Manager, Community Partnerships

Make-A-Wish Canada / Rêves d'enfants Canada; Dartmouth; On-site; CAD 83,000 - 93,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and dental premiums covered

RRSP matching

3 weeks vacation

Job summary

Make‑A‑Wish Canada, located in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, seeks a Manager, Community Partnerships to drive revenue growth through planning and executing fundraising events and campaigns. The role leads strategy for third-party initiatives and builds relationships with donors, partners, vendors, and volunteers, supporting regional engagement.

This full-time, hybrid position offers a salary range of CA$83,000–CA$93,000 and requires managing first- and third-party events while ensuring strong donor

Qualifications

• Post-secondary education in fundraising, marketing, communications, event management or related field.
• Experience in fundraising, events, donor relations, or community engagement.
• Experience using CRM systems (Salesforce preferred) and Microsoft Office tools.

Responsibilities

• Develop regional fundraising plans and lead first-party and third-party initiatives.
• Plan and manage all aspects of first-party events, including budgets and vendor coordination.
• Oversee delivery of community-led and third-party fundraising events.

Skills

Fundraising

Event Planning

Donor Stewardship

Community Engagement

Relationship Building

Education

Post-secondary education in fundraising/related field

Tools

Salesforce

Microsoft Office

Job description

"The best prescription I've ever given is a wish."

-Dr. Jeremy Friedman, Associate Paediatrician-in-Chief, SickKids Hospital & Medical Advisor for Make-A-Wish® Canada

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST WISH?

Wishes Are Medicine – a vital part of a child’s treatment journey that helps restore strength, hope, and resilience. For over 40 years, we’ve granted more than 40,000 wishes. Research shows that prescribed wishes can improve commitment to treatment, reduce emergency room visits by half, and deliver lasting health benefits.

Recognized as a Great Place to Work® since 2023, we’ve also been named one of the Best Workplaces™ Led by Women (2025) and one of the Top 100 Best Workplaces™ for Giving Back (2024).

Do you want to be part of an organization that is child-focused, values employee experience and is an inspiring workplace? If so, Make-A-Wish Canada is for you!

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?

• Meaningful opportunities to make an impact and change the lives of children with critical illnesses within your community and across Canada
• A collaborative team environment with a rewarding employment experience where you feel valued and inspired
• An attractive compensation package that includes group health and dental premiums fully covered by the Foundation and RRSP contribution matching.
• Annual vacation starting at three weeks and additional paid leaves such as personal days and Wish hours
• Work/life balance and flexibility, including a hybrid working environment
• Employee Wellness Program and other corporate discounts
• Continuous learning, development and internal training opportunities
• Fun employee activities, contests, and more!

WHERE YOU COME IN

We are looking for a Manager, Community Partnerships to join our team at Make-A-Wish Canada. In this role, you will drive revenue growth by planning and executing first-party fundraising events and campaigns, while leading strategy and delivery for third-party fundraising initiatives. The role builds and stewards relationships with donors, partners, vendors, and volunteers, supporting regional engagement.

This role is based in Dartmouth and is a full-time, hybrid, permanent position. The hiring range for this role is $83,000-$93,000.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Develop and implement regional fundraising plans and lead execution of first-party and third-party fundraising initiatives.
• Plan and manage all aspects of first-party events, including logistics, budgets, vendor coordination, and gift-in-kind sourcing.
• Oversee and support the delivery of community-led and third-party fundraising events.
• Track revenue progress and contribute to achieving annual and multi-year fundraising targets.
• Build, cultivate, and steward relationships with community partners, donors, sponsors, and supporters.
• Create tailored engagement and stewardship plans to strengthen long‑term donor commitment.
• Represent the Foundation in the community, building awareness and supporting fundraising efforts across regions.
• Collaborate across departments to align messaging, support organizational goals, and model One-Team Leadership.
• Maintain accurate donor and event records in Salesforce and ensure high standards of data integrity.
• Contribute to a mission‑driven, inclusive culture by supporting colleagues, elevating impact stories, and engaging publicly when required.
• Track activities, evaluate performance metrics, and prepare reports as needed.
• Other duties as required.

WHAT YOU BRING

• Post‑secondary education in Fundraising, Marketing, Communications, Event Management, or equivalent combination of training, education and work experience.
• Experience in fundraising, events, donor relations, or community engagement.
• Experience using CRM systems (Salesforce preferred) and Microsoft Office tools.
• Experience working in a non‑profit or charitable organization preferred.
• Strong understanding of event planning, sponsorship cultivation, and donor stewardship.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to speak to large groups and in front of the public or local media.
• Access to reliable transportation to and from the office, as well as for attendance at events, donor meetings, and for other local needs.
• A clear Criminal Background Check will be required.

YOUR WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Hybrid work model, with 2 days in‑office per week and 3 days remote. Regular travel to local event venues and donor/sponsor locations may be required. Occasional evening and weekend work may also be required.

Physical/Mental Effort

• Work under pressure of tight deadlines, balancing high volume workload, and with multiple demands and changing priorities.
• Physical activity may be required during event setup/takedown.

Our Commitment to IDEA

Make‑A‑Wish Canada (MAWC) is committed to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA). We believe that it is essential to our mission that we build a diverse, balanced, and vibrant workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve and seek to serve. Research has shown that candidates from under‑represented groups often only apply when they feel 100% qualified. Therefore, we ask that even if you do not see yourself fully reflected in every job requirement listed on this posting, to still apply.

Recruitment process

Our recruitment process is swift in pace. Once applications are reviewed, we will contact our shortlisted candidates. Our typical process includes a phone screen, one or two interviews, and reference checking, followed by an offer and a criminal background check for the successful candidate.

We would like to thank all applicants for their interest in working with us!

ABOUT MAKE‑A‑WISH® CANADA

In the past 40 years, Make‑A‑Wish Canada has granted over 40,000 wishes across the country, with 1,800 of them last year alone. As an independently operating affiliate of Make‑A‑Wish International, Make‑A‑Wish Canada is part of the network of the world’s leading children’s wish‑granting organization. We serve children in every community in Canada, and in more than 50 countries worldwide.