Vacancy Status: This job posting is for a new vacancy.
About the positionThe Associate Vice President, Philanthropy provides strategic leadership for the YMCA's fundraising and donor-engagement activities. The position translates the YMCA's mission and Strategic Plan into sustainable philanthropic growth while strengthening donor relationships, organizational capacity, and community partnerships.
The Associate Vice President will provide leadership in the following areas:
- Philanthropy strategy: Developing a diversified fundraising plan with clear goals, accountabilities, budgets, and forecasts.
- Major and transformational giving: Managing relationships with high-potential donors and prospects and leading significant gifts and multi-year commitments.
- Diversified revenue and campaigns: Advancing annual and planned giving, corporate partnerships, sponsorships, foundation grants, digital fundraising, events, and campaign opportunities.
- Cases for support: Working with program leaders and Marketing and Communications to translate community needs and impact into compelling investment opportunities.
- Donor experience and stewardship: Establishing inclusive, donor-centered practices that strengthen recognition, retention, and long-term engagement.
- Executive and board partnership: Supporting the CEO, executives, board members, volunteers, and campaign leaders in building relationships and participating confidently in fundraising.
- People, performance, and infrastructure: Strengthening the philanthropy team, donor-management systems, pipeline management, reporting, analytics, and ethical fundraising practices.
Key responsibilities:Strategy, planning, and performance- Develop and maintain a multi-year philanthropy strategy aligned with organizational priorities, approved budgets, and capacity.
- Translate the strategy into annual revenue plans, fundraising targets, pipeline requirements, budgets, workplans, and clear accountabilities.
- Provide reliable forecasts, variance explanations, performance reports, and recommended corrective actions.
- Balance immediate revenue objectives with long-term donor relationships and sustainable fundraising capacity.
Major gifts, campaigns, and donor relationships- Build and manage a qualified portfolio of major donors and prospective donors.
- Develop tailored cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.
- Lead significant asks, complex gifts, multi-year commitments, and strategic partnership negotiations in collaboration with the CEO and other leaders.
- Assess campaign readiness and, when approved, lead case development, planning, volunteer engagement, and execution.
- Ensure donor intent, recognition, reporting, privacy, and stewardship commitments are documented and fulfilled.
Fundraising and partnerships- Oversee a diversified fundraising portfolio that may include annual giving, planned giving, corporate partnerships, sponsorships, foundation grants, digital fundraising, events, and community campaigns.
- Strengthen donor acquisition, retention, renewal, upgrade, reactivation, and cross-channel engagement.
- Build productive relationships with community leaders, businesses, foundations, professional advisors, funders, and YMCA partners.
- Work with program and Finance leaders to ensure proposals, budgets, deliverables, and reports are accurate, feasible, and aligned with the YMCA's mission.
Cases for support and donor experience- Partner with program leaders to identify fundable priorities and translate community needs and outcomes into compelling investment opportunities.
- Work with Marketing and Communications to develop consistent fundraising messages, donor communications, recognition, and campaign materials.
- Create an inclusive, accessible, welcoming, and professional donor experience.
- Use impact information and stories responsibly while protecting dignity, consent, and privacy.
Executive, board, and volunteer leadership- Advise the CEO, Vice President, Executive Team, and Board on philanthropy strategy, performance, opportunities, and risks.
- Provide concise, decision-oriented reports supported by accurate data.
- Recruit, brief, and support senior volunteers, ambassadors, and campaign leaders.
- Represent the YMCA in community, sector, government, and YMCA network forums.
People, systems, and governance- Lead, coach, and develop philanthropy employees while establishing clear goals and accountabilities, and oversee the work of consultants and external service providers.
- Maintain effective fundraising operations, including CRM standards, prospect research, moves management, gift processing, receipting, acknowledgements, data quality, and records retention.
- Ensure compliance with YMCA policies, applicable legislation, CRA charitable-receipting guidance, privacy and anti-spam requirements, gift agreements, and the AFP Code of Ethical Standards.
- Maintain appropriate gift-acceptance, naming, sponsorship, donor-recognition, and ethical-screening practices.
- Identify and escalate significant financial, legal, ethical, privacy, reputational, or mission-related risks.
What you bringYou are an experienced philanthropy leader who combines strategic thinking, sound business judgment, and an ability to build lasting relationships. You bring:
- At least 10 years of progressive experience in fundraising, advancement, development, or related revenue leadership, including senior accountability for employees, plans, budgets, and results.
- Demonstrated success securing significant six-figure or larger gifts and multi-year partnerships.
- Experience leading fundraising across multiple channels.
- Experience with major campaigns, capital or strategic priority initiatives, or similarly complex fundraising programs is strongly preferred.
- Experience working effectively with a CEO, senior executives, boards, committees, volunteers, donors, and community leaders.
- Strong financial and business acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, pipeline analysis, performance reporting, and responsible resource management.
- Knowledge of ethical fundraising, charitable receipting, gift agreements, privacy, donor stewardship, CRM systems, prospect management, and performance analytics.
- Excellent written and verbal communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
- Fluency in English, both written and verbal. English-French bilingualism is a strong asset.
- A post-secondary degree in fundraising, business, communications, public administration, non-profit leadership, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- A CFRE designation and knowledge of the National Capital Region are considered assets.
- A commitment to inclusive, ethical, and donor-centered fundraising practices and to modelling the YMCA's values.
Travel and working requirements- This is a hybrid position based in Ottawa, with regular in-person work at YMCA locations, donor meetings, community events, and partner locations.
- The position requires access to reliable transportation for travel between locations and meetings.
- Provincial, national, and occasional international travel, including overnight stays, may be required.
- Some evening, early-morning, and weekend commitments are required.
Additional requirements- Applicants must be legally entitled to work in Canada.
- A Police Record check, not more than 6 months old is required. Police Records checks are reviewed on an individual basis and the offense(s) - if any - is considered in the decision-making process in relation to the requirement of working with children, therefore not eliminating all candidates with a record from being offered a position.
- Employees must complete annual mandatory Child Protection training and provide confirmation of completion.
Core Competencies- Excellence: Identifies and implements improvements that enhance work quality.
- Compassion: Involves warmth and supportive communication. Fosters understanding and collaboration, leading to a positive work environment.
- Dignity: Involves respecting every individual's worth, promoting fairness and valuing perspectives. It encourages a culture of integrity, mutual respect, and empowerment.
- Accountability: Manages tasks, projects, and processes effectively.
- Inclusion: Demonstrates self-awareness and commitment to IDEA, ethics, and well-being.
