Senior Development Specialist, Major Gifts

The Mohawk College Foundation team is growing, and it’s an exciting time to be part of our Advancement team! 

We are seeking a passionate fundraiser to fill a new role as Senior Development Specialists, and we are seeking an experienced development professional with a track record of success in Major Gifts and Planned Giving.

The Senior Development Specialist, reporting to the Director, Philanthropy, will work closely with the Vice President, Advancement and Alumni Engagement, College Leaders, Foundation team colleagues, faculties and schools, and departments across multiple campuses to develop the strategy, cases for support, donors, prospects and partners to inspire investment in Mohawk College.

Building a strong organization-wide culture of philanthropy at Mohawk College, the Mohawk College Foundation desires authentic, transformative relationships with its donors, alumni, volunteers, and community partners to ensure long term, sustainable funding for Mohawk College. The Senior Development Specialist will be instrumental in the planning, developing, and executing fundraising programs in support of the College’s strategic plan, as well as academic and fundraising priorities.

The Senior Development Specialist will work in a dynamic, fast-paced, innovative, and highly collaborative environment with numerous concurrent projects and competing deadlines. The incumbents of each role will be motivated, innovative, donor focused, results-oriented, and an effective relationship builder and team player.

The Senior Development Specialist will have a strong donor-oriented mindset and will help realize a well-developed donor pipeline to enhance advancement success. The incumbents will establish strategic partnerships internally and externally to foster a culture of philanthropy and develop strong relationships that inspire giving and donor retention. They will execute strategies to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors and will manage a portfolio of prospects, including Major, Planned, and Mid-level, to meet revenue targets.

What you’ll be doing:

•  Develop and execute strategies and plans for overall philanthropic revenue generation.
• Manage projects in collaboration with cross-functional teams, ensuring initiatives are completed efficiently and effectively.
• Work with the Director, Philanthropy to develop annual revenue and expense budgets for the Major Giving portfolio and the Senior Advisor, Campaigns to develop campaign plans.
• Participate in prospect review and strategy meetings to promote a team approach to fundraising.
• Manage a portfolio of prospects, nurturing relationships and soliciting gifts through personalized cultivation plans, from individuals, corporations, and foundations.
• Develop and implement plans and strategies to acquire new donors.
• Coordinates with other fundraising initiatives, including annual giving and sponsorships, to maximize donor engagement and revenue generation.
• Achieve successful engagement by building, stewarding and maintaining high level relationships with donors, prospective donors and senior volunteer leaders.
• Support all financial and other goals of the Advancement team and promotes best practices across all portfolios.
• Oversee the execution of targeted donor engagement activities for high-value constituent groups.
• Lead face-to-face donor meetings, develops strategy for priority areas, and stays abreast of industry trends.
•  Collaborate with Deans, Faculties and Schools, and other internal partners to achieve fundraising priorities.
• Represent the College at a variety of functions both internally and externally as required.
• Ensure assigned volunteers are appropriately engaged in their roles by effectively mobilizing them with information and other tools to optimize their contributions of time, support and connections.
• Work with the Senior Advisor, Advancement Engagement to develop personalized stewardship plans to recognize donors’ contributions and keep them informed about the impact of their gifts.
• Develop and write fundraising communications materials such as proposals, presentations, cases for support, briefing notes, progress reports, gift agreements, letters, and other documents/materials.
• Work with the Director, Strategic Advancement Initiatives to create inspiring Campaign Cases for Support.
• Demonstrate ability to inspire and raise donor sights, articulate aspirational goals and institutional priorities, and effectively presents philanthropic and partnership opportunities to corporate leadership.
• Maintain and update donor records in the Raiser’s Edge database including contacts with donors, mail, and email correspondence, thank you calls, event attendance, and meetings.
• Work with the entire Advancement team to reconnect and engage Mohawk Alumni.
• Other duties as assigned.

What you’ll bring to the role:

•  Experience with MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint as well as Constituent Management Software such as Raiser’s Edge.
• Experience with Mail Chimp, AKA Raisin or other mailing and online giving platforms.
• Experience with creating webpages and social media posts would be an asset.
• More than 7 years of experience in a major gift fundraising and/or comprehensive sales environment.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively forge, manage and maintain long-standing constituent relationships.
• Experience working with senior volunteers.
• Demonstrated track record in major individual gift cycle activity.
• Highly developed analytical skills with ability to conduct research and use independent judgement to problem solve.
• Ability to influence, negotiate and manage contentious issues to resolution.
• Ability to coordinate and modify projects, and work collaborate with a group of internal and external stakeholders.
• Proven ability to take initiative and carry projects to completion with minimum supervision.
• Excellent teamwork, interpersonal and constituent service skills including the ability to work respectfully and inclusively with a diverse employee population and multiple stakeholders.
• Exceptional communication skills.
• Demonstrated commitment and understanding of human rights, equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility.
• The ability to communicate and work effectively with diverse students, employees, and communities.

What we offer:

•  Progressive vacation plan starting with 22 vacation days per year plus holiday closure.
• Defined Benefit pension plan (CAAT) with contributions matched by Mohawk College.
• 93% top up of maternity and parental leave pay for 52 weeks.
• Annual employee performance incentive program.
• Comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, vision, paramedical services (massage therapy, acupuncture, naturopath, psychotherapy and psychology), short-term and long-term disability.
• Ability to take courses at a reduced rate for employees and dependents.

To find out more about working at Mohawk College, please visit https://www.mohawkcollege.ca/about-mohawk/careers-at-mohawk

We are committed to reconciliation and nurturing an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible (IDEA) environment for everyone who learns and works at Mohawk College. We welcome applications from racialized persons, women, Indigenous people, persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

The College is committed to fostering inclusive ad barrier-free recruitment and selection processes. If you require accommodation during any stage of the recruitment process, please contact Human Resources.

To learn more about Mohawk College’s commitments, please visit the Mohawk College strategic plan webpage: https://www.strategicplan.mohawkcollege.ca/