Director, Fundraising Operations

"The best prescription I've ever given is a wish."

• Dr. Jeremy Friedman, Associate Paediatrician-in-Chief, SickKids Hospital & Medical Advisor for Make-A-Wish Canada

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST WISH?

Is it to be part of an organization that is child-focused, values employee experience and is an inspiring workplace? If so, Make-A-Wish is for you

Make-A-Wish Canada creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. We are on a quest to bring every eligible child's wish to life because a wish is an integral part of a child's treatment journey. Research shows children who have wishes granted can build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight a critical illness.

"It's been wonderful to have this wish to look forward to... It's wonderful to see [Rowan] with something that brings him pure joy after all he's been through and missed out on"

–Melissa, mom to wish kid Rowan (age 5, leukemia), who wished for an indoor jungle gym.

MISSION, VISION AND VALUES

Our mission is, together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illness. Supported by our vision to grant the wish of every eligible child.

Our values are Child-Focused, Integrity, Impact, Innovation, and Community.

WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU?

• Meaningful opportunities to make an impact and change the lives of children with critical illnesses within your community and across Canada
• A collaborative team environment where you feel valued and inspired
• An attractive compensation package that includes group health and dental premiums which are fully covered by the Foundation, RRSP, & Wish paid hours
• Annual vacation starting at three weeks & additional paid leaves
• Hybrid work model
• Work/life balance and flexibility
• Employee Wellness Program
• Corporate discounts
• Continuous learning, development and internal training opportunities
• Fun employee activities, contests, and more

Make-A-Wish Canada is committed to fostering a culture that aims to change lives while offering a rewarding employment experience where your contributions make a true difference every day

WHERE YOU COME IN

We are looking for a Director, Fundraising Operations to join our team at Make-A-Wish Canada. Reporting to the SVP of Philanthropy & Partnerships, in this role you will provide strategic leadership and oversight for fundraising operations, with a primary focus on prospect clearance, stewardship, and data governance. This role ensures consistent, high-quality donor experiences by developing and governing processes, tools, and standards that support Philanthropy, Corporate Partnerships, and Community Partnerships teams.

This role can be based in any Make-A-Wish Canada office and is a full-time, hybrid, permanent position. The hiring range for this role is $99,600-$106,000.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight for fundraising operations, including stewardship and prospect clearance functions.
• Lead and support the Manager, Stewardship & Donor Engagement, fostering collaboration and high performance.
• Develop, document, and train teams on prospect clearance guidelines, best practices, and governance standards.
• Manage prospect clearance and pipeline processes, resolving conflicts and adjudicating prospect assignments.
• Design and implement segmented donor stewardship journeys, including recognition frameworks and engagement cadence.
• Ensure stewardship tools and resources support consistent, high-quality donor experiences.
• Partner with Business Applications and IT to ensure effective use of Salesforce, iWave, Donor Drive, and related systems.
• Champion data governance, data hygiene, dashboards, KPIs, and reporting standards.
• Act as a bridge between Fundraising, IT, and Business Applications to resolve operational gaps and improve system integration.
• Lead continuous improvement across the fundraising lifecycle using a One-Team, One-Mission leadership approach.
• Other duties as required.

WHAT YOU BRING

• Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, fundraising, data/technology management, or related field (CFRE an asset).
• Minimum 5-7 years of experience in fundraising operations, major gift fundraising, or related functions in a complex non-profit environment.
• 2-3 years of people leadership or team management experience.
• Strong experience with CRM systems (Salesforce preferred) and fundraising technologies.
• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional projects and organizational change initiatives.
• Ability to collaborate with technical teams while maintaining a fundraising-centric approach.
• Expertise in donor stewardship, donor journey development, or major gifts processes.
• A clear Criminal Background Check will be required.

YOUR WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Hybrid work model, with 2 days in-office per week and 3 days remote. Travel may be occasionally required regionally or across provinces for team meetings, conferences or presentations. Occasional evening and weekend work may also be required.

Physical/Mental Effort

• Work under pressure of tight deadlines, balancing high volume workload, and with multiple demands and changing priorities.

Our Commitment to IDEA

Make-A-Wish Canada (MAWC) is committed to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA). We believe that it is essential to our mission that we build a diverse, balanced, and vibrant workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve and seek to serve. Research has shown that candidates from underrepresented groups often only apply when they feel 100% qualified. Therefore, we ask that even if you do not see yourself fully reflected in every job requirement listed on this posting, to still apply.

Recruitment process

Our recruitment process is swift in pace. Once applications are reviewed, we will contact our shortlisted candidates. Our typical process includes a phone screen, one or two interviews, and reference checking, followed by an offer and a criminal background check for the successful candidate. We would like to thank all applicants for their interest in working with us

ABOUT MAKE-A-WISH CANADA

In the past 40 years, Make-A-Wish Canada has granted over 40,000 wishes across the country, with 2,000 of them last year alone. As an independently operating affiliate of Make-A-Wish International, Make-A-Wish Canada is part of the network of the world's leading children's wish-granting organization. We serve children in every community in Canada, and in more than 50 countries worldwide.

JOIN OUR ONLINE COMMUNITY

For more information on how you can support Make-A-Wish Canada or get involved please visit our website