Associate Director, Philanthropy and Planned Giving

Art Gallery of Ontario • Toronto, ON

6d • $110,000 - $130,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is seeking an accomplished, relationship-focused fundraiser to join its team as Associate Director, Philanthropy and Planned Giving. The Associate Director will provide strategic leadership for the Planned Giving program, advancing its continued growth and long-term impact. Building on a loyal community of patrons, members, and supporters, the incumbent will cultivate meaningful relationships, inspire and arrange planned gifts, and help secure a lasting philanthropic legacy that ensures the AGO can continue to enrich lives through art, preserve its world-class collections, and create exceptional cultural experiences for generations to come.

Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, the Associate Director, Philanthropy and Planned Giving will serve as the main resource on gift planning, providing strategic guidance to Development colleagues, curators, senior leadership, and relationship managers on tax-efficient charitable giving, donor-advised funds, estate gifts, and blended giving opportunities. The role will also provide guidance on the creation and stewardship of endowed and foundation funds, including investment, distribution, and fund management policies.

In collaboration with the Director, Philanthropy, and Development colleagues, the Associate Director will lead the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of planned giving donors. The role will manage a pipeline of legacy giving prospects, secure planned, estate, and endowed gifts, and oversee estate administration to ensure donors’ philanthropic intentions are honoured, realized and aligned with organizational priorities.

In addition, the Associate Director will lead donor stewardship and recognition initiatives for planned gift donors, including oversight of the AGO Legacy Circle, while ensuring the effective management of gift administration, donor records, and departmental operations.

This position will have flexible work arrangements, with the expectation of working onsite at the AGO a minimum of three to four days per week. Occasional evening and weekend work is required, particularly during fiscal and calendar year-end periods and in support of fundraising and special events.

Requirements

• Progressive fundraising experience, including planned giving. Candidates with a strong major gift fundraising background and an interest in planned giving will also be considered, particularly those who have discussed estate planning or charitable bequests with donors.
• Demonstrated success in integrating gift planning with major gifts, annual giving, or broader fundraising programs.
• Working knowledge of tax laws, estate planning and planned giving vehicles, such as bequests, gifts of insurance, registered funds and securities.
• Comprehensive knowledge of fundraising principles, practices, techniques and CRA guidelines for fundraising, especially regarding the interpretation of the Income Tax Act regulations.
• Demonstrated track record of setting up and implementing a fundraising program and ability to build a culture of philanthropy within an organization.
• Experience engaging donors, building relationships, and support effective gift discussions.
• Well-developed computer literacy including familiarity with industry data analytics overlaid on a donor database.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to manage priorities, attention to detail, and follow-through.
• Sound judgment and discretion in managing confidential information and sensitive matters.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to build and sustain strong relationships.
• Experience managing budgets and financial resources.
• Successful track record in meeting or exceeding established goals.
• Demonstrated flexibility and adaptability in a fast-paced environment.

Nice To Haves

• Original Canadian Gift Planning Course Certificate preferred.
• Working knowledge of Tessitura software is an asset.
• While knowledge of art is not a requisite, a strong, authentic interest and openness to learning about art and the art world is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Planning, Strategy, and Leadership: In partnership with the Chief Development Officer, review and assess the Planned Giving strategy, identify opportunities to strengthen program operations, and support the growth of legacy and estate giving.
• Develop short- and long-term estate giving strategies aligned with organizational priorities, informed by current industry practices and trends.
• Collaborate with the Director, Philanthropy, and other Development colleagues to integrate planned giving strategies with major gift and leadership giving efforts and lead initiatives to identify, cultivate, and solicit planned giving prospects.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to colleagues, championing gift planning as an integral part of the organization’s fundraising and engagement strategies.
• Represent the Development division on Gallery committees and working groups as assigned and serve as an ambassador for the AGO at external events and community engagements.
• Collaborate with Development leaders to advance the divisional strategic plan, contributing to goal setting, policy development, and the achievement of key objectives.
• Participate in multi-year and annual strategic planning for Development and Gallery-wide funding priorities.
• Planned Gift Fundraising: Develop strategies to identify and engage donors through estate and blended gifts, leveraging donor data analysis and segmentation.
• Manage and grow the legacy giving pipeline to secure future gift commitments and increase planned giving intentions year over year.
• Maintain accurate donor records and develop prospect strategies to advance relationships toward planned gift commitments.
• Ensure timely follow-up with prospects, maintain accurate records, and collaborate with Development Operations to complete and document gift agreements.
• In partnership with Marketing and Communications and Donor Relations, develop and implement an integrated gallery-wide communications plan for Planned Giving.
• Serve as a key resource on gift planning, providing guidance and training to colleagues on tax-effective giving strategies, vehicles, and assets.
• Collaborate with senior leadership, senior volunteers, and Development colleagues to develop and execute tailored planned giving strategies, providing guidance on timing, solicitation approaches, and appropriate gift vehicles.
• Lead and participate in donor conversations and solicitation meetings as appropriate.
• Develop and implement strategies to steward and engage donors who give through donor-advised funds (DAFs), serving as a key resource on DAF giving practices.
• Oversee the acceptance and administration of estate gifts.
• Work collaboratively with external financial planning professionals and other professional advisors to facilitate the administration of complex planned gifts, ensuring all transactions comply with applicable legislation, regulatory requirements, and organizational policies.
• Endowment Giving (AGO Foundation Funds): Provide Development colleagues with guidance on endowment giving, including Foundation funds, investment and distribution policies, financial considerations, and tax-effective giving strategies.
• Support the endowment giving pipeline through prospect identification, cultivation, and solicitation, collaborating with relationship managers to achieve philanthropic and revenue goals.
• Work closely with Development Operations and relationship managers to develop strategies that cultivate, solicit, and steward endowed and restricted fund donors, leveraging prospect management systems to strengthen the fundraising pipeline.
• Collaborate with senior leadership, Development colleagues, and curators, to identify prospects, develop planned giving and endowment strategies, and advance new fund opportunities aligned with the organizational strategic priorities.
• Stewardship: Collaborate with the Donor Relations team to develop and implement personalized stewardship strategies for planned gift donors, ensuring alignment with the organization’s broader stewardship program.
• Identify key recognition opportunities within customized stewardship plans to augment planned gift and endowment proposals, such as gift announcements and recognition events, seeking approvals when appropriate.
• Develop and implement tailored donor recognition strategies and serve as the primary relationship manager throughout the donor journey.
• Monitor donor activity and ensure accurate tracking in the donor database, processing, and stewardship of planned gift commitments, payments, receipts, and related transactions.
• Manage the AGO Legacy Circle, developing engagement and stewardship opportunities for donors and prospects.

Benefits

• The AGO offers a competitive compensation package for this position.
• The hiring range for this role is $110,000 - $130,000 and a comprehensive suite of benefits is also provided.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed