Major Gifts Philanthropy Advisor (Ontario)

Position:

Major Gifts Philanthropy Advisor (Ontario)

Reports to:

People Manager, Philanthropy

Position Term:

Full-Time Permanent

Primary Location:

Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Workplace Type:

Hybrid

Job Purpose

The Philanthropy Advisor, Major Gifts plays a pivotal role in advancing the organization’s mission by building and strengthening relationships with donors capable of making significant philanthropic investments. This role exists to strategically grow and maintain a robust portfolio of supporters within the five-to seven-figure gifts range, ensuring meaningful engagement and long-term commitment.

The Advisor also partners closely with senior leadership to support the stewardship and opportunity management of High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNWIs), helping to drive revenue growth and organizational impact at the highest levels. With a strong commitment to excellence, professional growth, and donor centric practice, the Major Gifts Advisor contributes expertise and innovation to strengthen fundraising outcomes and advance World Vision Canada’s philanthropic mission.

Responsibilities

• Cultivate relationships and move donors through all stages of the donor cycle, creating personalized individual donor plans and associated strategies.
• Collaborate with senior leadership, executives, and volunteers on strategic cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities, including focused planning and execution for High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNWIs).
• Grow donor contributions by building meaningful relationships and understanding their spiritual journey, interests, and giving capacity.
• Communicate effectively with donors through emails, letters, proposals, reports, stewardship updates aligned with brand guidelines.
• Use donor data and insights to inform engagement plans and solicitation strategies.
• Work proactively with World Vision Programs and Policy, Product Alignment teams and World Vision Alliance to build and present donor proposals.
• Manage donor relationships through face to face, phone, and email contact, ensuring an individual experience.
• Proactively pursue and cultivate major donor prospects through events, networks, and influencer identification.
• Collaborate with the Brand and Marketing team to build community presence and speak at events, conferences, and webinars.
• Identify and share knowledge on prospecting potential donors.
• Support healthy donor pipeline development by ensuring newly prospected donors are stewarded by the appropriate philanthropy team to meet philanthropic targets.
• Incorporate planned giving references into donor discussions and apply CRA/Compliance knowledge where relevant.
• Engage donors through field trips (work with WVC Travel Coordinators) and event invitations.
• Use CRM to accurately input, track, and analyze donor data.
• Work with Legal and/or Finance to ensure timely and accurate gift processing, tax receipts, and reporting (where required).
• Collaborate with internal teams including Operations, Product & Policy, and Legal to ensure consistent, mission-aligned messaging for major donor audiences.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., Business, Communications, Philanthropy, or Non-Profit Management)
• Ability to work effectively with teams operating in agile environments
• Minimum 3-5 years’ experience in fundraising with a proven track record in Major Gifts, or equivalent senior level business development experience working with high-value clients
• Strategic thinker with strong prospecting and business development skills; able to work independently and collaboratively in both virtual and in-person environments
• Strong understanding of the donor relationship cycle as well as moves management principles and major gift development strategies such as cultivation, stewardship, and planned giving, or the equivalent in a business/sales development cycle
• Results-driven, proactive, and self-motivated in achieving ambitious fundraising or revenue targets
• Excellent communicator with strong presentation and interpersonal skills; able to influence, engage, and inspire donors and internal stakeholders, including in public settings
• Comfortable working in a Christian environment and communicating with a variety of donors who are faith-based, non-faith-based, multicultural, etc.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams and support team effectiveness without direct people management responsibility
• Expertise in using CRM systems
• Passion for the mission and values of World Vision Canada, with a commitment to social impact; familiarity with international development is considered an asset
• Ability to travel as needed
• Commitment to ongoing professional development and skills training
• CFRE certification or actively working toward certification is an asset
• Proficiency in French (oral and written) is considered an asset

Working Conditions

• This position requires the ability to travel for business and the ability to work occasional weekends and evenings, as required.

Why Consider Us?

Our competitive compensation & benefits include:

• Health Spending Account
• Up to 6% matched pension contributions
• Parental leave top-up
• Generous paid vacation, sick days, wellness and personal days
• Office closed extra days before long weekends (6x/year)
• World Vision Canada has consistently been awarded Canada and GTA top employer awards.
• We are Canada’s largest development, relief, and advocacy non-profit organization.

This is a current vacancy that we are actively recruiting for. The salary range represents the expected compensation for this role and is provided in accordance with Ontario’s pay transparency requirements under the Employment Standards Act.

Placement within the range will be determined based on relevant skills, experience, qualifications, and internal equity. The final offer will reflect the successful candidate’s background and demonstrated capabilities.

#LI-Hybrid

Job Family

Resource Development & Fundraising

Job Function

Individual Contributor

Pay Type

Salary

Employment Indicator

Remote with Travel/External Engagement

Hiring Min Rate

88000

Hiring Max Rate

107000