Development Officer

DEVELOPMENT OFFICER

TITLE: Development Officer

REPORTS TO: Director of Development

LOCATION: 190 Hanlon Creek Blvd., Guelph ON  

TYPE: Permanent, Full-time. Monday – Friday 40 hours/week with flexibility for some evening and weekend work as required.
This position is open due to a vacancy.

Are you looking for a career that combines professional expertise with a passion for helping animals? Are you an experienced fundraising professional person who wants to use your skills to make a real difference in your community? Do you thrive in a dynamic role where your passion and expertise directly support animal welfare? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then the Guelph Humane Society (GHS) wants to meet you!

The Opportunity:

Under the direction of the Director of Development and working closely with members of the Development and Communications teams, the incumbent will be responsible for the Annual Giving program at the Guelph Humane Society. The Development Officer plays a key role in advancing fundraising and donor engagement efforts through effective data management and innovative digital campaigns. This position is also responsible for ensuring accurate list management, segmentation, and analysis of donor data to inform strategic decision-making. The

Development Officer leads the planning, execution, and evaluation of digital-first fundraising initiatives driving revenue growth and donor participation. Responsibilities will also include data analysis, developing queries, creating lists, evaluating metrics, and tracking to measure and analyze program effectiveness.

The role executes the monthly donor and kennel sponsorship programs, focusing on acquisition, retention, and stewardship to build a sustainable base of recurring support.

The ideal candidate can adapt and thrive in a fast paced environment, enjoys challenges, is creative and is looking for an opportunity to create lasting change for animals in the community.

What You’ll Do:

DIGITAL FUNDRAISING:

• Lead annual giving program and all multi-channel elements to acquire, retain and upgrade donors. This includes, but is not limited to special campaigns, digital giving, etc.
• Responsible for planning and execution of the 50/50 Happy Tails online lotteries.
• Lead and execute symbolic giving campaigns and provide recommendations to grow this portfolio.
• Manage and execute digital first contests and other initiatives as required.
• Responsible for stewardship and recognition initiatives for cumulative giving under $1,000. 

DATA MANAGEMENT:

• Ensure Annual Giving program includes multi-channel elements to acquire, retain and upgrade donors.
• Work with Development team to develop criteria and prepare donor lists to support direct mail fundraising appeals, and other communications.
• Work with established procedures to ensure the integrity and accuracy of the development database.
• Using Raiser’s Edge, develop queries, lists, metrics and tracking to measure and analyze program effectiveness throughout the year.

MONTHLY DONOR PORTFOLIO:

• Working closely with relevant team members, grow the success of the monthly donor Super Paws Club engagement and acquisition program.
• Support and grow the GHS kennel sponsorship program.

OTHER:

• Have familiarity with social media platforms and their use in successful fundraising, working together with the Marketing & Communications team as needed.
• Provide support for other digital communications as required, including but not exclusive to events, programs and special projects.
• Participate in the development of fundraising policies and procedures, as required.
• Maintain excellent relationships with partners, supporters, sponsors and donors.
• Maintain a high level of communication with all other staff and volunteers.
• Demonstrate a good understanding of animal welfare and effectively communicate the mission and values of the Guelph Humane Society in a positive manner.
• Embrace and consistently enact organizational values of respect, caring, integrity and partnership, supported by being authentic and accountable to yourself and your team.
• Perform other duties as required and assigned.

Our Ideal Candidate:

• 3+ years of experience in Annual Giving fundraising preferred.
• Experience with Raiser’s Edge NXT or equivalent BlackBaud donor database with competences in developing queries, pulling lists and generating reports, etc.
• Demonstrated understanding of the cycles of philanthropy, and annual giving patterns specifically.
• Demonstrated excellence in donor relations skills.
• Strong writing skills, and some experience with light design and layout.
• Self-motivated, high energy, results oriented with drive to exceed expectations.
• Computer literacy required with experience with computer software (i.e. Microsoft Office).
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, with superior organizational skills
• Ability to maintain professional composure and a positive attitude.
• Knowledge of Canadian charity and donation laws and CRA regulations.
• Ability to multitask in a high-paced, reactive environment.
• Comfortable handling and being around domestic animals of all types and some general knowledge of animal care/responsible for pet ownership would be an asset
• General knowledge of animal welfare and humane society activities.

Who We Are:

The Guelph Humane Society (GHS) advocates for all animals and in particular those animals whose lives it can influence, through care, education, community support, protection, and leadership. Founded in 1893, the Guelph Humane Society provides care and shelter for approximately 3,000 homeless, stray, injured and abused animals each year in Guelph and Wellington County. GHS is a registered charitable, non-profit organization that does not receive government funding. The GHS’s hiring philosophy goes beyond just filling positions – it is interested in finding people who are passionate about animal welfare, who want to make a difference in the community, all while working as part of a positive and productive team of people. Visit www.guelphhumane.ca to discover more. 

The Guelph Humane Society’s (GHS) strategic plan, Charting Our Future Direction (2024 – 2027), sets out GHS’s commitment to creating a compassionate world where all animals are valued and respected and one that is deeply rooted in our values of compassion, leadership, integrity, transparency and collaboration. It recognizes we have reached a pivotal moment as the needs of our community expand through increased animal ownership, housing shortages and the rising cost of living. The opportunity to advance the welfare of animals through care, education, community engagement and relationships has never been greater.

The Development team at GHS, together with the Marketing & Communications team is responsible for GHS’ externally facing initiatives. The team is fundamental to achieving our goal of inspiring the community to join us. Animal welfare is at the heart of our mandate, and therefore at the centre of everything we do. You must have a strong commitment to animal welfare and be keen to learn more about how this philosophy fits into our work.    

What We Offer:

• Full-time (approx. 40 hours/week) permanent position. Flexibility is needed for some evening and weekends.
• This position primarily works at the Guelph Humane Society, located at 190 Hanlon Creek Blvd. There is an option for working remotely one day/week.
• Competitive paid time off, including vacation and personal days.
• Salary: $50,000-$57,000 per year.
• Employer paid group insurance benefits include dental, health, and vision care.
• Opportunities for training and development.
• Being part of an amazing, passionate, mission-driven team making a difference for animals and the community!

If you are someone who thrives on challenge, loves to be part of a dynamic team and you are passionate about making a difference for animals, then this opportunity is for you! Don’t think you check all the boxes? Reach out anyway – we would love to hear how your experience translates to this role.

How to Apply:

Submit your cover letter, salary expectations, and resume by Wednesday, August 26, 2026 to Kim Robinson, Director of Development at: careers@guelphhumane.ca

Subject line: “Development Officer” 

We welcome diversity, value differences, and foster inclusion in our employment practices. We invite applications from all qualified individuals who are philosophically aligned with our mission, vision, and values. GHS welcomes and encourages applications from individuals with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the recruitment process. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

The Guelph Humane Society does not use artificial intelligence (AI) or automated decision- making tools to screen, assess, or select job applicants. All applications are reviewed by human decision-makers. This posting may be advertised or received through third-party platforms (such as Indeed), which may use automated systems unrelated to candidate evaluation by GHS.