DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

THE OPPORTUNITY

 The Catholic Children’s Aid Foundation (CCAF) is seeking an inaugural Director of Development to lead our fundraising initiatives and help advance our vision of ensuring that every child receives the intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and financial support needed to discover their unique gifts and fulfill their potential.

Reporting to the Executive Director, the new Director will be a member of the Senior Leadership Team and will be responsible for designing and implementing a comprehensive fundraising program. This role will play a key part in fostering a culture of philanthropy within the organization, shaping future fundraising strategies, and promoting best practices in fundraising. This newly created position will be pivotal in supporting the Foundation’s mission to protect children and strengthen families within the Toronto Catholic community.

The ideal candidate will be a personable and confident fundraising professional with a strong track record in major gifts, annual giving, and planned giving. A self-starter with an entrepreneurial mindset, the Director of Development will lead the Foundation in implementing a fund development plan designed for growth. This role involves building processes and strategies to enhance both the annual and major giving programs, while also expanding overall fundraising capacity. KCI Philanthropy has been engaged by CCAF to provide strategic guidance on the fundraising infrastructure, prospect pipeline development, and fundraising policies.

CCAF is a faith-based charity that is aligned with the values of the Catholic Church. Our faith-based approach guides the way we serve our community, with a focus on love, hope, and making a positive impact on those in need.

CCAF provides a flexible hybrid work environment, blending remote work with two in-office days each week at the Foundation’s office located at 2206 Eglinton Avenue East in Scarborough, Ontario.

 WHO WE ARE: OUR STORY

Our story as fundraisers, grant providers, and champions of positive change

We are a registered charity partnered with the Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Toronto (CCAS), dedicated to raising funds to support their transformative work. We offer short-term financial assistance for the immediate needs of children and youth in care, as well as substantial grants to create programs that enhance the child welfare system for families. CCAS workers emphasize that, without the Foundation, many children and youth would lack the resources to lead a normal life. Our heart-in-hand logo symbolizes our commitment to caring for and supporting children in need.

 Fundraising for kids in Canada’s most established Catholic Children’s Aid Society

The CCAS was established in 1894 after the Ontario government introduced an act and funding for Children’s Aid Societies, authorizing them to apprehend children who were neglected or without parents or guardians.

When Catholic children placed in non-Catholic homes endured attempts to convert them to other religions, it sparked a movement to form a Society to meet the unique needs of the Catholic population.

On October 22, 1894, the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Toronto was incorporated under the stewardship of the Most Reverend John Walsh, Archbishop of Toronto. Today, the CCAS and CCAF continue to uphold the Vincentian values of compassion, humility and generosity.

Our charitable work originated through Hope for Children, a former department of the CCAS. As our philanthropic efforts evolved, we created a separate entity and identity for the Foundation.

Our Vision

We protect children and strengthen family life.

We’re striving for a Catholic community, so every child is supported intellectually, emotionally, spiritually and financially to discover their gifts and realize their potential.

Our Mission

We raise and grant funds that help improve individual lives and outcomes for everyone served by the Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Toronto.

 Our Values

Our core values are rooted in our history as a children’s aid society of St. Vincent de Paul, the patron saint of charitable societies.

Compassion: We are passionate and motivated to do whatever it takes to help people in need.

Humility: Our work is not about us. Everything we do is designed to benefit others.

Generosity: We provide financial support with a generosity of spirit that reflects the values of the Catholic faith.

  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Catholic Children’s Aid Foundation Website
• Our Story
• Meet Our Supporters
• 2024 Impact Report
• Inspiring Stories
• Get Involved
• Youth Support

 

WHAT WE DO

Services for Children, Youth and Families

We are a private charitable foundation which supports the Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Toronto (CCAS).

Our services help over 3,000 children and youth with their continued success and well-being, both in the community and those receiving supports from the Society.

Young people receiving services from CCAS, may be eligible for:

• Independent Living Assistance
• Immigration Program Services
• Education, Advocacy & Scholarships
• Ontario Child Benefit Equivalent
• Registered Education Savings Plan
• Emergency Grants
• Complaints Resolution

 Financially Support People in Need

Anyone in the care of the Society is facing serious challenges like poverty, lack of affordable housing and childcare, mental health issues or addiction.

Your donations help children and families with various short-term needs that exceed government funding. Your support means a single parent doesn’t have to choose between hunger or homelessness or leave a young person without first and last month’s rent.

Fund Child Welfare Improvements

When the CCAS identifies opportunities to improve child welfare services, we provide multi-year grants so the Society can develop, implement and evaluate these strategic initiatives. Your donations are helping fund the following innovative programs:

Preparing young people to safely support themselves when they leave care at age 23.

Keeping families together by replacing the old child-protection model with a social support model supporting children and families so they can stay safely together.

We also contributed a significant grant to Rosalie Hall to support pregnant and parenting youth and their families.

Christmas Programs

We celebrate God’s greatest gift at Christmas. Your donations ensure disadvantaged Catholic children, youth and families can do the same by giving families food, clothing and gifts at Christmas.

Adopt-A-Family

Since 2020, thousands of families have received a better Christmas thanks to your support of our annual Adopt-a-Family program. Donors purchase gifts after being matched with a family served by the Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Toronto.

Provide Emergency Assistance Payments

Many families in children’s aid live in precarious situations: the smallest pressure on their budget can have a devastating impact on a parent’s ability to manage and provide care for their children. The pandemic and rising costs have only made life more challenging.

CCAS staff work with families, so they don’t have to suffer without essential health care or have to choose between feeding their kids or paying the rent. CCAS staff apply to the Emergency Assistance program outlining what the family needs to survive. The more we have your support, the more families we can help.

Providing cribs to keep infants safe through the Sweet Dreams program:

Over the last five years, donors like you have provided numerous families with potentially life-saving cribs for their little ones.

By giving to the Sweet Dreams program, you’ll support the purchase of a crib, mattress and a sleep sack so babies are safe every time they are put down for a nap or the night. With your support, a CCAS worker and health promotion staff can teach new parents how to keep their baby safe using the best sleeping practices such as “back to sleep” where infants are always laid down on their back, never their tummy.

Grant Scholarships

For several years, youth have received scholarships to cover tuition for college, university or a trade program. Most importantly, these bursaries give young people the chance to continue their post-secondary education so they can create a better life.

We are grateful to our generous supporters, without whom it would not be possible for us to support youth as they pursue higher education or skills training.

 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

·       Tony Cocuzzo – Chair ·       Susanne DesRochers – Vice Chair ·       Peter Brennan – Treasurer ·       Tara Tinmouth – Secretary ·       Kathleen O’Brien – Board Member

·       Geoffrey Grayhurst – Board Member ·       John Voutsinos – Board Member ·       Teresa Palandara – Board Member ·       Cameron Murphy – Board Member

THE FOUNDATION TEAM

·       James K. Gilligan, Executive Director ·       Steven Dos Santos, Comptroller ·       Marichelle Lumingkit, Executive Assistant ·      Jewel Silveira, Marketing Coordinator

 

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Planning, Strategy, and Leadership

• Work closely with the Executive Director, serving as a fundraising strategist and an operational leader.
• Collaborate with the Executive Director to develop short and long-range fundraising strategies including the creation, monitoring, and evaluation of the Foundation’s multi-year development plans and targets in alignment with organizational priorities and needs.
• Participate as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, and engage regularly with the Board of Directors, and other staff to ensure a solid understanding of current and future needs, and that staff are informed and appropriately engaged in fundraising activities.
• Represent Catholic Children’s Aid Foundation in the community, at events, and with partners in a manner that supports increased awareness and connection.
• Develop relationships with Society and Foundation staff to support a culture of philanthropy throughout Catholic Children’s Aid.
• Provide leadership to the Foundation staff team in the planning and direction of all fundraising programs.
• Identify, analyze, and implement new innovative fundraising opportunities.

Fundraising

• Evaluate and advance the current annual giving program (~$100,000) with a focus on retention and growth within the individual donor stream.
• Develop and maintain a portfolio of high-value prospect donors to achieve fundraising goals.
• Establish acknowledgement, recognition and stewardship strategies to ensure donors are properly and equitably acknowledged and appropriately recognized and stewarded for their current and future gifts.
• Provide strategic input and oversight in the design and planning of a structured planned giving program that focuses on bequests for future investment.
• Ensure and support recruitment and engagement of volunteers for community-based fundraising.
• Work collaboratively with Marketing and Communications to develop and deliver regular, effective donor communications that demonstrate impact, ensure appropriate recognition, and inspire giving.
• Identify and evaluate new revenue channels and emerging technologies with potential to grow revenue, increase efficiency and reengage donors.
• Maintain knowledge of best practices and trends around philanthropy.

Financial and Data Management

• Collaborate with the finance department to reconcile donor contributions, monitor revenue streams, and prepare accurate financial statements and reports.
• Build and strengthen fundraising processes, policies, and activities ensuring adherence to regulatory requirements.
• Work collaboratively with the Executive Director and Comptroller to ensure all business, fiduciary and legal responsibilities pertaining to fundraising are met, and provide regular reports confirming these requirements to the Board of Directors.
• Responsible for ensuring the accuracy and confidentiality of donor information.
• Ensure accurate and timely entry of donor information in the database.
• Provide oversight and support for the distribution of tax receipts and corresponding acknowledgement letters on an ongoing basis.

 

QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES

• Progressive fundraising experience in a charitable organization with a demonstrated record of achieving financial and business goals.
• Demonstrated experience building fundraising strategies and plans that leverage entrepreneurial creativity and support revenue growth.
• Ability to analyze fundraising challenges, identify growth opportunities and develop innovative solutions to achieve objectives.
• Experience managing or supporting a comprehensive donor-centered fundraising program encompassing annual, major and legacy giving.
• Skilled in building lasting relationships with donors, volunteers, and internal teams to foster a culture of philanthropy.
• Experience working with Board members and/or other senior volunteers in a fundraising capacity.
• Skills in prospect development, management, and stewardship.
• Experience developing budgets and tracking and reporting against goals.
• Technological fluency, including data systems and CRMs with experience using reporting applications and dashboards.
• Exceptional interpersonal and relationship-building abilities.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and with the ability to drive and manage change.
• Strong relationship-building skills with the ability to build partnerships and consensus with diverse groups of donors, senior volunteers, and committees.
• Highly developed interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively and foster relationships with diverse audiences.
• Excellent problem-solving, research, and analytical skills, with a drive to exceed expectations.
• Ability to exercise tact and diplomacy and maintain confidentiality.
• Commitment to uphold professional standards and ethics, knowledgeable of fundraising trends, Canadian charity, and related tax implications and CRA regulations.
• Demonstrated proficiency in Raiser’s Edge NXT or similar CRM.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION

KCI Search + Talent has been retained to conduct this search on behalf of Catholic Children’s Aid Foundation. For more information about this opportunity, please contact Meredith Roberts, Senior Consultant at KCI Search + Talent via email at CCAFDoD@kcitalent.com.

Please send your resume and letter of interest to the email address listed above by March 19, 2025.

The salary range for this position is $115,000 – $130,000 plus comprehensive benefits.

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

Catholic Children’s Aid Foundation is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. We are committed to providing employment accommodation in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. If you require any accommodations, please notify the Search Consultant.