JOB DESCRIPTION
Development Manager
Role
Development Manager Team Development
Reports to
Director of Development
Job Summary (Reason for being)
The Development Manager is a high-performing relationship builder responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, closing, and stewarding major and mid-level donors. The Development Manager will build upon an existing portfolio of high-value prospects, donors, and leaders, with a primary focus on securing new philanthropic revenue and expanding CAN’s network of influential supporters.
Reporting to the Director of Development, this role will contribute to a proactive mid-level and major gifts relationship strategy, create compelling opportunities for investment in CAN’s programs and impact, and personally engage with senior community leaders through meetings, presentations, proposals, events, and stewardship activities. The Development Manager will play a large role in revenue growth, new donor acquisition, and the advancement of relationships from mid-level donors to major gift donors.
This position is highly relationship-driven and externally focused. The successful candidate will spend significant time meeting with prospects and donors, opening doors through existing CAN networks and prospect research, making direct asks, and mobilizing community leaders and champions to support CAN. This role offers a unique opportunity to influence strategy, operations, and team effectiveness without immediate direct reports. As the organization assesses future structure and capacity requirements, the position may evolve to include formal supervisory responsibilities for one or more team members.
Key Areas & Tasks
Major Gifts & Leadership Giving
- Develop and execute a major gift strategy focused on identifying, qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, closing, and stewarding new major gift prospects.
- Build and actively manage a portfolio of high-capacity individuals and family philanthropists, with clear next steps, moves management plans, and revenue objectives for each relationship.
- Identify new prospects through research, referrals, events, existing donor networks, and community leaders.
- Conduct regular face-to-face meetings, discovery conversations, presentations, tours, and personalized cultivation activities with prospective and existing major donors.
- Develop compelling proposals, briefing notes, presentations, cases for support, gift opportunities, and customized asks aligned with donor interests and CAN priorities.
- Coordinate strategy and debrief meetings before and after significant donor meetings and solicitations.
- Make or coordinate direct major gift asks, negotiate gift structures and commitments, and work with the Director of Development and senior leadership to close significant gifts.
- Create opportunities to upgrade annual, event-based, and mid-level donors into major and leadership-level supporters.
Mid-Level Giving & Donor Stewardship
- Develop personalized stewardship plans for mid-level and major gift donors, ensuring timely recognition, communication, reporting, and meaningful engagement.
- Ensure donor-funded initiatives deliver against agreed commitments and that partners receive clear reporting on outcomes and impact.
- Work closely with the Program Team to understand initiatives where philanthropy and family foundations can create meaningful opportunities for support.
- Coordinate donor recognition activities, including events, tours, naming opportunities, impact reports, donor recognition, and other customized experiences.
- Promote a culture of philanthropy across CAN by equipping staff, Board members, volunteers, and community leaders to identify and advance relationships.
Prospect Management, Administration & Analysis
- Maintain a disciplined prospect pipeline and move-management system, ensuring every priority relationship has a documented strategy, next action, and target outcome.
- Maintain data integrity in CRM and development systems by promptly recording all prospect interactions, gifts, corporate relationships, proposals, and stewardship activities.
- Conduct regular portfolio and pipeline reviews with the Director of Development and provide clear updates on opportunities, risks, next steps, and projected revenue.
- Analyze mid-level and major gift donor activity to identify opportunities for growth and improved conversion from prospect to donor or partner.
Revenue Strategy, Planning & Budgeting
- Collaboratively set mid-level and major gift donor revenue targets with the Director of Development and provide input on annual work plan to achieve or exceed those targets.
- Develop and manage a qualified pipeline of prospective and existing mid-level and major gift donors sufficient to support annual and multi-year revenue objectives.
- Develop and track KPIs related to existing and new prospects, qualified relationships, meetings, solicitations, proposals, closed gifts, renewal, and revenue.
- Provide regular revenue forecasts and progress reports to the Director of Development and contribute to broader fundraising strategy and planning.
- Identify emerging fundraising opportunities, market trends, and relationship-based revenue opportunities that can expand CAN’s philanthropic base.
Requirements for Competency (Education, Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills, Abilities)
Education & Experience
- Post-secondary degree in fundraising, business administration, marketing, communications, philanthropy, or a related discipline, or equivalent experience.
- Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in fundraising, business development, sales, corporate partnerships, major gifts, or comprehensive relationship-building, with a demonstrated track record of securing significant revenue.
- Proven experience cultivating and soliciting mid-level and major gift donors with senior decision-makers.
- Experience developing proposals, presentations, partnership opportunities, and customized asks for high-value prospects.
- Strong knowledge of fundraising databases and relationship management systems
- Highly motivated, self-directed, and results-oriented, with a strong appetite for new business development and relationship building.
- Passionate about CAN’s mission and values and able to communicate the organization’s impact with authenticity and confidence.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
- Exceptional relationship-building, networking, interpersonal, and communication skills, with the ability to build trust with senior leaders, philanthropists, and corporate decision-makers.
- Confident and compelling in face-to-face meetings, presentations, negotiations, and direct solicitation conversations.
- Strong business development mindset, including the ability to identify opportunities, open doors, qualify prospects, advance relationships, and close commitments.
- Excellent written communication skills and the ability to translate CAN’s programs and impact into compelling donor and corporate propositions.
- Strong strategic thinking and ability to develop and execute relationship-based fundraising plans with measurable outcomes.
- Ability to work autonomously, take ownership of KPIs, manage a complex pipeline, and balance competing priorities and deadlines.
- Impeccable attention to detail and strong organizational and time-management skills.
- Comfortable with technology and strong computer skills, including MS Office, Raiser’s Edge or similar CRM systems, P2P platforms, Mailchimp, and other fundraising tools.
- Flexible, adaptable, and comfortable representing CAN with credibility in events and community settings.
- Highly collaborative team player who can work effectively with senior leadership, Board members, volunteers, and Program Team colleagues.
- A valid BC Driver’s license and access to reliable transportation.
- Available to work occasional evening and weekend hours.
- Fluency in multiple languages is an asset.
