Annual Giving & Donor Relations Manager
Senior School
Full Time - Regular Contract
Starting July 2026
About York House School
It all began on the corner of Granville and 28th where seven fearless women welcomed 17 students to the very first York House School in 1932. Nearly a century later, thousands of students have found their unique path and purpose at YHS. Our School has since grown into one of Canada’s leading independent schools for girls. Today, we serve approximately 700 students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12.
At York House School, our Vision is clear: seeing the world as it is, and imagining what it could be, we aspire to create a transformational experience for students who are empowered to reshape the future.
Our Mission
We are dedicated to creating an environment that elevates the mind, celebrates uniqueness, inspires creativity, and encourages discourse.
Why Join Us?
At York House School, we’re fostering a learning environment where creative exploration, courageous conversation and deep intellectual engagement are equally celebrated. This bold approach requires a highly skilled, diverse and energetic team of committed faculty and staff. Please check out our Spark Strategic Plan to learn more.
If you are passionate about education, excited by the opportunity to inspire future leaders, and eager to be part of a vibrant, forward-thinking community, we would love to hear from you.
Position Overview
Reporting to the Executive Director of Advancement, the Annual Giving & Donor Relations Manager supports the design and execution of fundraising strategies and stewardship programs to develop and sustain community engagement and philanthropic giving to advance the school’s strategic plan. They will be an experienced, dynamic, confident fundraiser dedicated to quickly building strong and authentic relationships with the York House community. The Annual Giving & Donor Relations Manager will be responsible for leading, implementing, and delivering a comprehensive Annual Giving program with the goal of increasing funds and participation rates from all constituent groups. They will also be responsible for designing, implementing, and evaluating a comprehensive donor relations program that consistently promotes interaction with and recognition of donors at all levels to maintain and deepen philanthropic relationships with the school.
Responsibilities
Design, implement and execute a comprehensive Annual Giving program with targeted solicitations, appeals and activities to increase participation and donations from all constituency groups.
Lead the strategic planning process to develop the Annual Giving program, including the appeal business plan, calendar of activities/events, optimal solicitation and segmentation methods, donor stewardship and recognition, volunteer coordination, program budget, data/trend analysis and campaign evaluation/progress updates.
Collaborate with the Communications and Marketing department to develop and implement all Annual Giving creative, collateral and branding for a variety of channels and platforms.
Develop and execute stewardship strategies for Annual Giving donors and volunteers, including recognition events and multi-platform communications.
In collaboration with the Advancement Events Officer, oversee the implementation of Annual Giving related special events, including the annual YHS Day of Giving and regular volunteer-led solicitation/stewardship phone-a-thons.
Write and create Annual Giving donor impact reports, stories, articles/features, including digital content.
Lead, recruit, and train Annual Giving (parent) co-chairs and other volunteers in facilitating appeal awareness, community participation/engagement and events, including phone-a-thons.
Support the identification of prospective leadership and major gift donors, develop engagement strategies for increasing participation, and move donors to higher giving levels.
Work collaboratively with the Associate Director, Alum Relations to grow alum participation in the Annual Giving program through segmented alum appeals.
Design and deliver a comprehensive Donor Relations programme that will enhance the donor experience and promote a culture of philanthropy through the acknowledgement/stewardship process.
Develop and implement accurate and creative written impact reports across a variety of media to keep donors at all levels informed and engaged.
Collaborate with internal stakeholders to develop and deliver donor recognition initiatives, stewardship activities, and engagement communications across a variety of channels. Collaborate with the Executive Director of Advancement to coordinate donor recognition plaques.
Coordinate personalized and group donor recognition events with the Advancement Events Officer as and when required.
Develop, maintain and steward a curated portfolio of major gift level prospects and donors in support of school fundraising priorities.
Create and write sponsorship proposals to support individual and corporate solicitations for school and Parents’ Association / Alum Association events.
Support new parent engagement strategies, attend school and local-area events to build and deepen relationships and develop a personal profile in the York House community.
Track and capture constituent engagement and activity in the Raisers’ Edge NXT database.
Liaise with Advancement Services to oversee the timely processing and acknowledgment of gifts.
Consider and implement Diversity, Equity and Inclusion principles in the planning and delivery of programs and initiatives.
Knowledge, Experience and Abilities
Experience as a fundraising/Annual Giving professional with a proven record of achieving goals/targets, developing engagement/participation tactics and stewardship strategies.
Demonstrated ability to identify, foster, build rapport with and manage a broad range of personal relationships with members of the YHS community and constituency groups.
Proven success in recruiting, managing and inspiring volunteers to contribute effectively and achieve shared objectives.
Outstanding organizational skills, ability to prioritize and complete multiple tasks to deadlines.
Experience in developing/managing event-related sponsorship programs is an asset.
Results-driven, ability to establish goals/action plans.
Exceptional attention to detail.
Ability to exercise sound judgment, integrity, diplomacy, and maintain confidentiality when working with constituent/donor information
Analytical, creative, innovative and a strategic thinker
Demonstrates a high level of initiative, with a proactive and creative approach to problem-solving and continuous improvement.
Open-minded, flexible and has a sense of humour.
Committed to continuous professional growth and staying informed of emerging trends, best practices, and innovations within the field.
Knowledge of and experience in independent school culture is an asset
Ability to work independently, combined with skills to thrive in a team-based environment
Flexibility to travel locally and work flexible hours when required
Qualifications and Skills
Minimum of three years of fundraising and/or Annual Giving and/or Donor Relations program experience, preferably in the independent school or post-secondary environment, or a comparable not-for-profit organization.
Degree from an accredited post-secondary institution in a related area of study, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
Strong communication and interpersonal skills, including writing, editing, verbal presentation and public speaking.
A second language is an asset
Adept at using traditional and social media in prospect/donor communication, engagement and stewardship
A Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) credential and/or membership of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) or other related professional networking associations is an asset
Strong knowledge of Raiser’s Edge and/or RE NXT is preferred.
Familiarity with Mac, Google Suite and graphic design software is an asset
This posting will remain open until the position is filled. Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, as applications will be reviewed as they arrive. We thank all candidates for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Compensation range: $90,000 - $110,000 commensurate with experience and education.