Fundraising and Engagement Officer

The Walrus; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 58,000 - 63,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Laptop provided

Print/digital edition subscription

Family and friends discount

Half-day summer Fridays

Week off over winter holidays

Full benefits package after 6 months

Job summary

The Walrus in Toronto is seeking a Fundraising and Engagement Officer to drive revenue through compelling campaigns across digital platforms and direct mail. You will write high-visibility messaging and oversee the annual fundraising auction and donor programs.

You will collaborate with editorial, digital, marketing, and audience teams, reporting to the Senior Manager of Philanthropy. The role supports The Walrus Plus membership and donor growth across Canada.

Qualifications

• Familiarity with direct-response fundraising or growth marketing is an asset.
• Experience running fundraising or engagement campaigns, including direct mail and online giving.
• Strong copywriting for online audiences and ability to take editorial direction.
• Comfort with databases, segmentation, and performance analysis.
• Knowledge of website optimization, social media advertising and SEM basics.
• Affinity for independent, fact-based journalism and donor motivation.

Responsibilities

• Write and edit copy for email, direct mail, social media and website content to increase donations.
• Organize the annual online/live fundraising auction as part of The Walrus Gala.
• Sustain and grow online and monthly giving programs, including The Walrus Plus membership.
• Collaborate with editorial, digital, marketing and audience teams to deliver donor priorities.
• Develop and execute direct mail and online fundraising campaigns and donor renewals.
• Manage donor growth by segmenting data and identifying prospects for renewal.
• Share weekly reports analyzing performance of giving programs and direct mail.
• Plan donor events and engage The Walrus community.
• Respond to inquiries with strong customer service; manage vendors for mail and Gala.

Skills

Direct-response fundraising

Fundraising campaigns

Copywriting

Audience segmentation

Performance analysis

CRM

Website optimization

Social media advertising

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Job description

Job Posting: Fundraising and Engagement Officer

The Walrus provokes new thinking and sparks conversation on matters vital to Canada. As a registered charity, we publish independent, fact-based journalism across platforms; produce national, ideas-focused events, including our flagship series, The Walrus Talks; and train emerging storytellers through our fellowship program. The Walrus is invested in the idea that a healthy society relies on informed citizens.

We are currently accepting applications for a Fundraising and Engagement Officer. This is a full-time role for someone who thinks creatively, works fast, and can turn moments in Canada's journalism into growth in the form of supporters, revenue, and engagement. The successful candidate will be responsible for writing high-visibility messaging on our website, newsletters, and other digital platforms, as well as overseeing our annual direct mail campaign and online/live fundraising auction. The goal is to increase engagement and raise funds from supporters across Canada and beyond.

You do not need to have worked in fundraising to thrive here. If you have sold, marketed, or reported, you already understand how to find an audience and give them a reason to care. The Fundraising and Engagement Officer will drive revenue for independent, factchecked journalism made in Canada.

As part of the development team, you will work closely with the editorial, digital, marketing, and audience engagement teams. You will report to the Senior Manager of Philanthropy and will work closely with both the Development Officer, Annual & Mid-Level Giving, and the Director of Philanthropy.

This job is based in Toronto, and the successful candidate is expected to attend events hosted by The Walrus and work from the Toronto office regularly.

Responsibilities

• Write and edit copy for email communications, direct mail, social media, website content, and other marketing/fundraising materials to increase donations.
• Organizing the annual online/live auction as part of The Walrus Gala.
• Sustain and grow online giving and monthly giving programs, including The Walrus Plus membership, with a focus on converting web visitors and newsletter subscribers, as well as ensuring good stewardship of existing donors.
• Work with stakeholders across the organization, including the editorial and management teams, to help deliver audience and supporter priorities for The Walrus.
• Develop and execute direct mail and online fundraising campaigns, pop-up messaging on our website, donor renewals, monthly giving, year-end giving, and other special appeals.
• Manage donor growth and engagement by segmenting data and identifying prospects for long-term renewal and growth.
• Share weekly reports that analyze and track performance of online giving programs and direct mail.
• Help plan donor events and identify other opportunities to engage with The Walrus community.
• Respond promptly to all internal, donor, and audience inquiries, maintaining a strong customer service focus.
• Manage vendors and partners related to direct mail, online giving, and The Walrus Gala auction.

Qualifications

• Familiarity with direct-response fundraising or growth marketing is an asset. That could look like email conversion, list segmentation, A/B testing, or campaign optimization across channels. If you've done some of this and are curious about the rest, we want to hear from you.
• Experience running fundraising or engagement campaigns of any kind. Direct mail and online giving are what you'll be working with here. A background in a nonprofit, membership, or media organization is helpful, though we're just as interested in what you learned running a campaign anywhere else.
• Strong copywriting skills for an online audience, with the ability to write appeals that convert and to take editorial direction from other writers in the organization.
• Comfort with databases, audience segmentation, and performance analysis. Whether that comes from a CRM, a fundraising platform, or an analytics tool, you'll be building weekly reports and using them to guide decisions.
• Working knowledge of website optimization, search engine marketing, and social media advertising.
• Genuine affinity for independent, fact-based journalism and the ability to speak to why it matters to donors.
• Excellent project and time management skills, with strong follow-through on competing, time-sensitive priorities, and deadlines.
• Ability to work effectively across departments; strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Self-starter who can formulate a plan and personally implement it down to the smallest detail.
• A bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• Applicants must be eligible to work in Canada to qualify.

The deadline for applications is 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday, October 5, 2026.

Compensation

The compensation package includes a competitive base salary of $58,000 - $63,000 and paid vacation. After six months, you will be eligible for our full benefits package consisting of medical, mental health, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage; and an employee and family assistance program. We offer half-day summer Fridays and a week off over the winter holiday season.

The Walrus supports flexible, hybrid work, including a collaborative, open-office environment in downtown east Toronto. A laptop is provided, along with a free subscription to the print or digital edition of The Walrus and a deeply discounted rate for family and friends.

The Walrus envisions a future in which public discourse in Canada is thoughtful, fact-based, and accessible to all. Every role at The Walrus plays an important part in this work.

The Walrus is committed to diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in the workplace. We value employment equity and strongly encourage applications from Indigenous, Black, and other racialized people; people with disabilities; people of all genders; and the LGBTQIA2S+ community. If you require any accommodation in the recruitment process, please let us know by email at [e-mail].