Development Officer, Philanthropy

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

-Dr. Jeremy Friedman, Associate Pediatrician-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 Development Officer, Philanthropy to join our team at Make-A-Wish Canada. In this role, you will help strengthen the effectiveness and growth of the Philanthropy team across the country. Reporting to the Director, Philanthropy (West), this position provides administrative, operational, and project coordination support that enables the team to focus on building and stewarding meaningful relationships with donors and partners.

In addition, you will support fundraising activities across individual philanthropy and grants & foundations through proposal development, CRM management, stewardship coordination, and event support.

This role can be based out of Vancouver or Calgary. This is a full-time, permanent, hybrid position. The hiring range for this role is $57,600-$62,600.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Fundraising Support & Execution

• Coordinate donor cultivation and stewardship activities, including scheduling meetings, preparing briefing materials, managing correspondence, and supporting follow-up communications.
• Provide administrative support for donor solicitations, including drafting proposals, grant applications, and more.
• Manage internal workflows to ensure timely delivery of donor communications and fundraising materials.
• Support planning and execution of donor cultivation and stewardship events (guest lists, invitations, materials, logistics, and post-event engagement).

Donor Relations & Stewardship

• Prepare donor-facing materials such as thank-you letters, impact reports, and stewardship communications.
• Collaborate with Communications & Marketing teams to develop donor recognition content and materials.
• Assist in organizing donor meetings and cultivation events.

Administrative & Reporting Support

• Perform data entry, gift tracking, and reporting in Salesforce.
• Generate activity reports and provide regular updates on fundraising efforts.
• Ensure compliance with foundation policies and CRA fundraising regulations.

Prospect Research & Pipeline Development

• Identify and research new major gift prospects to support pipeline growth and develop donor profiles to inform strategy.
• Prepare research briefs and background materials for donor engagement.
• Maintain accurate, current donor data and profiles within Salesforce.

Other duties as required.

WHAT YOU WILL BRING

• Education in business, fundraising, marketing, or related or combination of training, education and experience.
• 2+ years of experience in fundraising, nonprofit operations, donor relations, or project coordination.
• Experience working with CRM systems (Salesforce preferred).
• Strong writing and editing skills with experience supporting donor proposals, reports, or communications.
• Exceptional organizational and time management skills.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Excellent interpersonal and collaboration skills.
• 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. Regular travel to local event venues and donor/sponsor locations may be required. 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.
• Physical activity may be required during event setup/takedown.

How to apply

If everything you’ve read so far sounds like you, we encourage you to apply now! The deadline to apply is April 10th, 2026, at 11:59pm ET.

To apply, please navigate to: https://jobs.dayforcehcm.com/enCA/makeawishca/CANDIDATEPORTAL/jobs/1456

Make-A-Wish Canada provides equal opportunity in employment and encourages applications from all qualified candidates. Reasonable accommodations due to disability are available on request at any stage of the hiring process.

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

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 over 1,800 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 wishgranting organization. We serve children in every community in Canada, and in more than 50 countries worldwide.