About the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada

Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada is our country’s leading charity dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth involved in the child welfare system. Guided by a bold five-year strategic plan and Impact Framework and working alongside over 100 child-and-youth serving organizations across the country, the Foundation is focused on driving meaningful, measurable change through outcomes-based partnerships, philanthropy, and systems-level influence.

Our work is grounded in four key areas of focus that are critical to long-term stability for children and youth in and from care: Education, Employment, Mental Health and Well-being, and Strong Families and Lifelong Connections. Across these areas, we fund and deliver high-impact programs and collaborate with communities, service agencies, and young people on solutions that address the persistent challenges faced by children and youth engaged with the child welfare system.

As we implement our new 2025-2030 strategic plan, Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada is entering a pivotal implementation phase, realigning its efforts and structuring its team to maximize measurable outcomes and national reach. Joining the Foundation means being part of a passionate, future-focused team driven by impact and a set of VOICE values. It’s an opportunity to be part of a national movement committed to creating a better future for those too often left behind. Together, we are building a future where the children and youth have the strength and resilience to create a lifetime of their own unstoppable successes

To learn more about us, please visit our website.

To better understand our impact, please watch our ‘Investing in the Future, Today’ video.

The Ideal Candidate:

You are driven by a desire to make a lasting impact for children and youth. You are goal-oriented, organized, enthusiastic, creative, and always looking to grow while building strong, authentic relationships that lead to meaningful support. You bring curiosity, care, and a collaborative spirit to everything you do.

To be successful in this position, the candidate must be results-oriented, adept in fundraising, and qualifying major gift prospects and developing a strategy to engage donors and prospects and inspire philanthropic support. Experience with volunteer and donor relationship management and data analysis, being a strong team player and passionate about improving outcomes for children and youth involved in the child welfare system will spur success in this role.

Could this be the opportunity where your skills align with your passion for helping children and youth thrive?

Position Summary:

The Officer, Major Gifts, plays a key role in advancing the success of one of the Foundation’s signature fundraising initiatives: the Teddy Bear Fund (TBF). This fund is essential to the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada’s financial health and sustainability, enabling swift and flexible responses to the evolving needs of children and youth involved in Canada’s child welfare system.

Reporting to the Director, Teddy Bear Fund and Legacy Giving, this role will help achieve both short- and long-term fundraising goals, including annual revenue targets of at least $1.375 million and vital endowment growth for the Teddy Bear Fund, which currently holds a capital value of $10 million.

The Officer, Major Gifts manages a portfolio of individual major donors, primarily giving between $5,000 and $50,000, and is responsible for relationship development across all stages of the donor cycle. This includes building one-on-one and group cultivation plans to inspire support, identifying and qualifying new prospects, and independently soliciting gifts to expand our donor pipeline and community.

Working closely with the Director, Teddy Bear Fund Co-Chairs, volunteers, donors, and other Foundation stakeholders, this role will contribute to meeting annual fundraising targets and strengthening a growing community of philanthropic supporters. The officer will also support the continued expansion of Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada’s legacy giving program.

Key Responsibilities:

•  Manage a robust portfolio of individual and foundation donors giving between $5,000 and $50,000 to the Teddy Bear Fund, ensuring thoughtful engagement through cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities.
• Collaborate with the Director, TBF and Legacy giving to develop and implement tailored strategies for donor acquisition, cultivation, retention and upgrades.
• Identify and engage new prospects to secure increased support, leveraging research and stakeholder insights.
• Conduct engaging discovery through to solicitation calls that inspire individual donors and prospects to engage in the Foundation’s mission and to make meaningful contributions.
• Collaborate in the development of compelling, customized proposals that align with donor interests and organizational priorities.
• Collaborate with colleagues and volunteers on strategy for high priority prospects.
• Work closely with the Director of TBF and Legacy Giving to ensure donor solicitations and proposals are guided by the organization’s recognition and stewardship protocols/matrix.
• Provide administrative support to the Director, TBF and Legacy Giving by organizing senior volunteer meetings, preparing agendas and materials, capturing accurate minutes and actions, and other activities.
• Ensure all donor interactions led by MGO are effectively tracked and documented through Raiser’s Edge NXT, maintaining timely and accurate records, call briefs, notes, and follow-ups.
• Ensure compliance with Raiser’s Edge NXT operating policies and procedures.
• Support the Director in the cultivation and activation of lead generation and gift intention activities for the legacy giving portfolio.
• Assist with the administration and tracking of realized bequests, ensuring accuracy and alignment with RE protocols.
• Provide administrative support as needed.

Essential Qualifications and Competencies:

•  Relevant experience, typically 2+ years, in fundraising, business development, donor relations, client-focused roles or other similar transferable experience.
• Post-secondary education or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience meeting with donors and prospects, building strong relationship, and making the case to donate to a non-profit.
• Experience building alignment and collaboration across various teams and departments.
• Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Comfortable with rejection during prospecting, with a growth mindset and ability to turn a “no” into a future opportunity valuing relationships over transactions.
• Ability to work in a dynamic and results-oriented environment.
• Evidence of leadership and initiative, tact, diplomacy, attention to detail and creativity.
• Proven planning, organizational, administrative and time management skills with the ability to effectively manage multiple priorities independently.
• Proficiency working with MS Suite 365, communication tools (e.g. Teams, Zoom) and fundraising platform (e.g. Raiser’s Edge).
• Committed to upholding the Foundation’s VOICE values: Vital Learning & Innovation, Open Communication, Inclusion & Diversity, Care & Compassion, and Empowering Accountability.
• Understanding of, or exposure to, Major Gift principles and philanthropic best practices
• Flexibility to work evening and weekend as required.

 Assets (non-essential)

•  Working toward Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) designation
• Working knowledge and experience in Raiser’s Edge
• Bilingual (English and French)

Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada as an Employer

Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada acknowledge that the Foundation’s main office is in Toronto, which is the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississauga’s of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The area now known as Toronto is covered by Treaty 13. Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada is committed to supporting meaningful reconciliation between Indigenous peoples and others in these lands and across Canada.

The Foundation provides equal employment opportunities to employees regardless of their gender, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, or marital status. We welcome and strongly encourage applications from equity seeking groups, including members of communities that are overrepresented in the child welfare system. We offer a family-friendly environment that allows for flexible work arrangements to support staff diversity and ensure a healthy work-life balance.

The Foundation is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). As such, we strive to make our recruitment process as accessible as possible and provide accommodation as required for applicants with disabilities. If you require any accommodations at any stage of the recruitment process, please contact careers@cafdn.org

WHY WORK WITH US

At the Foundation, we prioritize your well-being and professional fulfillment by offering:

• A 35-hour workweek to support work-life balance.
• A hybrid model, with a mixed blend of remote work and 2-3 days in office (Toronto)
• The opportunity to make a meaningful impact on child welfare.
• A generous compensation package, including: 4 weeks’ vacation package, plus 3 float days, participation in the OMERS Defined Pension Plan with contributions matched 100% by the employer, a comprehensive benefits (including medical, dental, life and disability) package, Employee Assistance Program, and a competitive salary.
• A welcoming, supportive, and collaborative work culture that embraces the Foundations’ VOICE values.

Our VOICE Values:

• Vital Learning & Innovation
• Open Communication
• Inclusion & Diversity
• Care & Compassion
• Empowering Accountability

HOW TO APPLY
To apply, please submit your current resume and a covering letter in one single document, detailing how your qualifications align with this opportunity and Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada ‘s mission to careers@cafdn.org and include “Officer, Major Gifts” in the subject line of your email by Friday, June 27^, 2025. Applications will be reviewed as they are submitted. You are encouraged to apply early as we are motivated to fill this role as soon as possible.

We thank all candidates for their interest in the work of Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted due to high applicant volumes. No telephone inquiries please.

WHAT TO EXPECT IN OUR INTERVIEW PROCESS

We value transparency and want to ensure you feel prepared and supported throughout our hiring process. Here is what you can expect:

Initial conversation: A 30-minute virtual conversation with one of our team members to discuss your interest in the role and the Foundation and how you can make an impact.

First interview: A 1-hour meeting (in-person or virtual) with the Hiring Manager and relevant team members. We will discuss your skills and how they align with the team’s needs. We will also answer any questions you have about the role, our culture, and the impact we strive to make.

Second interview: A 1-hour in-person meeting with the Hiring Manager and different team members, depending on the role, it can be our CEO! This stage might include presenting a short pre-assigned case study, a presentation, or discussion of role-specific scenarios. A brief behavioural assessment is completed in advance of this meeting.

We look forward to getting to know you and sharing what makes Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada such a special place to work.