Annual Giving & Donor Relations Manager

Senior School

Full Time - Regular Contract

Starting July 2026

Position Overview

Reporting to the Executive Director of Advancement, the Annual Giving & Donor Relations Manager supports the design and execution of fundraising strategies and stewardship programs to develop and sustain community engagement and philanthropic giving to advance the school's strategic plan. They will be an experienced, dynamic, confident fundraiser dedicated to quickly building strong and authentic relationships with the York House community. The Annual Giving & Donor Relations Manager will be responsible for leading, implementing, and delivering a comprehensive Annual Giving program with the goal of increasing funds and participation rates from all constituent groups. They will also be responsible for designing, implementing, and evaluating a comprehensive donor relations program that consistently promotes interaction with and recognition of donors at all levels to maintain and deepen philanthropic relationships with the school.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement and execute a comprehensive Annual Giving program with targeted solicitations, appeals and activities to increase participation and donations from all constituency groups.
• Lead the strategic planning process to develop the Annual Giving program, including the appeal business plan, calendar of activities/events, optimal solicitation and segmentation methods, donor stewardship and recognition, volunteer coordination, program budget, data/trend analysis and campaign evaluation/progress updates.
• Collaborate with the Communications and Marketing department to develop and implement all Annual Giving creative, collateral and branding for a variety of channels and platforms.
• Develop and execute stewardship strategies for Annual Giving donors and volunteers, including recognition events and multi-platform communications.
• In collaboration with the Advancement Events Officer, oversee the implementation of Annual Giving related special events, including the annual YHS Day of Giving and regular volunteer-led solicitation/stewardship phone-a-thons.
• Write and create Annual Giving donor impact reports, stories, articles/features, including digital content.
• Lead, recruit, and train Annual Giving (parent) co-chairs and other volunteers in facilitating appeal awareness, community participation/engagement and events, including phone-a-thons.
• Support the identification of prospective leadership and major gift donors, develop engagement strategies for increasing participation, and move donors to higher giving levels.
• Work collaboratively with the Associate Director, Alum Relations to grow alum participation in the Annual Giving program through segmented alum appeals.
• Design and deliver a comprehensive Donor Relations programme that will enhance the donor experience and promote a culture of philanthropy through the acknowledgement/stewardship process.
• Develop and implement accurate and creative written impact reports across a variety of media to keep donors at all levels informed and engaged.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to develop and deliver donor recognition initiatives, stewardship activities, and engagement communications across a variety of channels. Collaborate with the Executive Director of Advancement to coordinate donor recognition plaques.
• Coordinate personalized and group donor recognition events with the Advancement Events Officer as and when required.
• Develop, maintain and steward a curated portfolio of major gift level prospects and donors in support of school fundraising priorities.
• Create and write sponsorship proposals to support individual and corporate solicitations for school and Parents' Association / Alum Association events.
• Support new parent engagement strategies, attend school and local-area events to build and deepen relationships and develop a personal profile in the York House community.
• Track and capture constituent engagement and activity in the Raisers' Edge NXT database.
• Liaise with Advancement Services to oversee the timely processing and acknowledgment of gifts.
• Consider and implement Diversity, Equity and Inclusion principles in the planning and delivery of programs and initiatives.

Knowledge, Experience and Abilities

• Experience as a fundraising/Annual Giving professional with a proven record of achieving goals/targets, developing engagement/participation tactics and stewardship strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to identify, foster, build rapport with and manage a broad range of personal relationships with members of the YHS community and constituency groups.
• Proven success in recruiting, managing and inspiring volunteers to contribute effectively and achieve shared objectives.
• Outstanding organizational skills, ability to prioritize and complete multiple tasks to deadlines.
• Experience in developing/managing event-related sponsorship programs is an asset.
• Results-driven, ability to establish goals/action plans.
• Exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, integrity, diplomacy, and maintain confidentiality when working with constituent/donor information
• Analytical, creative, innovative and a strategic thinker
• Demonstrates a high level of initiative, with a proactive and creative approach to problem-solving and continuous improvement.
• Open-minded, flexible and has a sense of humour.
• Committed to continuous professional growth and staying informed of emerging trends, best practices, and innovations within the field.
• Knowledge of and experience in independent school culture is an asset
• Ability to work independently, combined with skills to thrive in a team-based environment
• Flexibility to travel locally and work flexible hours when required

Qualifications and Skills

• Minimum of three years of fundraising and/or Annual Giving and/or Donor Relations program experience, preferably in the independent school or post-secondary environment, or a comparable not-for-profit organization.
• Degree from an accredited post-secondary institution in a related area of study, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, including writing, editing, verbal presentation and public speaking.
• A second language is an asset
• Adept at using traditional and social media in prospect/donor communication, engagement and stewardship
• A Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) credential and/or membership of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) or other related professional networking associations is an asset
• Strong knowledge of Raiser's Edge and/or RE NXT is preferred.
• Familiarity with Mac, Google Suite and graphic design software is an asset

This posting will remain open until the position is filled. Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, as applications will be reviewed as they arrive. We thank all candidates for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Compensation range: $90,000 - $110,000 commensurate with experience and education.