Job Description

JOB DESCRIPTION


JOB CLASSIFICATION: Vice President, Fund Development


PROGRAM/DEPARTMENT: Fund Development & Strategic Partnerships


COMPANY: Skills for Change


LOCATION: 791 St Clair Ave W, Toronto, ON M6G 3P8


CONTRACT TYPE: Indefinite


HOURS: 35 hours per week (Monday-Friday with occasional evening and/or weekend hours)


REPORTS TO: Chief Executive Officer


START DATE: Immediate



ABOUT SKILLS FOR CHANGE:


Skills for Change (SfC) is a nationally recognized, award-winning nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the success of immigrants, refugees, and equity-deserving communities across Canada. With over 40 years of impact, an annual budget of $10-12 million, and services reaching more than 16,000 individuals annually, we are poised for our next phase of national growth and innovation. SfC is known for pioneering programs in settlement, workforce development/employment, entrepreneurship, climate resilience, leadership, and mental health. Our organizational culture is collaborative, mission-driven, and equity-focused, with a commitment to professional growth, innovation, and sector leadership.


POSITION SUMMARY:


Skills for Change is seeking a visionary, results-oriented Vice President of Fund Development to lead our organization's revenue strategy. Reporting directly to the CEO, the VP is a key member of the executive team and will design, implement, and lead a comprehensive, multi-channel fundraising program to grow SfC's revenue to $15M+ annually. This is a high-impact role focused on strategic donor engagement, revenue diversification, and long-term sustainability. The VP will drive major gift cultivation, institutional partnerships, foundation grants, digital campaigns, and fundraising innovation while fostering a culture of philanthropy across the organization.


KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Develop and implement a multi-year fundraising strategy aligned with SfC's strategic plan and growth targets. + Lead, coach, and manage a high-performing team responsible for corporate partnerships, major gifts, foundations, grants, and donor acquisition. + Establish and monitor KPIs across revenue streams (e.g., donor retention, campaign ROI, pipeline growth, time to close).
+ Cultivate and steward high-value relationships with individual donors, philanthropic institutions, and corporate partners.
+ Partner with the CEO on major donor cultivation, high-level meetings, and strategic funder engagement.
+ Collaborate across departments to align fundraising with marketing, communications, programs, and research.
+ Oversee grant pipelines, including LOIs, proposals, reporting, and compliance in partnership with the Director of Program Design & Research.
+ Serve as the lead staff to the Fund Development and Strategic Partnerships Committee of the Board; provide quarterly fundraising reports and strategic updates.


TEAM LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE:

Direct Reports:

+ Manager, Corporate Partnerships + Manager, Major Gifts & Foundations
+ Manager, Social Enterprise
+ Manager, Campaigns & Donor Acquisition
+ Director, Program Design & Research

Indirect Reports (via Director or Managers):

+ Manager, Program Design & Research + Manager, Research
+ Research Associate
+ Supervisor, Program Design & Partnerships


QUALIFICATIONS:

+ Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in fundraising and development, including at least 5 years in a senior leadership role. + Proven success managing diverse revenue streams: major gifts, corporate, foundations, digital, and grants.
+ Demonstrated experience in setting and meeting ambitious fundraising targets (preferably $10M+ portfolios).
+ Strong leadership and team-building skills; ability to build culture and accountability within a distributed team.
+ Exceptional relationship-building, negotiation, and presentation skills.
+ Excellent strategic thinking, communication, and data-driven decision-making.
+ Bachelor's degree in Business, Fundraising, Public Relations, or related field; CFRE or relevant master's degree an asset.
+ Experience with donor CRMs (e.g., Raiser's Edge, Salesforce), grant tracking tools, and analytics platforms.
+ Knowledge of the Canadian philanthropic and charitable sector is essential.
+ Experience in immigrant services, equity-focused work, or national nonprofit organizations considered strong assets.


KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIS):

+ Annual fundraising revenue and year-over-year growth + Donor acquisition and retention rates
+ Major gift and corporate partnership pipeline value and conversion rates
+ Return on investment (ROI) for campaigns and events
+ Board engagement and satisfaction with fund development strategy


TRAVEL EXPECTATIONS:


This role requires periodic travel (up to 15%) within Ontario and across Canada to meet with donors, partners, attend events, and represent SfC at sector forums.


WHY JOIN US?


This is a rare opportunity to shape and scale a nationally respected nonprofit at a critical moment of expansion. You will join a forward-thinking, impact-driven executive team and have the freedom to innovate, build infrastructure, and leave a legacy. SfC supports professional development and offers leadership growth opportunities through sector affiliations, executive coaching, and national networks.


Skills for Change provides learning and training opportunities for immigrants, refugees and equity seeking groups to access and fully participate in the workplace and wider community to persons with disabilities to newcomers to Canada (including refugees) to Indigenous peoples to members of a visible minority to children or youth to women of all ages including seniors to the LGBTQ2 community.


Skills for Change offers accommodation for applicants with disabilities in each stage of the hiring process. If you are contacted regarding a job opportunity, please advise if you require accommodation. This document is available in alternate format on request.


We thank all applicants for their interest in this position, however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.