Fund Development Associate

Kindred Connections Society; Calgary; On-site; CAD 59,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

The Fund Development Associate at Kindred in Calgary supports a broad range of fundraising activities and community engagement initiatives. Reporting to the Director of Philanthropy and Engagement, you will manage donor portfolios, grow scholarship donor relations, and help meet fundraising targets based on the annual budget and plan.

You will coordinate annual and third-party events, cultivate sponsors, and collaborate with the philanthropy team to deliver timely reports and donor recognition.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, business or a related field or equivalent educational background required
• 3-5 years of fundraising experience, preferably in a non-profit environment and within the scope of fund development
• Relevant certifications (e.g. CFRE) or coursework in philanthropy, donor relations, or grant writing is considered an asset
• The Core Brain Story Certification through The Alberta Family Wellness Initiative is an asset

Responsibilities

• Manage and maintain a portfolio of potential and existing donors including scholarship donors and service clubs with outreach and presentations
• Cultivate scholarship donors, coordinate reporting and recognition with the finance team
• Plan and coordinate Kindred's Annual and Third-Party Fundraising Events and provide stewardship
• Recruit, train, coordinate, and recognize volunteers for fundraising events and campaigns
• Monitor event plans, budgets, revenue, and participant engagement, ensuring timely stewardship
• Support writing funding proposals, interim and final reports as needed
• Assist with grants to ensure adherence to obligations and requirements
• Support Volunteer Strategy and Corporate Engagement initiatives

Skills

Interpersonal communication

Presentation

Public speaking

Writing

Collaboration

Organization

Donor relations

Fundraising asks

Customer-service mindset

MS Office

Education

Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, business or a related field or equivalent educational background

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Donor database software

Job description

Salary Range: $58,820.00 To $72,139.00 Annually

At Kindred, we’re convinced the key to living well is healthy relationships with self, family, and others. But relationships are complicated and sometimes we find ourselves in vulnerable places, disconnected from those who matter most.

Kindred’s purpose is to realize the power of human connection, and it shapes everything we do. Whether nuclear or chosen, family is the most important relationship in a person’s life. So, we invest in the special bond between children and those that care for them. We provide road maps toward healing when essential relationships are ruptured. And we understand that accessing timely mental health support can inspire confidence in self and others. Healthy human connection is possible, and together we can realize it.

The Position

Job Type: 1.0 FTE, 12-month contract with possibility of extension

Work Arrangement: On-site, Office Based Role

Position Overview

Reporting to the Director of Philanthropy and Engagement, the Fund Development Associate plays a key role in advancing the financial sustainability and growth of Kindred’s programs, services, and strategic initiatives. As a member of the Philanthropy and Engagement team , this position supports a broad range of fundraising activities while contributing to Kindred’s overall community engagement objectives. A key deliverable will be to meet fund development targets as set out by the Director of Philanthropy and Engagement, based on the agency’s annual budget and strategic plan. The Fund Development Associate will manage and grow a portfolio of entry to mid-level donors, fostering meaningful relationships that encourage ongoing support and philanthropic investment.

The role also supports the planning, coordination, and execution of Kindred's annual fundraising and stewardship events, as well as third-party fundraising initiatives led by community partners, donors, and supporters. This includes cultivating event participants and sponsors, coordinating logistics, stewarding relationships, and helping maximize fundraising outcomes and community engagement opportunities.

Success in this role requires a strong understanding of donor engagement best practices, exceptional relationship-building skills, and a collaborative, proactive approach. The ideal candidate will have prior experience working within the charitable or not-for-profit sector and a demonstrated track record of involvement in diverse fundraising initiatives. They are a clear communicator, highly organized, relationship-focused, and motivated by purpose-driven work that creates meaningful impact

Accountabilities

• Manage and maintain a portfolio of potential and existing donors including scholarship donors, service clubs and entry-mid level donors. Management of this portfolio includes:
  • Prospect research
  • Networking and providing presentations about agency services and identifying opportunities for collaboration with external partners
  • Exemplary relationship-building and stewardship for entry-mid level donors
  • Solicitations (in-person, written, over the phone and via digital communications) within own assigned portfolio to contribute to financial goal/results
  • Tracking and reporting on fundraising progress to the Manager, Community Relations
• Manage the cultivation, stewardship, and retention of donors participating in Kindred’s scholarship program. Responsibilities include:
  • Acting as the primary liaison for scholarship donors, ensuring timely impact reporting, stewardship, recognition, and engagement opportunities.
  • Collaborate with the Kindred finance team, which is responsible for scholarship administration, award distribution, and post-secondary institution relationships, to ensure donors receive meaningful updates on the impact of their support.
  • Delivering donor recognition that aligns with Kindred’s stewardship strategy.
• Support the planning and coordination of Kindred’s Annual and Third-Party Fundraising Events. Responsibilities include:
• Coordinate the planning and execution of Kindred Live, including event logistics, vendor and venue management, sponsorship fulfillment, volunteer coordination, and onsite event support to achieve fundraising and engagement objectives.
• Prospect, cultivate, and support individuals and groups interested in organizing third-party fundraising events, providing guidance, resources, and stewardship throughout the event lifecycle.
• Recruit, train, coordinate, and recognize volunteers supporting Kindred’s fundraising events, ensuring a positive and meaningful volunteer experience.
• Monitor event plans, budgets, fundraising revenue, and participant engagement, while ensuring timely stewardship and recognition for sponsors, donors, volunteers, and event organizers.
• Support with managing gift-in-kind donations from gift acceptance to logistics to tax receipting .
• Collaborate with the Philanthropy team and key stakeholders (when necessary) in assisting with all functions of fund development that support Kindred’s fundraising initiatives and goals . This includes donor events and campaigns.
• Support with coordination of writing funding proposals, interim reports and final reports up to and including drafting documents as needed
• Support the management of successful grants to ensure Kindred/UP adheres to all grant obligations and requirements.
• Support program staff with the implementation of the agency’s Volunteer Strategy:
  • Maintenance of volunteer management processes that align with industry best practices and accreditation
  • Build capacity in program staff to properly execute all volunteer processes including coordinating volunteers for program-specific events, data-tracking for continuous processes evolutions and volunteer recognition initiatives
  • Collaborate to promote Kindred’s volunteer opportunities to the general public
  • Coordinate volunteers for agency-wide events when deemed necessary
  • Collaboration with program team to align overall volunteer activities with fundraising goals
• Support the implementation of the agency’s Corporate Engagement Strategy

Organizational Collaboration and Professional Development (10%)

• Participate in team meetings and organization committees to strengthen collaboration across divisions
• Lead a philanthropic culture across the agency
• Participate in training and other professional development opportunities
• Document processes for business continuity and institutional memory
• Other duties as required

Qualifications

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, business or a related field or equivalent educational background required
• 3-5 years of fundraising experience, preferably in a non-profit environment and within the scope of fund development
• Relevant certifications (e.g. CFRE in fundraising) or coursework in philanthropy, donor relations, or grant writing is considered an asset
• The Core Brain Story Certification through The Alberta Family Wellness Initiative is an asset

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Exemplary interpersonal and communication skills, including presentation, public speaking and writing;
• Ability to work collaboratively with various stakeholders (internal and external);
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to juggle multiple timelines and deadlines;
• Consistent, reliable and detail oriented;
• Capacity and drive for innovation, critical thinking and problem solving:
• Research and analytical skills;
• Strong sense of accountability, commitment towards measuring outcomes and ability to work in a results-oriented culture
• Comfortable making fundraising asks and discussing the organization’s mission passionately
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and donor database software
• Customer-service oriented mindset toward donors and volunteers

Qualities and Characteristics

• Embodies Kindred’s purpose (connection!) as demonstrated by prioritizing, embracing, and thriving in the work through strong relationships internally and externally
• Strong personal alignment with the Kindred values: compassion, courage, family, excellence, and humility

The need for human connection is universal. At Kindred, we believe that everyone deserves to experience belonging regardless of where you come from, who you love, how much money you have or how you choose to pray. By embracing diversity of culture, race, religion, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and thought, Kindred is committed to ensuring there is space for you. Kindred approaches its diversity, equity, and inclusion journey with curiosity and humility. We commit to creating a safe and inclusive environment for our staff, clients and anyone we have the privilege of being in connection with.