THE OPPORTUNITY

The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society is seeking a strategic, growth-oriented fundraising professional to provide leadership as the Director of Legacy Giving. This inaugural position will report to the Vice President of Development and will be responsible for leadership of the Society’s legacy-giving and estate administration portfolio.

Reporting to the Vice President, Development, the Director of Legacy Giving will manage and grow a significant revenue stream that accounts for nearly half of the revenue at the Ontario SPCA, and will manage the cultivation and stewardship of a large base of legacy suspects, prospects and expectancies. The position will also partner with executors, professional advisors, and other charitable beneficiaries to support the realization of legacy gifts such as bequests, life insurance, annuities, and charitable remainder trusts.

Through developing a strategy that supports the promotion and delivery of communications and events to confirmed future legacy donors, the Director will re-invigorate the Animal Advocate Society Legacy Stewardship Program with the goal of engaging and retaining legacy expectancies. The incumbent will develop the growth strategy for this portfolio oversee its implementation with the support of one direct report and identify future legacy roles needed to support future growth.

The Director of Legacy Giving will be a subject-matter expert on philanthropy and relationship-based fundraising techniques and will collaborate with fundraising and mission delivery teams to encourage and support best practices in philanthropy. The Director will collaborate cross-functionally in a leadership role to achieve the portfolio’s goals to generate new and increasing revenue for the Ontario SPCA’s strategic funding initiatives.

 

ABOUT THE ONTARIO SPCA AND HUMANE SOCIETY

The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society is a registered charity that has been operating for 150 years. The Society provides care, comfort and compassion to animals in need in communities across Ontario. We value all animals and advocate to treat them with respect and kindness.

The Society strives to keep pets and families together and offers a variety of community support services, such as sheltering and adoptions; including emergency sheltering, feral cat management programs, animal transfers, food distribution, humane education, animal advocacy, and spay/neuter services. The Ontario SPCA does not receive annual government funding and relies on donations to provide programs and services to help animals in need.

Purpose:

We provide care, comfort, and compassion to animals in need; we value all animals and engage our communities to treat them with respect and kindness.

Priorities:

• Ensure the best possible support for animals in our care.
• Inspire healthy bonds between pets and people through accessible care, education, and community collaboration.
• Partner to influence and advocate for the welfare of animals in Ontario & beyond.

Values:

• Compassion
• Transparency
• Excellence
• Collaboration
• Accountability

 

Strategic Plan 2023 – 2028

What the public expects from us: Deliver Care and Promote Animal Welfare

• Provide accessible and affordable animal care
• Provide thought leadership and focus on animal welfare
• Ensure effective stewardship of donor support
• Support healthy bonds between pets and people

What our Communities Expect from us: Inspire Trust and Loyalty in Our Communities

• Be a preferred organization for volunteers, employees and donors
• Provide quality animal care and services
• Provide education on health and wellness for animals
• Be the voice for animals in our communities

 

FUNDRAISING AT THE ONTARIO SPCA

Over the next five years, the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society is committed to growing donor engagement and philanthropic partnerships in our communities. This comes with a commitment to invest in resources and build on longstanding success with a renewed community fundraising strategy.

Last year with the generous support of a loyal donor base of animal lovers from across Ontario we raised $15.8 million dollars to support the Society’s highest priorities and help keep pets and people together.

Strong relationships with long-standing donors drive revenue at the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society.  Legacy donors contribute nearly half of our annual revenue, and our committed monthly donors average a cumulative $2 million per year in contributions. In addition, corporate partnerships, a host of special and community fundraising events across our 13 animal centre communities, and donations from donor-hosted events are just a few fundraising activities that help make it possible for the Ontario SPCA’s volunteers and team members to carry out critical animal wellness programs and services.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Ontario SPCA website

About Ontario SPCA

2023 – 2028 Strategic Plan

Financial Statements & Annual Reports

Leadership Team

Board of Directors

How to Help/Donation Information

Ontario SPCA Services

Media Releases

 

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Legacy Program Development, Operational Planning and Analysis

• With oversight from the VP, Development, develop the strategy for a robust legacy giving program and moves management activity of legacy suspects, prospects, and expectancies.
• Plan and implement a growth strategy that leverages diverse planned giving vehicles (gifts in wills, life insurance, annuities, trusts, etc.).
• As a subject-matter expert, provide guidance and support to the Development team and Ontario SCPA colleagues as needed on legacy-giving best practices.
• Ensure necessary data capture and reporting processes, communications, recognition, and stewardship policies are developed and in place to effectively support the portfolio.
• Operationalize KPI tracking and reporting functionality for the Legacy program.
• Re-invigorate the Animal Advocate Society Legacy Stewardship Program to engage and retain confirmed legacy expectancies (more than 1,000).
• Maintain current knowledge of legacy and estate administration trends through networking, research, and professional development.
• Lead by example to build excitement and accountability with team members for our goals and the impact our donors enable.

Legacy Donor Relationship Management and Revenue Generation

• Personally manage a portfolio of legacy expectancies; identify and qualify legacy intenders and prospects, respond to queries through mailings, phone calls, and emails, and conduct personal cultivation and stewardship visits.
• In collaboration with colleagues managing Major Gift relationships, identify legacy intenders with the capacity to make current mid-level and major gifts and work with current expectancies to increase and augment their legacy gifts.
• Work closely with executors, lawyers, and professional advisors to support the confirmation of legacy gifts.
• Maintain and update donor records in Raiser’s Edge NXT, including all points of contact.

Team Leadership and Administration

• Develop and manage one current direct report, an Estate Administration Officer, to implement the plan, monitor and adapt, as required.
• Oversee cross-functional collaboration with the Annual Giving team in the development of mass marketing activities; specifically mail, email and digital lead generation campaigns and other tactics that increase awareness, qualify new legacy prospects, cultivate identified legacy prospects and confirm new expectancies.
• Support the promotion of legacy giving in collaboration with the Marketing and Communications and Annual Giving team through Ontario SPCA internal and external channels.
• Oversee and direct the work of a future Legacy Giving Officer who will implement and manage the program, in addition to managing their pipeline of prospective and confirmed legacy expectancies.
• Oversee and direct the work of the Estate Administration Officer who is responsible for the timely and accurate management and execution of the Society’s open estate files (150-250 per year).
• Support, set up and attend meetings and events related to legacy and donor stewardship.
• Conduct detailed reviews of estate files and accounts identifying issues requiring further investigation and inquiry where needed.
• As required, lead interactions on behalf of Ontario SPCA with executors and solicitors for complex estates.
• Ensure estate files are maintained to audit standards for the completion of annual and quarterly bequest status reports, and internal reporting on the status of all open and closed estate files.
• Manage the Legacy Giving program revenue and expense budget.

 

QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES

• Extensive experience in fundraising, including direct experience in securing legacy gifts through relationship-based fundraising, and building new relationships with prospects, donors and volunteers.
• Experience in legacy giving program leadership, and some experience with mass lead generation campaigns for planned giving.
• Demonstrated experience with promoting and securing gifts of life insurance, annuities, bequests, and charitable remainder trusts.
• Exhibits a high level of maturity and aptitude for working with and understanding the needs and interests of individual donors related to estate planning. Ability to use tact and discretion and maintain confidentiality is mandatory.
• Supervisory, management or leadership experience building and retaining high-performing front-line fundraising teams.
• Demonstrated strategic thinking and leadership skills, initiative, diplomacy, integrity, creativity, judgment, and decision-making.
• Ability to motivate and facilitate the development of others, including direct and indirect reports.
• Strong collaborator who can motivate colleagues to deliver integrated success through effective project management.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, strong listening skills, empathy, patience, and logic.
• Strong communicator with exceptional written and oral communication,
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to complete multiple tasks with a high volume of work, often with tight deadlines, and keen attention to detail.
• University/College degree, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Working knowledge of Raiser’s Edge, RE NXT.
• Demonstrated commitment to continuing professional growth and education; member of CAGP an asset.
• Must be able to work onsite at the provincial office in Stouffville and remotely as approved.
• Ability to travel throughout the province and must have a valid driver’s license and access to a reliable vehicle for travel.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION

KCI Search + Talent has been retained to conduct this search on behalf of the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society. For more information about this opportunity, please contact Mia Gardiner, Senior Consultant, KCI Search + Talent by email at OSPCALegacy@kcitalent.com

To view full position brief, please visit www.kcitalent.com

All inquiries and applications will be held in strict confidence. Interested candidates should send resume and letter of interest to the email address listed above by October 20, 2023.

The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society provide accommodation during all stages of the recruitment process. Should you require any accommodation, or if you have questions, suggestions, or require documents regarding accessibility in a different format please advise Mia Gardiner at KCI Search + Talent and we will work with you to meet your accessibility needs throughout the process.

The starting salary range for this position is $95,000- $105,000 plus a full range of benefits.

The Provincial Office of the Ontario SPCA is in Stouffville and the position is hybrid with in-office days based on what is needed to lead and manage the team and portfolio. This position requires travel and a flexible schedule.