Contract, Philanthropy Officer, Major Gifts
Please note: A cover letter and resume are mandatory for all applications.
As we serve vulnerable youth, all employees working for Covenant House Vancouver must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Proof of vaccination status will be required prior to your start date.
About Covenant House Vancouver
Since 1997, Covenant House Vancouver has provided relentless support for youth experiencing, or at-risk of experiencing, homelessness. We provide support to young people age 16 to 24 who have experienced a wide range of early life and ongoing, complex trauma; including physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect. Our purpose is to serve all youth, with absolute respect and unconditional love, to help youth experiencing homelessness, and provide a safe and supportive environment for all youth in need.
Working at Covenant House will be one of the most meaningful things that you’ll do in your life. However, you will be confronted with significant issues in this work and frankly, this work is not for everyone. In the course of doing your work, particularly for those doing frontline work, you will be exposed to the trauma of others. The youth we serve may also experience overdose, physical harm perpetuated by self or others and even death. Because we provide a relational model of care, the harms our youth experience can impact us in varying degrees.
While we provide training for youth workers on avoiding what we call vicarious trauma (namely, the trauma you can experience or take on by hearing other’s traumatic stories), and a generous allowance for counselling, it is still difficult work that can and does take its toll on many employees. Self-awareness and self-care are key. Some candidates and employees decide during the recruiting and probationary periods that this work isn’t for them, and that is totally fair.
We will provide more information on vicarious trauma during recruiting and on-boarding, to help you decide if Covenant House is the place for you.
The Impact a Philanthropy Officer with the Major Gifts Team can make:
As a Philanthropy Officer with our Major Gifts team, you will work with a portfolio of 150 donors to engage them in the work of Covenant House Vancouver, learn about their passions and interests, solicit monetary donations, and report back on the impact that their gift has in the lives of youth who are experiencing homelessness.
How you will contribute:
- Build meaningful relationships with an existing portfolio of donors and ask thoughtful questions to understand their interests, passions, and reasons for supporting the youth at Covenant House Vancouver
- Communicate with donors through in-person and virtual meetings, phone calls, and written avenues including mail and email
- Solicit donations of $5,000+ to meet the fundraising goal of your portfolio
- Work closely with our Prospect Development team to learn more about your donors and plan how to best connect with them
- Create tailored requests for support (including written proposals) for key major donors and prospective donors based on giving history, donor interests, and information gathered through research and personal contact
- Learn about youth stories and updates to Covenant House Vancouver’s programs to share with donors, including the impact that their donations had in the lives of youth experiencing homelessness
- Invite supporters to participate in events including donor engagement gatherings, gratitude events, Sleep Out events, and other fundraising events
- Support and/or lead projects and working groups to contribute to the Philanthropy team’s overall goals
- Perform administrative tasks including data entry into Raiser’s Edge and answering the general donations phoneline in a warm and helpful manner to assist donors with their requests and concerns
- Other duties as required
This is a contract position starting in the summer of 2025 until September 26, 2026
This position has the opportunity to work a 9-day fortnight schedule most months of the year, where you’ll work longer days for 9 days and earn every other Friday off.
Who are we looking for?
Education and Experience:
- 2+ years of experience with donor relations and fundraising
- Experience using Raiser’s Edge or other databases
- Knowledge using Microsoft Office including Outlook, Excel and Word
- Degree or diploma in a related field would be considered an asset
If you have 5 to 7 years of fundraising experience, you may be considered for a Senior Philanthropy Officer position. The hiring salary band for the senior position is $55,928.60 and $69,906.02, with the opportunity to earn up to $83,883.80 over time.
Competencies:
- Outstanding relationship building skills
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Able to manage competing priorities and deadlines
- Strong organization and time management skills
- Demonstrated ability to work in a supportive team environment and independently
Compensation
The successful candidate can expect a starting salary of between $51,779.00 and $64,719.20, depending on factors such as internally equity, experience, competencies, and education. Once hired, salaries are reviewed annually following the annual performance review and successful employees have the opportunity for their salary to increase, over time, up to the maximum of the pay band, currently $77,659.40.
Total Rewards
Beginning immediately, this position has extended health and dental benefits for you, your spouse, and your children, including generous counselling benefits.
We were recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers in 2024!
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Covenant House Vancouver is a secular organization that welcomes and serves young people from all backgrounds. While the international federation to which we belong was founded in the 1970s by members of the Catholic Church, we are not aligned with any specific faith traditions.
CHV is committed to upholding diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workplace. We actively encourage applications from members of groups with historical and/or current barriers to equity, including, but not limited to:
- Persons from groups marginalized due to race, ancestry, colour, religion/spiritual beliefs, or place of origin;
- Persons with visible (physical) and/or invisible (mental) disabilities;
- Persons who identify as women;
- Persons of marginalized sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions; and
- Indigenous persons.
We recognize that many of these identities intersect and that therefore, diversity, equity, and inclusion can be complex. We value the contributions that each person brings and are committed to ensuring full and equal participation for all at Covenant House Vancouver.
We love what we do and try to make a difference every day. Covenant House Vancouver offers a competitive salary with a great benefits package and excellent opportunity for training and career advancement. If you are looking to join a place where we have a purpose and aim to achieve positive outcomes, please join us by applying.
If our recruitment process does not work for you, let us know. Let’s see how we can work together to get to know you and see what might be a great fit!