Fund Development Officer - Major Gifts & Lega

Calgary Food Bank; Calgary; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

RRSPs and bonuses

On-site gym

Generous wellness days

Staff Development Days

Job summary

Calgary Food Bank is seeking a Fund Development Officer – Major Gifts & Legacy Giving to grow and manage its major gift and legacy portfolios. You will cultivate relationships with donors, families, professional advisors, and partners to advance transformational philanthropy that supports our community.

Reporting to the Director of Community Engagement, you will develop portfolio plans, lead gifts of securities and planned giving, coordinate stewardship, and ensure accurate donor records in

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of progressive fundraising experience with demonstrated success in major gifts.
• Knowledge of planned giving and estate fundraising principles.
• Strong prospect research, donor qualification, and relationship management skills.
• Proficiency with Salesforce and donor database management.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; ability to influence and engage stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Manage an assigned major gift and legacy donor portfolio and develop annual plans.
• Qualify, cultivate, solicit, steward, renew, and upgrade donors to meet revenue targets.
• Conduct donor meetings, presentations, and fundraising conversations to strengthen relationships.
• Develop customized proposals and funding opportunities aligned with priorities.
• Coordinate stewardship activities, recognition events, and impact reporting.
• Maintain accurate donor records in Salesforce and analyze portfolio performance.

Skills

Donor relationship management

Prospect research

Communication

Negotiation

Project management

Education

Degree or diploma in fundraising, communications, business, nonprofit management, or related field

Tools

Salesforce

Microsoft 365

Job description

Fund Development Officer - Major Gifts & Lega

Some gifts change a moment – others change generations. If you’re passionate about building extraordinary relationships, inspiring extraordinary generosity, and leaving a lasting impact, we want to hear from you. We’re looking for a dynamic Fund Development Officer – Major Gifts & Legacy Giving who thrives on connecting people, uncovering shared purpose, and creating transformational giving opportunities that will benefit our community for years to come.

About Us

At the Calgary Food Bank our mission is “to make food accessible to everyone in our city”. Our core belief that no one in our community should go without food continues to serve as our guiding principle for our future. We are the first line of emergency food support for people facing crisis serving over 100,000 individuals per year and growing. Always client centered and community focused, the Calgary Food Bank is committed to excellence in both our operations and culture.

The Opportunity

Reporting to the Director of Community Engagement, the Fund Development Officer - Major Gifts & Legacy Giving is responsible for the growth and management of assigned major gift and legacy giving portfolios through strategic identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, retention, renewal, and upgrade activities. In this role you will cultivate deep, trusted relationships with donors, families, professional advisors and community partners, guiding them on a philanthropic journey that reflects their values while advancing our mission. Every conversation has the potential to become a lasting legacy .

What You’ll Do

• Manage an assigned portfolio of major gift and legacy donors, generally consisting of donors with annual giving capacity of $10,000+.
• Develop and execute annual portfolio plans designed to achieve fundraising revenue targets.
• Qualify, cultivate, solicit, steward, renew, upgrade, and retain donors within assigned portfolios.
• Conduct donor meetings, tours, presentations, and fundraising conversations to strengthen relationships and secure support.
• Develop customized proposals, funding opportunities, and donor investment plans aligned with organizational priorities.
• Secure multi-year commitments and major philanthropic investments that support strategic organizational goals.
• Track donor movement through the fundraising pipeline and implement strategies to advance prospects toward solicitation and commitment.
• Monitor portfolio performance and provide recommendations to maximize fundraising outcomes.

Legacy Giving & Planned Giving:

• Lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive legacy giving strategy.
• Promote and facilitate planned giving opportunities including wills, estates, bequests, gifts of securities, life insurance, charitable remainder trusts, donor-advised funds, and beneficiary designations.
• Conduct legacy giving conversations and provide information to donors interested in creating a lasting impact through planned gifts.
• Develop and maintain a pipeline of current and prospective legacy donors.
• Coordinate stewardship, recognition, and engagement activities for legacy society members.
• Work closely with estate representatives, executors, legal counsel, financial advisors, and family members regarding realized estate gifts.
• Monitor and manage estate administration processes related to charitable gifts and bequests.
• Maintain accurate records and forecasting related to planned gift expectancies and realized estate revenue.

Major Donor Cultivation & Stewardship:

• Create and execute personalized cultivation and stewardship plans for assigned major and legacy donors.
• Develop meaningful touchpoints that strengthen donor relationships and increase long-term engagement.
• Coordinate donor recognition opportunities, impact reporting, tours, site visits, cheque presentations, and stewardship events.
• Prepare customized stewardship reports, donor updates, and proposals that demonstrate impact and accountability.
• Ensure donors receive timely, meaningful, and personalized communication that reflects Calgary Food Bank priorities and outcomes.

Prospect Research & Pipeline Development:

• Conduct prospect research and analysis to identify new major gift and planned giving opportunities.
• Evaluate donor capacity, philanthropic interests, affinity, and engagement history.
• Develop qualification strategies for emerging major gift prospects identified through annual giving, mid-level giving, and corporate partnerships.
• Work collaboratively with Community Engagement colleagues to ensure donors are transitioned appropriately throughout the fundraising continuum.
• Build and maintain a healthy major gift and legacy giving prospect pipeline.

Gifts of Securities & Strategic Giving:

• Lead the cultivation and solicitation of gifts of securities and other tax-efficient giving opportunities.
• Coordinate with donors, brokers, financial institutions, and internal stakeholders to ensure gifts are processed efficiently and accurately.
• Ensure appropriate stewardship, reporting, and charitable tax receipting for complex gifts.

Data Management & Analysis:

• Maintain accurate donor, prospect, opportunity, and relationship records in Salesforce.
• Track donor engagement, revenue performance, pipeline movement, and fundraising outcomes.
• Analyze donor trends, giving patterns, and portfolio performance.
• Prepare regular reports on revenue, pipeline development, donor activity, proposal status, and forecasted fundraising outcomes.
• Ensure confidential handling of donor information and estate-related documentation.

Collaboration & Strategic Fundraising:

• Collaborate with the Community Engagement colleagues to identify and transition donors with major gift potential.
• Contribute to organizational fundraising plans, campaign strategies, stewardship initiatives, and departmental objectives.
• Support organizational campaigns, matching gift opportunities, capital campaigns, and strategic fundraising initiatives.

Other Responsibilities:

• Support organizational events and donor engagement activities as required.
• Attend occasional evening and weekend meetings or events.
• Represent the Calgary Food Bank within the community and at donor functions.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

What You Bring

Education and Experience Required:

• Degree or diploma in fundraising, communications, business, public relations, nonprofit management, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of progressive fundraising experience with demonstrated success in major gift fundraising.
• Proven track record of securing and stewarding major gifts.
• Experience managing donor portfolios and achieving fundraising revenue targets.
• Knowledge of planned giving and estate fundraising principles.
• Understanding of CRA charitable tax receipting regulations and charitable giving vehicles.
• Strong prospect research, donor qualification, and relationship management skills.
• Exceptional written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to influence, negotiate, and build trusted relationships with donors and stakeholders.
• Proficiency with Salesforce and donor database management.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft 365 applications.
• Valid driver's license and access to a reliable vehicle.
• Diploma or degree in a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• Solid understanding of the nonprofit sector
• Hands-on experience with Salesforce
• Strong knowledge of CRA tax receipting guidelines and commitment to staying current with evolving regulations
• Highly detail-oriented, organized, and able to manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines
• Clear and confident communicator, with the ability to explain complex processes in an approachable way
• Collaborative mindset with sound judgment and the ability to engage others effectively
• Experience working with and supporting volunteers, including training and coaching
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365 applications
• Valid driver’s license and access to a reliable vehicle

What Makes This Role Exciting

This is an opportunity to be at the heart of transformational philanthropy. You’ll work with passionate donors who want to make a meaningful difference, developing personalized strategies that inspire significant investments and legacy commitments with enduring impact. If you thrive on strategic relationship building and thoughtful donor engagement, you’ll find purpose, challenge and fulfillment in this role.

• A competitive compensation and benefit package including RRSPs and Board approved performance bonuses
• On-site gym
• Generous wellness days
• Staff Development Days throughout the year