VP of Advancement – Philanthropy, Fundraising

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Canada.

📋 Description

• Develop and expand Growcer's national philanthropy initiative from inception.

• Cultivate, solicit, and manage major-gift relationships with individual donors, family foundations, and corporate giving programs.

• Lead an expanding network of province-based fundraising advisors.

• Design and implement a large-scale capital campaign strategy.

• Refine and localize the case for support tailored to each province and donor demographic.

• Collaborate with the sales team to align funded projects with Growcer's client network.

• Oversee the client intake process for philanthropically funded projects and related materials, including donor presentations, impact assessments, and client narratives.

• Establish reporting and forecasting systems to monitor pipeline and campaign performance across active regions.

• Serve as Growcer's senior advancement representative in public forums with donors, foundations, and philanthropic advisors.

• Work alongside the leadership team to synchronize fundraising objectives with delivery capabilities.

• Recruit, train, and mentor additional development personnel as the program expands.

• Report directly to Growcer's CEO.

• Travel frequently to engage with donors and partner communities across developing provinces.

⛳️ Requirements

• Comfortable initiating projects from an early concept: testing strategies, adapting based on evidence, and advocating for new directions when warranted by data.

• A proactive approach that prioritizes action over process; quick to test in the field rather than over-planning on paper, and does not wait for extensive infrastructure before launching initiatives.

• Proficient in the fundamentals of major-gift fundraising: gift range charts, weighted pipelines, solicitation calendars, and donor stewardship.

• A skilled closer and relationship-builder, equally adept in boardrooms, donor living rooms, or First Nations community halls.

• Comfortable working autonomously in a rapidly growing, entrepreneurial environment without a predefined playbook.

• An active network within Canadian philanthropy (families, foundations, corporate giving) and the ability to create connections in areas where none exist.

• A genuine interest in food security, Indigenous partnerships, and community development.

• Willingness to travel regularly throughout Canada.

• As an executive director or head of development, successfully increased a previous organization's annual funding from $1M to over $10M.

• Proven experience in personally securing gifts at the six- or seven-figure level.

• Comfortable managing contractors, consultants, or a distributed team toward shared goals.

• Experience in leading or structuring a capital campaign of $10M or more is considered an asset.

• CFRE designation is beneficial but not mandatory.

🏝️ Benefits

• Regular travel to donor engagements and partner communities across Canada.

• Equal employment opportunity.

• Reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities throughout the recruitment and employment process.