Fundraising and Strategic Communications Lead

**Reports to**: Executive Director

**Positions Available**: 1 Full-time Permanent

**About Porchlight Counselling and Addictions Services**

For 83 years, Porchlight Counselling and Addictions Services (Formally: Family Counselling Centre of Cambridge and North Dumfries) has been supporting our community with counselling, building healthy relationships, community engagement, and most recently, with addiction services. We want everyone to have access to affordable, caring, person-centred, trauma-informed, culturally appropriate mental health and addiction supports that meet their unique needs. Our vision is for a community where there is equality, respect, empathy, and inclusion, and this is why we get up in the morning and do the work that we do.

Our team enjoys working collaboratively and we strive to value each other, because we know people are our most important resource. Our staff and volunteers work to support each other and value a healthy work-life balance. We see our clients as people first and aspire to walk alongside them towards growth and healing. We invest in our staff and work to support their growth as both individuals and team members.

Unfortunately, the need for mental health and addiction supports is greater than ever, and our agency has been transforming itself to grow to meet this unprecedented need. To do this, we need robust and sustainable funding to ensure our community can access the supports they need and deserve.

That’s where you come in.

**About You**

Passion and a commitment to serving your community is where your motivation starts. You are a life-long learner excited to be innovative, creative, and collaborative in your work. You know that Porchlight can’t serve this community alone, so you build and support partnerships with other agencies and groups. Equity and justice are words that define your approach, and inclusion is not a strategy but a way of approaching life.

You understand how fundraising and communications work in tandem with relationship building and feel confident representing Porchlight in the community. You are a skilled writer and are able to produce a variety of documents, including grants, annual reports, and print and digital communications.

**Areas of Professional Responsibility**

**Fundraising and Fund Development**
- Review current fundraising and development strategies and assess for strengths and weaknesses
- Identify key opportunities for improving our fundraising and development work
- Manage current infrastructure including staffing, volunteers, technology and resources for supporting a robust fundraising and development program
- Continue implementing a strategic, multi-year fund development plan focusing on multiple streams of support including but not limited to monthly donors, major gifts, corporate sponsorship, foundations, fundraising events, online giving, annual appeals and other initiatives
- Conduct research on possible sources of financial support including foundations, grants, donors, government programs, fundraisers and others
- Collaboratively find granting opportunities, write grants, manage funder relationships, and ensure reporting requirements are met
- Support the board Fundraising Committee including responsibility for agency fundraising events such as Cambridge Moves for Mental Health

**Strategic Communications**
- Continuously improve current communication strategy including but not limited to newsletters, appeal letters, social media, and website
- Continue implementing comprehensive communications strategy and participate in the improvement of our current resources/offerings, taking into consideration the various consumers of our communications and how to increase our reach
- Organize fundraising initiatives and events and support third party fundraisers
- Create reusable materials to engage donors and community members
- Support Executive Director in building and maintaining key community relationships

**Other Duties**
- Create yearly workplan and report regularly to Executive Director
- Organize community engagement activities, such as booth and presentations at community events
- Keep agency website updated and ensure strong SEO
- Participate in staff and team meetings
- Work collaboratively with Executive Director and engage broader Porchlight team where appropriate
- Provide information and updates to the Board of Directors where appropriate
- Identify and pursue professional development and learning opportunities
- Other duties as assigned

**Qualifications**:

- Committed to Porchlight’s mission, vision, and values and to building an inclusive workspace, including striving to be anti-racist, accessible, 2SLGBTQIA+ positive, aware of class dynamics, and power/privilege
- An educational background that supports you in this work, such as in Communications, Humanities, Social Sciences, etc. (or experience in lieu)
- Successful experience in a fundraising/communications role, with experience in the non-pro