportunities for employees and candidates, Seneca may consider applicants with an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Education
- Minimum completed four (4) year Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, Marketing, Non-Profit/Business Management, or other relevant fields of study. If education is in another field of study, please state how it relates.
- CFRE certification is considered an asset.
Experience
- Minimum nine (9) years of major gift fundraising experience with at least three (3) years of management experience.
- Track record of personally closing six and seven figure donations, preferably from both individual donors and organizations.
- Experience working in capital and comprehensive campaigns is an asset.
- Experience working in higher education and unionized environments is an asset.
Skills
- Thorough understanding of major gift and campaign fundraising, including prospect research, major gift pipeline reporting and donor stewardship, and how to integrate them effectively into the fund development process.
- Superior oral and written communication skills coupled with good judgment and discretion in dealing with confidential or sensitive matters.
- Ability to motivate, mentor, manage, and develop a team of development professionals.
- Exceptional time management, decision making, presentation and organizational skills.
- Strong understanding of and commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion in order to effectively collaborate and interact with the College’s diverse population of students, faculty and staff.
Note:
- A skills assessment will be required during the recruitment process.
- Candidates must have a valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle for on or off campus meetings.
How to Apply:
Applications should be submitted directly on our website: https://tre.tbe.taleo.net/tre01/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=SENECOLL4&cws=42&rid=3551
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. As such, we encourage you to submit your application ahead of the deadline.
We thank all applicants for their interest in this position. However, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.