PREAMBLE:

Vancouver College’s (VC’s) legacy is a testament to the generous support from generations of families, alumni, staff, and friends since the day it opened in 1922. Everything we have is a reflection of the philanthropic leadership of those who came before us. Our first Capital Campaign in the early 1920’s was for the construction of a new school on our present site located in Vancouver’s Shaughnessy neighborhood. Since that time, several more Capital Campaigns have followed, along with annual fundraising efforts, all of which have fostered our community’s strong culture of giving.

Today, VC continues to raise funds through an Annual Giving Program that supports our Financial Assistance Program, educational resources, and the school’s emergent needs as determined by our Senior Leadership Team. This past October also saw the launch of our  $14M Encore Campaign which will fund the construction of a new music building and the renovation of existing campus spaces for academic, athletic, and digital media programs.

VC’s Advancement Office leads and coordinates all fundraising initiatives that support the needs of the school and works in conjunction with the VC Alumni Association and VC Parents Association to ensure the alignment and coordination of shared goals and fundraising objectives.

THE OPPORTUNITY:

Vancouver College (VC) is seeking a relationship-centred and experienced fundraiser to serve in the role of Director of Advancement. Reporting to and working in close partnership with VC’s President and Senior Leadership Team, the Director leads the development and management of the school’s annual fundraising initiatives as well current and future capital campaigns in support of VC’s Vision, Mission and Values.

The Director leads a team of three staff - including a Donor Relations Officer, Advancement Services Officer and a Communications & Digital Marketing Specialist. They are responsible for fostering an enthusiastic and inspiring working environment that supports the Advancement team and a cross section of volunteers - including the Advancement Committee, Campaign Cabinet and event volunteers. The Director is responsible for all aspects of the school’s fundraising program and for fostering a strong culture of philanthropy across all stakeholder groups. This includes liaising with the VC Parents Association (VCPA) and the VC Alumni Association (VCAA) on fundraising activities and keeping all stakeholders informed and up to date on the fundraising priorities and activities of the school. 

Key responsibilities for this role are as follows:

Fundraising: 

• Ensures the effective planning and implementation of both capital campaigns and annual fundraising initiatives.
• Participates in the selection and recruitment of capital campaign and leadership volunteers and leads related onboarding and ongoing engagement.
• Leads planning and implementation of all donor prospecting, donor cultivation and solicitation strategies and activity.
• Develops and manages a donor pipeline, fundraising metrics and related reporting for the Senior Leadership Team, Advancement Committee and Board of Directors.
• Identifies major and leadership gifts prospects and facilitates meetings with the President for donor solicitation.
• Leads the development of fundraising tools, communications and messaging to support donor cultivation, solicitation, and community engagement and stewardship.
• Works closely with the Advancement Team on matters specific to the Annual fund, including identifying appropriate areas for integrating active messaging and solicitation.
• Advises the President, Senior Leadership Team and board committees (as appropriate) on strategic issues and opportunities related to Advancement.
• Oversees planning and implementation of annual donor appeals and stewardship activity.

Administration: 

• Leads the Advancement Team, including staff recruitment, onboarding, development and performance management.
• Ensures that all appropriate resources from within and/or outside the Advancement Office are deployed appropriately in pursuit of fundraising goals and objectives.
• Annually meets with all new parents to the VC community.
• Endeavors to continually grow and develop the school’s fundraising program, adapting to changing needs and making recommendations as necessary.
• Maintains program policy and procedures, ensuring all are up to date and reflect the current business practices of the program and school and align with the policies and by-laws of Vancouver College.
• Oversees the effective management of donor data and the donor database (Raiser’s Edge/RENXT) - ensuring constituent records and reporting capabilities are accurate and up to date, and the ability to deliver excellent service to donors and alumni.

Community Relations:

• Manages administration of the VC’s Hall of Honour program - including call for nominations, honouree announcement and related recognition.
• Works closely with the Parents Association (VCPA) to ensure alignment with fundraising priorities in support of the school and on annual events including Finnegan Ball, Mothers Christmas Tea, and Mayfair.
• Works with the VCAA to ensure alignment with fundraising priorities in support of the school and oversees support for VCAA reunions and data requests.

Education, Experience and Skills

• CFRE designation, post-secondary degree or diploma in fundraising, not for profit management, communication or business administration, 10 years’ fundraising experience (including major gift solicitation), or an equivalent combination of experience and education.
• Comfort working in a Catholic, faith-based environment.
• Experience working with sensitive information and ability to maintain strict confidentiality.
• Experience running capital and/or comprehensive campaigns, ideally in an education setting, both in planning and at the frontlines.
• Strong interpersonal skills to relate to donors, volunteers, and colleagues.
• Self-motivated (a “self-starter”); innovative and able to work independently within the context of a team environment.
• Sound judgement and ability communicate with tact and diplomacy.
• Flexible in approaching complex situations and relationships.
• Results-oriented and goal-driven.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to interpret and manage data.
• Ability to effectively manage multiple projects and priorities, giving careful attention to detail.
• Good knowledge of Raiser’s Edge or similar donor databases. 
• Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office.   
• Second language proficiency in Mandarin would be an asset.

BENEFITS:

Salary range: $130,000 - $145,000 per year. 

Position Type: Full-time.

Compensation: Two weeks of summer vacation, Pension plan of 10.5% from employer, 7.5% employee, for the maximum 18% allowed each year.