Vice President, Fundraising

As member of the executive leadership team, the Vice President of Fundraising advances the the mission, vision, and values of United Way East Ontario by leading the organization’s comprehensive fundraising strategy and securing the philanthropic, corporate, and community partnerships required to sustain and grow its impact.

They are accountable for the strategy and management of all aspects of United Way East Ontario’s fundraising efforts. The role includes managing and approving a substantial operating budget and occasionally serving as spokesperson for the organization. They are responsible for a large revenue goal as well as managing a personal portfolio of donor relationships.

The VP, Fundraising sets both long-term and short-term plans, working in partnership with the VP, Marketing and Communications, and the respective teams to achieve the organization’s fundraising goals.

They provide strategic leadership to and is accountable to manage a team that oversees a diverse revenue portfolio including workplace campaigns, leadership giving, major giving, transformational gifts, planned giving, sponsorship, and direct response. The role acts as a key mentor and adviser to a dynamic portfolio-diverse Resource Development team, as well as the organization as it relates to fundraising efforts.

As a key member of the leadership team the Vice President of Fundraising proactively fosters trust, consistently embodies the organization’s core values and principles, and demonstrates a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all interactions and decision-making. This role also supports organizational goals to ensure we achieve our mission and vision.

 Fundraising Strategy and Leadership

• Ensures development, implementation of multi-year fundraising plans and strategies to grow the current revenue streams and implements ambitious plans to unleash the passion of individual, corporate and community networks through innovative fundraising approaches that adapt to changing landscapes in alignment with the organization’s strategic and corporate plan
• Develop and maintain an in-depth knowledge of the organization’s mission and impact priorities, ensuring cross-collaboration across the organization to create compelling donor offers, funding proposals and stewardship initiatives.
• Build, develop and maintain innovative, effective and mutually beneficial partnerships that support identified priorities for United Way East Ontario and that facilitate greater awareness of our work
• Working in partnership with Vice President of Marketing and Communications ensures the creation and production of highly effective fundraising materials for distribution to a wide and diversified audience are in accordance with overall corporate strategy.
• Participates in organizational strategic planning sessions and provides management leadership to Resource Development projects.
• Prepares and Reports on fundraising initiatives and outcomes for the Executive Leadership Team, the Board of Directors and Sub-Committees
• Works with others to ensure, establish and maintain gift acceptance and stewardship policies and procedures in line with CRA, Privacy, AFP requirements and best practices in Canada.
• Foster a culture of data-driven decision-making to inform strategic choices and analysis for monitoring progress, identifying areas for improvement and driving organizational success

 Donor & volunteer relationships  

• Responsible for the cultivation, stewardship and development of a diversified donor portfolio.
• Plays the leading role in advancing strong, trusting relationships that result in major and transformational gifts
• Works with senior volunteers to determine appropriate plans to engage donors to support and execute giving strategies.
• Recruit and collaborate with senior community volunteers for various opportunities that will be beneficial to UWEO fundraising outcomes

 Team Leadership and Management      

• Responsible and accountable to lead, mentor, manage and supervise the Resource Development team, including staff and operational volunteers, to build a high-performing, collaborative, and accountable culture through coaching, mentoring, setting performance goals and ensuring capable management succession.
• Lead and motivate the staff team ensuring effective training, management, evaluation, and support for professional development ensuring the team’s skill set remains current with evolving standards.
• Provides timely and constructive feedback and monitors annual work plans to achieve the department’s objectives.
• Sets clear and ambitious goals for the organization, with a clear and achievable plan
• Designs and implements the annual and multi-year strategies for the organization, working in partnership with their team and other departments.
• Ensure all team efforts are appropriately culturally competent, and development of staff and volunteers reflect the diversity of the community.
• Promotes diversity within the team and fosters an inclusive work environment that values different perspectives.
• Promote and exemplify the use of customer service/donor relations management, project and change management principles and tools to support all work.
• Establish work practices and internal fundraising policies and ensure understanding of and adherence to practices.
• Responsible for organizational compliance with CRA and other fundraising requirements
• Helps set, follow and enforce all policies with their department
• Participate in the development of the annual organizational budget, including the Resource Development operating budget.
• Accountable for the fiscally responsible use of expenses for the department including those related projects.
• Ensure adherence to, and seek efficiencies for, the departmental budget and other related budgets.
• Function as a member of the internal Executive Leadership Team
• Provide staff support to the Board of Directors, and other committees as required.
• Identify and manage risks related to the fundraising program through appropriate risk mitigation strategies.
• Provide oversight to departmental operations and business processes, including system, fundraising materials development, and staff/volunteer training.
• Ensures adherence to best practices for donor data as well as ensures data is used to drive business decisions.
• Ensure effective collaboration between the Resource Development team and the other teams in the organization (Marketing, Communications and Government Relations, Community Impact, Regional Affairs and Corporate Services) to achieve shared business objectives.
• Lead cross-functional Task Forces designed to engage a broad project team to develop and implement organization wide strategies.
• Ensure all resource development efforts are appropriately culturally competent and development staff and volunteers reflect the diversity of the community.
• Works collaboratively with other United Way network members to execute national, region-wide, urban and rural projects.