Manager, Fund Development

Introduction

Visions of Science is committed to advancing STEM equity by intentionally supporting youth and communities who experience significant barriers to participation. We facilitate community-based youth engagement programs, provide support for families and educators, and advocate for equitable STEM education, and opportunity throughout the system. We believe that when youth understand the possibilities within STEM, they are empowered with the relevant skills and knowledge to be leaders in their community, agents of change for society, and good stewards of the planet. To learn more about Visions of Science please visit: www.vosnl.org.

Authentic Representation

Visions of Science prioritizes facilitating power, platform, and agency to individuals who represent the ethnicities, cultures, and lived experiences of the children and youth in the communities that we partner with-  in all areas of the organization and our work. We strongly encourage individuals from equity-deserving groups who are historically underrepresented in STEM to apply. 

The Opportunity

Position Overview

We recognize that effective social innovation is impossible without sustainable revenue. We view fundraising as a vehicle for transformational social change and try to integrate it into every facet of our work. Our approach involves prioritizing long-term impacts, building organizational capacity, communicating the excellence/ opportunity within our communities from an asset-based perspective with an orientation towards systems change.

As the Manager of Fund Development, you will be responsible for working closely with all teams, the CEO and Board of Directors to support in cultivating meaningful relationships with individual donors, foundations and corporations. 

We are looking for a bold, detail-oriented individual with strong interpersonal communication, organization and planning skills. This individual should be passionate about improving the lives of youth within communities and advancing STEM equity through philanthropy. 

If you are interested in driving transformational change through fundraising, we welcome you to apply!

Position Details

• Contract Type/Term: Full-time/Indefinite

• • Hours of Work/Schedule: 35hrs/week, flexible
  • Available Positions: 1
  • Start Date: February 2022
  • Job Location(s): Toronto, 71 Regent Park Boulevard + Remote Work
  • Salary: $54,759 – $63,269
  • Comprehensive benefits package including: extended health & dental and Group Registered Retirement Savings Plan (GRRSP) matching contributions
  • Reports To: Chief Executive Officer

• Deadline to Apply: February 13, 2022

Major Duties and Responsibilities (including but not limited to)

• Manage a portfolio of donors to achieve annual revenue targets
• Research, develop and cultivate comprehensive relationships with individuals, corporations and foundations
• Participate in all aspects of the gift cycle: identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship
• Maintain a database of prospective donors and partners (individuals, corporate, foundations etc.) and implement a system of tracking, monitoring and reporting on fundraising engagement and activities
• Manage donor database processes including gift processing, production of tax receipts, monthly gift receipts and annual consolidated tax receipt
• Develop and maintain strategies to support strong and positive donor relations to generate unrestricted gifts
• Manage and implement donor acknowledgement, stewardship and recognition communications
• Support a corporate engagement strategy by identifying and monitoring strategic and tactical plans for partnership engagement
• Develop and manage meaningful employee volunteer experiences 
• Ensure that all corporate obligations are met (e.g. logo recognition/inclusion, category exclusivity)
• Collaborate with team members to develop and frame proposal ideas that reflect programmatic priorities and community needs 
• Prepare effective proposals, case statements, sponsorship packages
• Contribute to the culture of professional philanthropy by ensuring that team members are properly briefed and prepared in advance of any contacts to support their cultivation or solicitation activities and provide support with their meetings
• Represent Visions of Science to external audiences, sharing information on programs and priorities
• Implement donor education and engagement strategies 
• Adhere to the highest ethical standards, demonstrate empathetic disposition, reflect an optimistic and positive attitude, and be sensitive to the privacy needs of donors, teams, and program participants
• Adhere to privacy policies for the protection of donors’ personal information and monitoring incoming correspondence for privacy related emails

What We’re Looking For

Key Knowledge, Skills, Competencies

Quality-Focused

• Strong organization skills 
• Ability to set priorities and meet tight deadlines
• Dedicated to diligent tracking, continuous learning, and knowledge translation and mobilization

Communication

• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills including effective networking, relationship building, and active listening
• Exceptional networker with a demonstrated skill to identify and cultivate relationships

Initiative

• Goal driven with an ability to identify new development opportunities

Other Key Skills

• Ability to work with diverse and multidisciplinary teams
• Strong financial analysis and planning skills
• Strong time management skills, ability to multitask and meet deadlines
• Works well both independently and cooperatively in a team, while maintaining the flexibility to adapt to the changing circumstances and priorities of a dynamic and growing organization

Experience & Expertise 

Education and Training

• Undergraduate Degree or equivalent/relevant experience
• CFRE designation is an asset

Experience

• At least 3 years of successful experience in fundraising development
• A proven track record of identifying, cultivating and stewarding major gifts and multi-year relationships 
• Experience in pipeline development, prospect review and qualification, proposal development, report writing, successful cultivation, and solicitation
• Proficiency in standard Fundraising software (i.e. Raiser’s Edge), information resources and publications, including fundraising databases and on-line services
• Ability to align corporate/donor interests with approved funding priorities/case for support to inspire giving and long-term engagement
• Excellent project management skills, including planning and critical evaluation of an initiative and designing metrics to monitor performance
• Strong written and oral communication skills and ability to convey an authentic vision.

Additional Asset(s)

• Lived experience in low-income and racialized communities
• Driver’s License and regular access to a vehicle considered an asset
• Demonstrated fundraising experience including successfully obtaining major gifts at the $50,000+ level
• Understanding of sector trends in corporate social responsibility/community investment and sponsorship
• Demonstrated tact, diplomacy, and ability to liaise with and inspire with a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders

Application Process

TO APPLY: Please submit your application by February 13, 2022 at 11:59pm.

You must include the following in your application:

• Resume
• Statement of Interest 
  • Written letter (max 500 words) or link an unlisted video (max 1 minute) in your application submission touching on the following: 
• Tell us about yourself
• Why do you want to work at Visions of Science? What impact do you want to have?

Please note that only candidates selected to move forward in the hiring process will be contacted.

If you require support navigating the application process please email: hr@vosnl.org. Please note that this email is only for accommodation requests. Resumes sent to this email address will not be considered.