Major Gifts Philanthropy Advisor (Ontario)

World Vision Canada•Mississauga, ON

13d•Hybrid

About The Position

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.

Requirements

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

Nice To Haves

CFRE certification or actively working toward certification is an asset
Proficiency in French (oral and written) is considered an asset

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.