Director of Fund Development
About Us:
Smilezone Foundation is a registered Canadian charity based in Oakville, ON. Founded in 2012, the Foundation’s mission is to make tough days a little brighter for children and their families who are receiving treatment in hospitals and health care facilities across Canada. We do this by installing fun and engaging “Smilezone” spaces within healthcare spaces that harness the uplifting power of a smile. Over a single weekend, our Smilezone design team transforms an existing waiting room, treatment room, or patient care room into a Smilezone. Each Smilezone provides a bright, comforting, and engaging space for children and their families while spending time in a hospital or health centre. Our Smilezones are custom designed with features such as fresh paint, murals, furniture, sensory items, interactive technology and more!
Please visit www.smilezone.com for more information about the 300+ Smilezones across Ontario. As of 2022, Smilezone Foundation is embarking on ambitious plans for national expansion across Canada.
Position Summary:
Reporting to the Executive Director, Smilezone Foundation is currently seeking a full-time Director of Fund Development. You will be responsible for overseeing the achievement of Smilezone Foundation’s fundraising initiatives, revenue targets, and overall fundraising strategy. You will personally identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors and prospects in accordance with performance targets set by the Executive Director.
Looking beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, we are embracing a hybrid work environment where you will work out of our Oakville head office as well as working from home. We offer a family-friendly environment that allows for flexible work arrangements to support employee well-being and ensure a healthy work-life balance.
Responsibilities:
- You will work with the Foundation’s Executive Director and Fundraising Committee to develop, lead, and implement a short and long-term fundraising strategy aligned with the Foundation’s strategic plan and annual targets
- You will develop and manage the Foundation’s annual fundraising budgets
- You will research, identify, prepare, and deliver compelling funding proposals and presentations to corporations, private and family foundations, and community partners
- You will drive the growth of our both our corporate sponsorship and major donor/family foundation giving programs, including the development of personalized strategies for both current and prospective donors
- You will drive the development of a donor prospect pipeline aligning with the Foundation’s fundraising goals
- You will work closely with the Executive Director and Fundraising Committee to engage Board members to support fundraising activities
- You will oversee the development and implementation of exciting donor engagement, recognition, and stewardship plans tailored to corporate, family foundation, and major gift donors. This includes preparing and delivering donor impact reports and stewardship events
- You will provide ongoing maintenance of the Foundation’s donor database, ensuring all assigned donor records are up to date and accurate, as well as analyzing the database for growth opportunities
- You will actively grow and manage grant opportunities that align with the Foundation’s philanthropic objectives, engaging in the application process from start to finish
- You will provide ongoing evaluation and reporting of all fundraising activities to the Executive Director and Fundraising Committee to ensure fundraising goals are being achieved
- You will monitor external markets and emerging trends to identify new fundraising opportunities and creative partnerships
- You will undertake occasional domestic travel as required, to attend events such as: donor meetings, fundraising events, third party events, Smilezone grand openings at hospitals/health centres, and networking events
- You will act as an ambassador and spokesperson for the Foundation, specifically when communicating with donors, our hospital and health centre partners, media, and other stakeholders
- You will assist in the development of the Foundation’s key communication assets and campaigns that support our fundraising initiatives
- You will ensure compliance with fundraising best practices, including all ethical guidelines and principles outlined by the Canada Revenue Agency, Imagine Canada, Association of Fundraising Professionals, and Canadian Centre for Philanthropy
- You will support Smilezone team members with the execution of our key annual special event fundraisers, including but not limited to our annual golf and hockey tournaments
- As our organization grows, you will manage future staff supporting the Foundation’s fundraising initiatives and programs
- As our organization grows, you will support the development and successful implementation of fundraising strategies within the individual donor market
- You will contribute to the Foundation’s culture by understanding and supporting our mission and vision and actively demonstrating our values
Qualifications:
- Post-secondary education in a related field, including fundraising, business, and/or combination of education, experience, and training
- A minimum of five years of fundraising experience at a management level
- A proven successful track record in setting and achieving fundraising revenue targets
- A proven successful track record in prospecting, soliciting, and securing donations from corporations, family foundations, and high net worth individuals
- A proven successful track record in setting and controlling expense budgets
- Strong knowledge of fundraising principles and best practices
- Demonstrated strategic thinking and critical analysis skills as it relates to developing fundraising initiatives
- Previous experience in healthcare philanthropy is considered a strong asset
- Excellent project management skills with the ability to prioritize
- Exceptional relationship building and interpersonal abilities
- Strong verbal and written communication skills, with a focus on strong presentation and public speaking abilities
- A deep understanding of donor needs
- Excellent leadership skills and willing to take initiative on new projects
- An understanding and respect for the confidential nature of financial development
- Demonstrated accuracy in records managements and reporting
- Previous experience managing a donor database/CRM system
- Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office and Google suites required; experience with Adobe suite and Canva considered a strong asset
- A true self-starter, with the capability to work in an independent environment and understand the responsibility that comes with it
- Willingness to participate and assist in other areas of development when necessary
- Detailed knowledge of Canadian charity laws, ethics, and CRA regulations
- Applicants with CFRE designation and professional membership with AFP strongly encouraged to apply, or those with a demonstrated willingness to work towards obtaining CFRE certification
- Flexibility to work occasional evenings or weekends when required
- Flexibility to undertake occasional domestic travel when required
- G-class license and reliable access to a vehicle required
How to Apply: If you are interested in applying for this position, please email your resume and cover letter in PDF format to Jackie Hames, Executive Director, at jhames@smilezone.com – please indicate “Director of Fund Development” within the subject of your email.
While we thank all applicants for their interest, only those selected for interviews will be contacted.
Smilezone Foundation provides equal employment opportunities regardless of gender, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, or marital status. We encourage groups who have been historically disadvantaged with respect to employment to apply for positions at Smilezone Foundation. Should you require any form of accommodation during the recruitment process, kindly let us know within your application email.
The successful candidate will be required to provide a satisfactory Vulnerable Sector Screening or equivalent criminal check as a condition of employment.
COVID-19 Vaccine Policy: Smilezone Foundation is committed to taking all reasonable efforts to ensure the health and safety of our employees, volunteers, stakeholders, and the medically vulnerable children and families we support. Therefore, it is a condition of employment with Smilezone Foundation that new employees provide proof that they are vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to the start date of employment. This means that all new employees must have received at least two valid doses of a COVID-19 vaccine approved by Health Canada prior to their start date. In addition, it is a condition of employment that all new hires obtain and submit proof of all required doses of the vaccine and maintain all booster vaccines as approved and recommended by Health Canada. Applicants who have appropriate written proof of a medical reason, or a reason pursuant to the Ontario Human Rights Code, for not being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 may provide such documentation to the Human Resources department. Such situations will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Personal health information collected by Smilezone Foundation is stored in accordance with applicable privacy laws and will be kept confidential.