Director of Communications and Donor Engagement

About Calgary Public Library Foundation

www.LibraryFoundation.ca

We’re inventing the future of libraries. Will you join us?

In total, there are more than 815,000 Library members in Calgary—that’s more than half of the city. Calgary Public Library Foundation exists to ensure Calgary Public Library and its programs, services, and spaces are high-quality, barrier-free, and meet community needs as they emerge and as identified in the Library’s Strategic Plan.

Together, we remove barriers to access, champion lifelong learning, fuel innovation, and help build a more resilient, inclusive Calgary. Thanks to extraordinary community support, we’ve raised more than $90 million since 2013, engaging over 30,000 unique donors to ensure the Library remains a vibrant, welcoming space where everyone belongs. In 2025 alone, more than 8,000 donors contributed to our programs, services, and new initiatives.

With four new locations coming soon and more than 10,000 new members joining every month in 2025, the Library Foundation is growing our fundraising to match the scale and ambition of the Library’s future. Our team is ambitious, creative, and deeply collaborative. We care about results—and about each other. We’re proud to work alongside generous donors and inspiring Library partners to turn bold visions into real impact for hundreds of thousands of Calgarians every year.

We’re building the next chapter of Library philanthropy, and we’re looking for someone who’s energized by purpose-driven work, excited to tell meaningful stories, and ready to help us grow what’s possible.

Want to know more? Check out our 2025 Annual Report, Ways to Give and Current Funding Priorities!

The Opportunity: Director of Communications and Donor Engagement

The Director of Communications and Donor Engagement is a senior leadership role responsible for shaping how donors experience, understand, and invest in Calgary Public Library. This is a pivotal time to join the Foundation, as the Library prepares to launch a new strategic plan with ambitious goals for the future. Reporting to the CEO and serving on the Executive Team, this role leads a five-person team that functions as the operational and creative engine behind the Library Foundation’s fundraising success.

Directly reporting to the Director of Communications and Donor Engagement are:

• Creative Director
• Communications Officer
• Donor Relations and Data Lead
• Fundraising Operations Lead
• Fundraising Assistant

This team powers our frontline Development efforts. From impact (annual) giving strategy and donor stewardship to campaign management and custom major gift proposals, the Director ensures that every donor touchpoint is thoughtful, strategic, persuasive, and aligned.

This is a role for a strategic thinker who is equally comfortable setting direction and rolling up their sleeves. You will guide complex, multifaceted campaigns while also drafting compelling cases for support, refining messaging, managing timelines, and stepping in when unexpected needs arise.

You will work closely with the CEO and Director of Development on fundraising strategy and campaign development, and collaborate closely with the Library’s Programs and Marketing & Communications teams to ensure alignment, clarity, and impact.

What You’ll Lead

You will oversee multiple interconnected and highly strategic areas of work:

Donor Engagement and Impact Giving

• Lead strategic direction for impact (annual) giving and stewardship across mail, email, and marketing channels to maximize donor acquisition, retention, and growth
• Oversee major gift proposal strategy and drafting and stewardship reporting, ensuring alignment with donor engagement goals
• Manage impact reporting and persuasive donor communications
• Provide oversight of database management, gift processing, tax receipting and list management, ensuring accurate and actionable data is leveraged to inform strategy

Communications, Marketing, and Design

• Develop and execute Foundation-wide marketing strategy to increase awareness and support donor growth including comprehensive, multi-channel fundraising campaigns
• Manage strategic fundraising relationships, including navigating in-kind partnerships
• Oversee event strategy and management that deepen donor engagement
• Determine brand, messaging, and creative direction and ensure alignment across Library and Library Foundation channels
• Oversee media oversight, including preparing media releases, developing key messaging, preparing spokespersons, and serving as a spokesperson when appropriate.

Leadership Scope

• Lead, mentor, and develop five direct reports
• Set clear priorities and expectations while fostering trust and autonomy
• Provide attentive, engaged leadership that supports both performance and professional growth
• Build strong cross-functional relationships with the Development team to ensure seamless donor engagement at the major gift level
• Serve as a strategic advisor to the CEO and Director of Development
• Contribute meaningfully as a member of the Executive Team, including active engagement with our Board of Directors

Your team’s work ensures that donors not only understand the impact of their giving, but feel inspired to deepen it. This role requires someone who can see the big picture, translate strategy into action, and keep multiple complex initiatives moving forward simultaneously.

What You’ll Bring

You are a strategic marketing and fundraising leader who understands that compelling storytelling drives philanthropy. You know how to build a persuasive case for support – not simply lay out facts – and you bring both creative instinct and disciplined execution to your work.

You have:

• Experience leading comprehensive, multifaceted campaigns, and understand how channels work together to move audiences from awareness to action.
• Proven experience directing integrated marketing or fundraising campaigns
• Strong project management expertise with the ability to manage multiple complex workstreams simultaneously
• Exceptional writing and editing skills, including persuasive case development and donor-facing materials
• Demonstrated fundraising experience, including impact (annual) giving and major gift proposal development
• Strategic marketing and communications experience across digital, print, and partnership channels

You are an empathetic and accountable leader who creates clarity in complex environments. You set clear expectations, communicate openly, and support your team in delivering high-quality work while balancing multiple priorities. You understand that strong leadership means listening, fostering trust, and helping people do their best work.

You are comfortable leading a team – and doing the work alongside them. You understand that in a high-performing organization, leadership means accountability, flexibility, and a willingness to step in when needed.

What You’ll Get

A competitive compensation package including

• 20 vacation days and 16 personal flex days
• We’ll double your contribution into your RRSP/TFSA up to a maximum of 10%
• Comprehensive group health benefits fully covered
• A hybrid work environment: minimum three days per week at Calgary’s Central Library and up to two days from your home office.

How to Apply

Join us in shaping the future of Calgary Public Library. Apply today by submitting your cover letter and resume (in one document) to info@libraryfoundation.ca with the subject line: ‘Director of Communications and Donor Engagement’. Initial interviews are expected to take place in late March, so we encourage interested candidates to apply soon.

Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

We value diversity and inclusion and welcome diverse expertise and talent to support an innovative and collaborative work environment. We are committed to a respectful and inclusive workplace and welcome applications from all qualified candidates, including people of all gender identities, Indigenous people, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities. We are happy to provide accommodations throughout the selection process, so if required, please advise when you are contacted for an interview.

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