Director, Community Engagement and Development

Southwesthealthline; London; Hybrid; CAD 104,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

St Joseph’s Hospice in London, Ontario, seeks a Director of Community Engagement and Development to lead a comprehensive fundraising program, from strategy to donor stewardship. You will supervise a four-person team spanning major gifts, annual giving, events, research, and communications to advance the hospice’s mission with compassion and impact.

The role reports to the Executive Director and shapes outreach across the community and to board relations.

Qualifications

• 7 years of fundraising experience at the Major Gift level.
• 3+ years leading a fundraising team.
• Graduation from an accredited university.
• Proven experience designing and managing development programs.
• Experience building relationships with donors, volunteers, staff and Board.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Personal transportation required.

Responsibilities

• Lead all fundraising activities with an annual revenue goal.
• Develop donor cultivation, solicitation, and relations strategies.
• Oversee Development Office infrastructure, including donor records and databases.
• Collaborate on marketing, communications and design.
• Attend Hospice Signature Events to build relationships with attendees.

Skills

Major Gift fundraising

Team leadership

Donor relations

Verbal & written communication

Education

Graduation from an accredited university

Job description

St Joseph’s Hospice is a charitable organization providing compassionate care and companionship to palliative clients, their caregivers, and the bereaved, recognizing their unique needs. With a history and tradition of respectful, holistic patient-centred care, St. Joseph’s Hospice believes that everyone matters for every single moment of their life, and so we focus on enhancing life when cure is no longer an option.

Position: Director, Community Engagement and Development

Region: London and Middlesex

Description: Reporting to the Executive Director, the Director of Community Engagement & Development brings a depth of experience through a full scope of fundraising, from strategy development to identification of prospective donors, and cultivation through to solicitation and stewardship. The Director provides strategic vision and leadership in developing, implementing and evaluating a comprehensive community engagement and development program that includes all fundraising (major gifts, annual giving, planned giving, social media engagement, and special events), and marketing and communications activities for Hospice. This role provides leadership to a team of four professional staff in major and annual giving, special events, database management, research, donor relations and marketing, communications and design.

Responsibilities

Fundraising

• Is the organization’s Chief Development Officer.
• With an annual revenue goal of $1.6 million, leads all fundraising activities including major gifts program, annual giving, hospice signature events, third-party events, in memoriam giving, and any other solicitations.
• Leads all strategies and activities for donor cultivation, solicitation, and relations.
• Bolsters the developing in memoriam giving program.
• Develops a comprehensive planned-giving program as the need becomes appropriate.
• Assumes responsibility for all Development reports to the board and other agencies.
• Assists the Board with recommending and researching potential new members.

Development Office Infrastructure

• Creates office systems to support all Development projects and operations.
• Supervises donor gift acknowledgement and gift record-keeping.
• Coordinates development research activities.
• Oversees the management of databases and all records, files, and gift processing as it relates to the work of the development, events and communications functions.
• Events
• Works closely with the Fundraising Events Coordinator to ensure all St. Joseph’s Hospice signature events are executed according to plan.
• Ensures that revenue targets are met through event activity.
• Supports key volunteer event committees as necessary.
• Determines 3rd party event activity in consultation with the Fundraising Events Coordinator and supports the organizers of these events as appropriate.
• Attends all Hospice Signature Events to build relationships with attendees.

Volunteer Relations

• Works with a core group of volunteers to assist with fundraising, special events and other programs as needed.

Design, Public Relations, Marketing, Communications

• Works closely with the Executive Director to strategize and determine communications, marketing and public relations goals for the whole organization.
• Develops and implements strategies to promote hospice’s mission to both the internal constituencies and the community at large.
• Works closely with the Communications and Design Coordinator to create and implement a communication and promotional work plan.
• Oversees the production of all major publications, including the event marketing materials, quarterly e-newsletters, the Annual Report, stewardship reports, website, etc.
• Ensures social media vehicles are fed and updated regularly.

Qualifications

• A minimum of 7 years’ professional and progressive fundraising experience at the Major Gift level.
• Has had a minimum of 3 years’ experience leading a fundraising team of professionals.
• Graduation from an accredited university.
• Proven experience in designing and managing development programs.
• Experience with developing and maintaining outstanding working relationships with donors, volunteers, staff and Board of Directors.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Personal transportation required.

Behavioral competencies

• Results driven, proactive & able to lead a team.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Problem-solving attitude.
• Flexible, change-embracing in rapidly evolving work and market environment.
• Ability to multi-task on multiple projects at once.
• Ability to relate to and work with a wide variety of stakeholders.

Salary: $104,000 - $114,770 annually

Terms of Employment: Full-time

Deadline for Application: Wednesday, September 30, 2026

Location: London

Profession Type: Management