Development Advisor, Major Gifts

ALTECI; Montreal (administrative region); Hybrid; CAD 65,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

The Montreal General Hospital Foundation seeks a Development Advisor to join its Major Gifts team, focusing on growing the major gifts portfolio by cultivating relationships with individuals, family foundations, and volunteers to secure mid-level gifts and planned giving opportunities.

Reporting to the Vice President, Development, you will drive data-driven strategies, manage a hybrid portfolio, and collaborate with teams to strengthen fundraising and donor stewardship across Quebec and beyond.

Qualifications

• 4–6 years of fundraising experience.
• Experience in major gifts cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Ability to manage donor databases and CRM systems.
• Experience in healthcare philanthropy is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Manage a hybrid portfolio of major gift donors and funders.
• Identify, qualify, solicit, manage, and steward donors for strategic priorities.
• Develop and implement donor solicitation strategies with leadership.
• Identify high-potential prospects via research and stewardship.
• Present planned giving as part of donor relations and engagement.
• Monitor donor pipeline and document opportunities in the CRM.
• Plan donor engagement activities to advance solicitations.
• Ensure rigorous stewardship and data quality across the donor cycle.

Skills

Fundraising best practices

Donor relationship management

Stakeholder engagement

Bilingual French/English

CRM systems

Microsoft Office

Education

University degree

Tools

Raiser’s Edge

CRM databases

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Montreal General Hospital Foundation is seeking a Development Advisor to join its Major Gifts team. Reporting to the Vice President, Development, the incumbent plays a key role within the Foundation by actively contributing to the growth of the major gifts portfolio. This individual develops and maintains long-term relationships with individual donors, family foundations, and volunteers in order to secure mid-level gifts and identify new planned giving opportunities.

Working in a dynamic environment, the incumbent demonstrates independence, strong organizational skills, and excellent relationship-building abilities, enabling them to effectively engage with a diverse network of stakeholders, including family foundation leaders and healthcare professionals. In collaboration with the team, this individual leverages data-driven approaches to ensure rigorous activity tracking, optimize database utilization, and support informed decision-making.

Through proactive prospecting efforts, including targeted research and donor recognition initiatives, the incumbent contributes to the expansion and sustainability of the major donor portfolio. They also help strengthen strategic relationships between the Foundation, its partners, and its philanthropic community, supporting growth and positioning the Foundation as a leader in healthcare philanthropy.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage a hybrid portfolio of 100-125 major gift donors ($25,000 and $500,000 annually gifts), including individuals, family foundations, and corporations, ensuring a balanced portfolio across giving levels and stages of the donor cycle.
• Identify, qualify, solicit, manage, and steward current and prospective donors in support of the Foundation’s strategic priorities.
• Develop and implement donor solicitation strategies that support donor progression, in collaboration with the Major Gifts leadership team.
• Identify new high-potential prospects through stewardship calls, targeted research, and development initiatives in partnership with internal teams.
• Present planned giving as an integrated component of donor relationship development and deepening engagement.
• Monitor and strengthen the donor pipeline by documenting opportunities, interests, and strategic information.
• Plan and conduct donor engagement activities (phone calls, visits, events, hospital tours, etc.) to strengthen relationships and advance solicitations.
• Implement stewardship strategies throughout the donor cycle and work closely with the stewardship team to ensure a consistent donor experience that complements fundraising efforts.
• Maintain rigorous use of the CRM in accordance with established best practices, ensuring that data is accurate, complete, current, compliant, and reliable in order to preserve information quality and integrity.
• Collaborate closely with leadership, volunteers, medical leaders, and internal partners to support the MHGF’s philanthropic objectives.
• Monitor progress toward fundraising goals and provide regular updates and reports to the Vice President, Development.

Education and Experience

• University degree.
• Minimum of 4 to 6 years of experience directly related to fundraising.
• Demonstrated experience in the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major gift and/or planned giving donors, including strategic donor relationship management (moves management), as well as experience working collaboratively with professionals and volunteers.
• Experience using donor databases and Customer Relationship Management (CRM)systems. Knowledge of Raiser’s Edgewill be considered a strong asset.
• Experience in a healthcare setting or a research-focused environment is considered an asset.

Professional Skills and Abilities

• In-depth knowledge of fundraising best practices and ethical principles in philanthropy.
• Comprehensive understanding of all forms of charitable giving vehicles.
• Strategic thinker with strong planning, organizational, and priority-management skills.
• Exceptional attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a team environment.
• Strong work ethic combined with energy, enthusiasm, initiative, and excellent organizational skills.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and stakeholder engagement skills, demonstrated with integrity, tact, and discretion.
• This position requires excellent oral and written communication in both French and English to effectively engage with a broad range of stakeholders, including donors, volunteers, and leaders within the medical community.
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and donor database systems used for donor tracking and performance reporting.

Employment conditions

• Full-time position, 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday.
• Flexible working hours and hybrid work arrangement.
• Occasional availability required during evenings and weekends.
• Three weeks of vacation upon hiring.
• Five flexible days off during the summer period.
• Additional day off during the holiday season.
• Group RRSP with employer contributions.
• Group insurance plan with employer participation.
• Annual remuneration $65,000 to $80,000
• Start date: As soon as possible.

About the Foundation

Joining the Foundation means being part of a dedicated, dynamic, and collaborative team committed to positioning the Foundation for growth and success as a leader in healthcare philanthropy.

Our mission is to inspire the philanthropic community to invest in transformative initiatives, conceived and guided by our medical leaders that have a significant impact on patients' lives. In doing so, we advance the pioneering spirit of the Montreal General Hospital, which joined forces with McGill University to create Canada's first teaching hospital.

Visit our website for more information at https://www.mghfoundation.com/

Foundation Governance

The Foundation's Board of Directors, composed of dedicated volunteers representing the community, provides strategic direction for the Montreal General Hospital Foundation and offers guidance and support for fundraising initiatives. The Board ensures that the Foundation achieves its fundraising objectives and manages donations responsibly and with the highest standards of stewardship.

Our Board of Directors : https://www.mghfoundation.com/our-board-of-directors

The Together Against Cancer Campaign

Learn more about the Together Against Cancer campaign https://www.mghfoundation.com/news/together-against-cancer