Manager, Development
Are you looking for a place where you can help people, do meaningful work, and grow as part of a positive, collaborative team? Are you creative, enthusiastic, and great at building meaningful relationships? Join Water First, a passionate and growing organization working to support sustainable access to safe, clean water in Indigenous communities.
Water First is a Canadian charity that partners with Indigenous communities across Canada to help address the water crisis through education, training, and meaningful collaboration.
We are looking for a Manager, Development to focus on donor cultivation, stewardship and retention; manage a donor portfolio and foster strong relationships with donors; and meaningfully engage with influencers and Water First Ambassadors.
You are:
- A fundraising professional with 5+ years of work experience or a combination of work experience, lived experience and education
- A dynamic and creative self-starter who enjoys exploring and implementing innovative ways to engage with donors and supporters
- A detail-oriented project manager who is comfortable working with online, digital and social media tools to support fundraising
- A purpose-driven and positive team player who believes in the Water First mandate
We offer:
- A work-from-home/remote position
- Flexible hours
- Generous paid vacation
- Health benefits
- Defined benefit pension plan
Wage: $57,000 – $73,000 / year
Candidates must be available to travel during the week to the Creemore, Ontario office located at 178 Mill St., Unit D, for critical meetings as required.
You’ll thrive thanks to:
- Collaboration with and support from a small, close-knit team of fundraising and communication peers who want you to love what you do
- Opportunities to work with and learn from the entire Water First team of educators, technical leads, administrative staff and other contributors
- A leadership team that believes in – and invests in – ongoing professional development
- Positive stories of the impact your work has on the communities and individuals we partner with
What you will be doing:
- Manage a portfolio of third-party fundraisers and community donors, as well as corporate and foundation donors
- Manage donor stewardship and relationship-building events, both virtual and in-person, including event planning, invitations, day-of activities, and donor follow up
- Collaborate with the Communications team to support and implement 3-4 fundraising campaigns annually that help to advance overall fundraising goals, including the annual Spring and year-end campaigns
- Submit funding proposals and be responsible for ensuring reporting
- Support donor stewardship and engagement with all donor segments
- Ensure timely stewardship of new donors and gifts
- Collaborate with the Communications team to develop customized acknowledgements, stewardship reports, and other related donor materials
- Engage influencers meaningfully with Water First’s work and support Water First Ambassadors
What you will need:
- 5+ years of fundraising work experience, or a combination of work experience, lived experience and education
- General knowledge of fundraising practices, procedures and standards
- Experience speaking publicly to small and midsize groups
- Strong oral and written communication skills
- Ability to collaborate with and support colleagues
- Comfortable working independently with little direction under tight deadlines
- Exceptional digital skills (email and social media) and computer skills: Microsoft Suite and Google Suite; knowledge of and experience working with CRM databases
- Evidence of professionalism, judgment, initiative, tact, discretion, diplomacy, and creativity
- Collaborations with Indigenous communities would be considered a strong asset
- Willingness to continually expand one’s professional skill set, to learn on the job, and to respond to and thrive in a dynamic work environment
- Willingness to travel to northern Indigenous communities approximately 10% of the time to provide program and communications support for program delivery
If you are interested in learning more about this exciting opportunity, we would love for you to apply. Qualified Indigenous applicants are encouraged to apply.
Water First is an equal opportunity employer and employs personnel without regard to race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, language, citizenship, creed, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, physical and or mental handicap or financial ability.
By following the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), Water First Education and Training strives to ensure that all recruiting processes are non-discriminatory and barrier-free. If you require accommodation, please advise in advance of attending an interview.
While we appreciate all interest, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Candidates will be required to undergo a Vulnerable Sector security check as a condition of employment.
Water First’s professional values:
Respectful | Challenge Seeker | Dedicated | Positive Attitude | Confident & Receptive
Learn more about Water First:
waterfirst.ngo | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | TikTok | YouTube