Donor Relations Officer – MLSE Foundation

MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Partnership)•Toronto, ON

2d•CA$60,000 - CA$70,000

About The Position

MLSE Foundation believes in the power of sport to change lives. With the support of MLSE’s teams and community partners, we invest in programming, capital projects, and partnerships that expand opportunity for Youth across Ontario. As MLSE Foundation deepens its major gifts work, this role plays a pivotal part in strengthening donor relationships and fueling long term philanthropic growth. POSITION OVERVIEW The Donor Relations Officer manages and advances an annual major gifts pipeline of donors typically in the $25K–$100K range that supports the success of MLSE Foundation’s Major Gifts and Foundations portfolios. This role contributes directly to the overall ~$4.5M annual Major Gifts target, providing end-to-end donor lifecycle support from cultivation through solicitation and stewardship‑to‑end donor lifecycle support. The Donor Relations Officer acts as a senior fundraising resource to the Director, Fund Development, supporting leadership ambassador activity, high value donor engagement, and cross portfolio major gift opportunities.

Requirements

3–5+ years in fundraising, donor relations, major gifts, or related fields.
Exceptional writing skills with a track record of producing donor proposals and stewardship communications.
Strong relationship building skills with the ability to work comfortably with high-net-worth individuals, board members, and leadership ambassadors.
Experience with CRM systems (Salesforce preferred) and strong pipeline discipline.
High level of professionalism, sound judgment, and ability to maintain confidentiality.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated experience managing a portfolio of major gift prospects at the $25K–$100K level.
Experience supporting or participating in campaigns or multiyear fundraising initiatives.
Knowledge of sport for development or youth-focused organizations.
Ability to translate technical, programmatic, or impact data into compelling donor narratives.

Responsibilities

Manage and advance a $1M portfolio of major gift prospects and donors, ensuring disciplined movement through qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
Conduct donor meetings, create customized cultivation plans, and collaborate with senior leaders on high value solicitations.
Identify prospects for multi-year commitments aligned with organizational priorities.
Serve as a senior resource in preparing Leadership Ambassadors for donor meetings, briefings, and strategic follow-ups.
Support cross portfolio opportunities by collaborating with colleagues in Community Engagement, Events, and Partnerships.
Participate in developing donor strategies for fundraising milestones and priority funding opportunities.
Lead and/or support the creation of high-quality proposals, cases for support, tailored donor packages, impact reports, and stewardship materials.
Draft compelling donor correspondence, briefing notes, and reports.
Ensure donor communications are timely, personalized, and aligned with MLSE Foundation’s brand and voice.
Lead disciplined pipeline management practices, including forecasting, weekly movement tracking, and portfolio reporting.
Play a central role in CRM (Salesforce) implementation and optimization, ensuring consistent, accurate data entry.
Manage donor and constituent data, ensuring accuracy, integrity, completeness, and ongoing database quality through regular reviews and updates.
Support the adoption of prospect management standards and donor journey workflows.
Partner with Finance, Programs, Communications, and senior leadership to ensure seamless donor stewardship and accurate reporting.
Coordinate donor experiences such as events, site visits, recognition moments, and tailored engagement opportunities.
Model best practices in donor relations that reflect MLSE Foundation’s values of equity, excellence, and community impact.