Leadership Giving Officer

The Salvation Army is an international Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible; its ministry is motivated by love for God and the needs of humanity.

Mission Statement

The Salvation Army exists to share the love of Jesus Christ, meet human needs and be a transforming influence in the communities of our world.

Core Values

The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda has four core values:

Hope: We give hope through the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Service: We reach out to support others without discrimination.
Dignity: We respect and value each other, recognizing everyone’s worth.
Stewardship: We responsibly manage the resources entrusted to us.

The Salvation Army is an international Christian organization that began its work in Canada in 1882 and has grown to become one of the largest non-governmental direct providers of social services in the country. The Salvation Army gives hope and support to vulnerable people today and every day in 400 communities across Canada and more than 131 countries around the world.

The Salvation Army offers practical assistance for children and families, often tending to the basic necessities of life, provides shelter for homeless people and rehabilitation for people who have lost control of their lives to an addiction.

As the largest non-governmental direct provider of social services in Canada, The Salvation Army provides unprecedented support to society’s most vulnerable.  The Salvation Army provides a wide range of services that includes immigrant and refugee settlement programs, anti-human trafficking initiatives, English conversation circles and parenting programs. People need to know they are not alone in their time of need — that they have an entire Army on their side. Everyone needs an Army and that’s why The Salvation Army exists.

Reporting to the Director of Development, the Leadership Giving Officer is responsible for managing all aspects of the donor development cycle and stewardship of donors and prospects who have capacity to give at the major gift and planned giving level. A goal of ensuring strategic, highly personalized engagement with donors who have a passion for philanthropic impact, the incumbent will maximize revenue to support mission priorities. This position focuses on donor-centered fundraising through the identification, cultivation, and solicitation of a robust portfolio of donors and prospects in support of The Salvation Army.

This role has 3 primary areas of responsibility: 1) Relationship Management, 2) Strategy Implementation and 3) Prospect Management.  Specific key responsibilities include:

• Research, identify, qualify, cultivate, and manage a robust pipeline of prospects and donors, building successful relationships that lead to philanthropic investment
• Align organizational priorities with donor interests and develop strategies that ensure a strong and sustainable donor pipeline
• Develop and execute tailored and compelling fundraising opportunities that support strategic initiatives
• Manage a strategy of meaningful donor engagements, with 60% of time facilitating in-person contacts
• Collaborate, organize, and/or participate in donor recognition activities and events
• Negotiate and secure major and planned gifts, including the creation of gift agreements and other supporting documentation
• Responsible for legacy donor cycle that includes annual targets of 80% revocable planned gifts and 20% irrevocable gifts
• Responsible for the continued growth to the organization of specific bequests, gifts of insurance, annuities, endowed gifts, and other planned gifts
• Cultivate relationships with lawyers, accountants, trust officers, life underwriters, financial planners, and other professionals to make them aware of and keep them up to date on The Salvation Army and opportunities for funding by their clients
• Collaborate with Salvation Army program leads to develop, implement, and improve on strategic fundraising framework and communicate program investment outcomes utilizing current market best practices and trends
• Be current on planned giving trends, tax implications of planned gifts and legislation
• Prepare briefing materials to support the participation of senior administration in fundraising activity
• Write project-specific fundraising proposals, briefing notes, solicitation plans, gift agreements, stewardship materials and call reports
• Create and present materials to advance fundraising asks such as generic cases for support and customized proposals
• Write articles on legacy giving opportunities and donor stories for various publications
• Record all donor interactions, tracking results and outcomes
• Data analysis of donor giving retention, attrition, and trends
• Stay current on best practice, market trends, changing legislation, and tax implications of legacy giving and major gifts
• Develop revenue targets, reviewing financial results and projections on a regular basis using reports, dashboards, and tools
• Maintain active prospect management system and participate in an integrated moves management program and prospect clearance process
• There may also be a specialization of a donor portfolio to only include leadership or legacy donors
• Perform other position-related duties, as assigned, to support Leadership and Legacy Giving and The Salvation Army fundraising priorities

• Minimum of a 2-to-3-year diploma/degree in Fundraising (preferred), Business Administration, Marketing, or equivalent experience
• Minimum 5+ years of progressive experience in fundraising, securing leadership and legacy gifts that significantly impact organizational mission with knowledge and understanding of annuities, tax laws, and/or accounting
• CFRE or working toward CFRE designation is preferred

• Understanding of and commitment to Imagine Canada’s Standards Program, AFP Code of Ethics, Policies and Procedure
• Ability to write and edit compelling fundraising proposals
• Highly collaborative with the ability to develop strong partnerships across and outside the organization
• Thorough understanding of major gift and planned giving fundraising including cultivation and solicitation cycle
• Knowledgeable of Canadian fundraising, best practices, legislation, tax implications, and restrictions, as well as planned giving trends, tax implications of planned gifts and legislation
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail
• Strong written, verbal, and listening communication skills
• Ability to interpret concerns and interests of corporations and donors to strengthen donor relationships
• Ability to plan and lead projects to meet expected outcomes on tightly prescribed timelines
• Adaptable and ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks and a variety of demands
• Ensure compliance with all policies, regulations, and laws
• Skill in preparing written reports and presentations
• Life-long learner who remains current in fundraising and strategies
• Experience and ability to work effectively in a team, a team player with sound judgment and the ability to handle matters of a sensitive and confidential nature
• Ability and willingness to support, protect, promote, and advance, the mission, vision, goals, and values of the The Salvation Army