This is a Regular Full-Time position (New Position)
The Opportunity
Women's College Hospital Foundation is looking for our next Associate Director, Annual Giving, a key role that provides strategic leadership for the Foundation's annual giving program.
Reporting to the Vice President, Philanthropy and Partnerships, the Associate Director is responsible for developing and executing integrated strategies that acquire, engage, retain, upgrade and steward individual annual giving donors throughout their philanthropic journey.
The Associate Director will lead the growth of the Annual Giving program, translating organizational priorities and philanthropic opportunities into data-driven donor strategies, integrated campaigns and measurable revenue outcomes. The Associate Director will bring a strong understanding of fundraising analytics, and multi-channel annual giving, while ensuring the effective management of internal and external resources required to deliver the program.
Working collaboratively across Philanthropy and Partnerships, Donor Engagement and Impact, Marketing & Communications, Finance and Administration, the Associate Director will ensure a seamless and meaningful donor experience and build a strong pipeline of supporters.
A key component of this role is the strategic management of external fundraising agencies, vendors and consultants, ensuring high-quality execution, strong performance, effective project management and measurable return on investment.
Annual Giving Strategic Leadership
The Associate Director will provide strategic leadership for the growth, sustainability and performance of the Foundation's Annual Giving program.
Key responsibilities include:
• Oversee annual giving channels, including direct mail, telemarketing, digital and other emerging acquisition and engagement strategies.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive Annual Giving measurement framework, including KPIs for acquisition, retention, reactivation, upgrading, average gift, response rates, conversion, revenue, ROI and donor lifetime value.
• Develop strategies to increase donor retention, average gift, frequency of giving and lifetime donor value.
• Identify opportunities for innovation, testing and optimization across Annual Giving channels.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen the pipeline from Annual Giving into Leadership and Major Gifts.
• Develop and execute an annual Staff Campaign strategy designed to increase participation, engagement and philanthropic support among hospital employees.
• Develop and implement strategies to grow the in honour and in memory Tribute Giving Program.
• Lead the Grateful Patient "Give with Thanks" program to deepen engagement with hospital partners, grateful patients and donors.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive Annual Giving calendar that integrates fundraising campaigns, appeals, stewardship, acquisition, digital activity and organizational priorities.
• Develop annual revenue forecasts, program budgets and expenditure plans, and monitor performance against approved targets.
• Develop regular performance reports, dashboards and forecasts for the VP, Philanthropy and Partnerships and other senior leaders.
• Serve as the primary liaison with fundraising agencies, direct mail vendors, telemarketing partners, digital fundraising agencies and other external consultants supporting Annual Giving.
• Stay current on emerging trends, technologies and best practices in annual, digital and direct response fundraising and identify opportunities to strengthen the Foundation's program.
Team Management and Leadership
The Associate Director will provide leadership, coaching and strategic direction to the Annual Giving team, fostering a high-performing, collaborative and accountable culture.
Key responsibilities include:
• Recruit, coach and performance manage the Annual Giving team of 2 -3 members, supporting professional growth, performance and achievement of fundraising goals.
• Establish clear expectations, objectives, performance measures and work plans for team members.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, systems and cross-functional collaboration within Annual Giving.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, initiative, accountability, growth, innovation and results.
• Model strong project management, analytical thinking and cross-functional collaboration.
Qualifications & Experience
• University degree and/or equivalent education and a minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in annual giving, direct response fundraising, digital fundraising, marketing analytics or a related fundraising discipline, preferably within a complex healthcare, academic, research or charitable environment.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience developing successful Annual Giving programs, including acquisition, retention, renewal, reactivation, upgrade and multi-channel fundraising.
• Demonstrated experience using fundraising data, analytics and donor insights to develop strategy, evaluate performance and drive revenue growth.
• Demonstrated experience developing and monitoring fundraising KPIs, forecasts, and budgets.
• Strong project management experience, with demonstrated ability to manage complex, multi-channel campaigns involving multiple internal stakeholders and external partners.
• Demonstrated experience working with fundraising agencies, vendors and consultants, including scopes of work, budgets, timelines, deliverables and performance.
• Demonstrated experience leading, coaching and developing fundraising professionals and building high-performing teams.
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret data, identify trends and translate insights into actionable fundraising strategies.
• Excellent interpersonal, relationship-building, listening and networking skills.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to develop compelling donor communications and fundraising materials.
• Strong strategic thinking, judgment and problem-solving skills, with the ability to balance long-term strategy with operational execution.
• Exceptional project management and organizational skills, with a demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, stakeholders and deliverables simultaneously.
• Highly organized, self-directed and able to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Willingness and ability to work occasional evenings and weekends as required to effectively engage donors and volunteers.
• Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) designation is an asset.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel.
• Experience with Raiser's Edge or an equivalent fundraising CRM/database is an asset.
• Experience with direct response fundraising platforms, digital fundraising tools, data visualization/reporting tools or marketing automation platforms is an asset.
Salary Range: $105,000 - $125,000. Eligibility for merit pay and comprehensive benefits, including Healthcare Ontario Pension Plan enrollment.
