Director of Advancement

Director, Advancement

Summary

The Director, Advancement is a senior leadership role responsible for driving a reputed International NGO’s fundraising, donor engagement, marketing, communications, and brand efforts to ensure sustainable revenue and long-term mission impact. This role provides strategic leadership across all advancement activities and plays a critical part in strengthening donor relationships, growing diversified income streams, and enhancing organisational visibility and credibility.

Reporting to the CEO, the Director, Advancement works collaboratively with senior leadership, staff, and the Board to ensure advancement strategies are well aligned with organisational priorities and deliver measurable results. Please note that this position can be based out of Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver or Toronto. In addition, if you do not answer the application questions, your application will not be considered.

What does the opportunity entail?

Strategic Leadership & Revenue Growth

• Develop and execute a compelling, multi-year advancement strategy that supports organisational priorities and programmatic impact.
• Lead growth across diverse revenue streams, including major gifts, mid-level and annual giving, institutional funding (foundations, corporates, CSR), digital fundraising, and legacy giving.
• Translate strategy into clear annual plans, revenue targets, and campaign priorities.
• Monitor fundraising performance and market trends, providing regular insight and recommendations to the CEO.

Fundraising & Donor Engagement

• Personally manage and steward a portfolio of key major donors and strategic partners.
• Build long-term, trust-based relationships with donors through clear communication of impact, outcomes, and organisational priorities.
• Support and enable the CEO and Board members in donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities.
• Ensure donor experiences consistently reflect professionalism, gratitude, transparency, and ethical fundraising practice.

Marketing, Communications & Brand Stewardship

• Provide strategic oversight of marketing, communications, brand, and content to support fundraising and donor engagement objectives.
• Ensure consistent, compelling, and donor-centred messaging across all channels.
• Strengthen digital engagement, supporter journeys, and campaign effectiveness to drive acquisition, retention, and giving.
• Safeguard organisational reputation through disciplined communications and alignment with mission values.

Performance Management & Accountability

• Establish clear goals and performance indicators to guide advancement activity and measure progress.
• Track revenue performance, donor retention, and campaign effectiveness, using data to inform decision-making.
• Encourage continuous improvement and learning across fundraising and communications activities.
• Work with the CEO and Director HR to address performance gaps and adjust strategies as needed.

Team Leadership & Development

• Provide leadership and direction to a multi-disciplinary Advancement team, including fundraising, donor relations, marketing, and communications.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performance culture grounded in accountability, learning, and professionalism.
• Coach, mentor, and develop team members to strengthen fundraising capability and leadership depth.
• Ensure appropriate role clarity, prioritisation, and workload balance across the team.

Governance, Risk & Compliance

• Ensure all fundraising and donor engagement activities comply with applicable laws, regulations, donor restrictions, and organisational policies.
• Contribute to audit readiness, transparent donor reporting, and strong governance practice.
• Support preparation of Advancement-related reporting for the CEO and Board as required.

Qualifications & Experience

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as business, marketing, communications, or nonprofit management.
• 3-5 years of progressive and advancement leadership experience (total of 10+ years of experience in fundraising), preferably in a complex or international non-profit environment.
• Demonstrated success leading comprehensive fundraising programs and managing senior fundraising and communications professionals.
• Proven track record of managing major donor relationships and securing significant gifts.
• Strong financial literacy with experience managing budgets, targets, and performance metrics.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and presentation skills.

Nice to have:

• Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) or equivalent professional designation.
• Experience with digital fundraising, CRM systems, and data analytics.
• Exposure to governance-heavy or regulator-facing nonprofit environments.
• Proven track record of successful fundraising for complex social impact causes or humanitarian sectors.