Executive Director, Annual Giving

Diabetes Canada / National Diabetes Trust•Toronto, ON

22h•CA$140,000 - CA$155,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Diabetes Canada is seeking an Executive Director, Annual Giving to provide strategic leadership for its national direct response marketing (DRM) portfolio. This role is responsible for annual giving, monthly giving, tribute giving, mid-level giving, and digital fundraising programs. The Executive Director will lead the development and execution of integrated fundraising strategies to drive donor acquisition, retention, reactivation, stewardship, and revenue growth, while enhancing donor engagement and lifetime value. As a senior leader within the Fund Development team, this individual will be accountable for achieving annual revenue and expense targets, long-term portfolio growth, donor experience strategy, fundraising innovation, and operational excellence. The role requires collaboration with leaders across various departments to ensure an integrated and donor-centered approach. The Executive Director will lead a high-performing team, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, continuous improvement, and innovation. The position is based at Diabetes Canada’s National Office in Toronto, Ontario, with a flexible work arrangement allowing for remote work with occasional office visits. Travel for meetings may be required.

Requirements

Post-secondary degree in Fundraising, Business Administration, Marketing, Communications, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Minimum 10 years of progressive fundraising experience with demonstrated success leading integrated direct response fundraising programs.
Minimum 5 years of people leadership experience, including experience leading managers and developing high-performing teams.
Demonstrated experience managing significant revenue portfolios, budgets, and forecasting processes.
Experience leading annual giving, donor acquisition, donor retention, and stewardship programs.
Experience incorporating digital fundraising channels into fundraising strategies and campaigns.
Strong understanding of CRM systems, fundraising databases, and campaign analytics platforms.
Strong understanding of donor-centred fundraising principles and donor lifecycle management.
Excellent financial, analytical, and revenue management skills.
Exceptional relationship-building, strong leadership, and stakeholder management skills.
Strong project management and organizational skills, and a solutions-focused approach.
Commitment to fostering a positive, inclusive, and collaborative work environment.
Demonstrates an understanding of and commitment to Diabetes Canada’s mission, vision, and core values.
Must be legally eligible to work in Canada.
Where applicable, must hold a valid work permit or study permit that allows fulfillment of the role requirements.

Nice To Haves

Experience working at a national charitable or not-for-profit organization is considered an asset.

Responsibilities

Develop and lead a comprehensive Direct Response Marketing (DRM) strategy that aligns with organizational priorities and supports sustainable revenue growth.
Establish annual and multi-year plans, goals, and performance metrics for annual, monthly, tribute, mid-level, and digital fundraising programs.
Identify opportunities to strengthen donor acquisition, retention, reactivation, and upgrade strategies across all donor segments.
Evaluate program performance and donor trends, using data and analytics to inform strategic priorities and future investments.
Champion a donor-centred fundraising approach that maximizes donor engagement, loyalty, and lifetime value.
Collaborate with Fund Development leadership to strengthen donor pipeline development and integration across various fundraising programs.
Provide strategic oversight of all direct response fundraising programs and campaigns across mail, digital, phone, face-to-face, and emerging channels.
Ensure donor journeys, communications strategies, and fundraising activities are integrated across channels and donor segments.
Lead the development of innovative fundraising approaches, testing frameworks, and optimization strategies.
Oversee campaign analysis, performance reporting, and revenue forecasting.
Ensure fundraising activities reflect industry best practices, regulatory requirements, and ethical fundraising standards.
Lead the organization's digital fundraising growth strategy and support the evolution of digital fundraising capabilities.
Champion innovation in donor acquisition, engagement, and stewardship through technology, automation, data, and digital platforms.
Identify emerging trends, opportunities, and risks within the fundraising sector and make recommendations.
Foster a culture of experimentation, testing, and continuous improvement.
Develop and manage the DRM operating budget and oversee revenue forecasting.
Monitor and report on program performance, revenue, expenses, and return on investment.
Ensure effective operational processes, data management practices, and campaign workflows.
Lead procurement, contract negotiations, and vendor management activities.
Ensure appropriate controls, policies, and procedures are maintained for organizational compliance and risk management.
Lead, coach, and develop a team of fundraising leaders and professionals.
Establish clear goals, expectations, and development plans for the team.
Promote employee engagement, inclusion, and continuous learning within the team.
Support succession planning and workforce development initiatives.
Provide leadership in employee relations, recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and talent development.
Build strong partnerships across the organization to advance integrated fundraising initiatives.
Collaborate with Marketing & Communications for consistent messaging and campaign execution.
Partner with IT & Data teams to strengthen data quality, fundraising systems, and reporting capabilities.
Represent Diabetes Canada with external agencies, consultants, partners, and vendors.
Contribute to organizational planning, strategy development, and change initiatives.