Stratford Festival - Director, Major Gifts – US
Posted On: January 7, 2026
Closing On: February 21, 2026
Location: Stratford, ON
Effective: As soon as possible
Employment Type: fulltime
Level: senior
Salary Range: $76,000 - $125,000
Website: https://jobs.dayforcehcm.com/en-US/ssfoc/CANDIDATEPORTALv1/jobs/796
The Director of Major Gifts – USA is responsible for leading strategic fundraising initiatives focused on cultivating and securing major gifts from U.S.-based individuals, foundations, and organizations. This role involves managing a robust portfolio of prospects, developing and executing comprehensive cultivation and stewardship plans, and organizing donor engagement activities across the United States to support the theatre’s mission and financial sustainability.
Reporting to the Vice President of Advancement, the Director of Major Gifts collaborates closely with the Artistic Director, Executive Director, Finance, Marketing, and other departments, as well as with senior volunteers and board members, to advance the organization’s philanthropic goals. This position also oversees administrative systems related to donor tracking and reporting, supports grant and endowment efforts, and contributes to cross-departmental initiatives that align donor engagement with institutional priorities.
Responsibilities:
- Strategic Fundraising & Program Development
- Collaborate with the Vice President of Advancement, Artistic Director, and Executive Director to develop and execute strategies for major gifts, managing a portfolio of several hundred US-based donors and prospects.
- Establish annual and multi-year fundraising goals in coordination with the Advancement Team and develop actionable plans to achieve revenue targets. Monitor and evaluate progress on an on-going basis and adjust strategies as needed.
- Support US-based fundraising initiatives, including grant requests and endowment fund development.
- Donor Cultivation & Stewardship
- Design and implement comprehensive qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plans for major gift prospects, including individuals and foundations.
- Prepare customized proposals, presentations, briefing materials, and stewardship reports to support donor engagement.
- Conduct in-person meetings with donors and prospects, and maintain a visible presence during the performance season in Stratford and at donor events across the US.
- Relationship Management
- Serve as a primary representative for U.S. fundraising, collaborating with Marketing and key volunteers to plan and execute major gift cultivation events in strategic U.S. cities.
- Build and manage strong relationships with Board members, senior volunteers, and U.S.-based donors to advance prospect development and deepen engagement.
- Represent Advancement, alongside the VP of Advancement, on the Festival of America (FOA) Board of Directors.
- Support the VP, Executive Director, and FOA Chair in identifying, recruiting, and stewarding prospective FOA Board members.
- Identify and maintain a pipeline of potential candidates for the Festival’s Boards—including the Festival of America, Festival of Canada, and the Endowment Foundation—regularly sharing insights and candidate updates with the VP and Executive Director to support Board recruitment and succession planning.
- Collaboration & Reporting
- Collaborate with other departments—such as Marketing, Education, New Play Development, Langham Directors Workshop, Archives, and the Birmingham Conservatory—to align donor strategies with organizational priorities.
- Work with the Advancement team to integrate major giving efforts with annual US based major gift membership programs, including the Playwrights Circle and Michigan Members’ weekend.
- Operations & Data Management
- Oversee administrative responsibilities related to donor management, including accurate tracking of inquiries, relationships, and donations using the organization’s database.
- Coordinate with Finance to ensure timely processing of donor pledge payments.
- Participate in special events in Stratford and other regions to support donor cultivation and stewardship, recognizing that evening and weekend work is often required during the Festival season.
- Other
- Adhere to the Stratford Festival Health & Safety Commitment and Procedures, and ensure that safe work practices and policies are supported and enforced within reporting structure.
- Perform other duties as assigned
Minimum Qualifications:
- 8 to 10 years of combined post-secondary education and fundraising experience.
- Demonstrated passion for the arts and alignment with the Stratford Festival’s mission.
- Proven track record of securing gifts from individual donors and foundations with a focus on the U.S. market is preferred.
- Strong understanding of fundraising principles, donor cultivation cycles, and philanthropic trends in the U.S.
- Proficiency in CRM and donor management systems (Tessitura is an asset).
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including proposal writing and donor correspondence.
- Ability to interpret and prepare financial reports, donor impact statements, and grant documentation.
- Knowledge of U.S. charitable giving regulations and cross-border fundraising practices.
- Organizational skills that allow for the successful management of a portfolio of several hundred prospects and donors.
- Imaginative and innovative approaches to the development of new major gift strategies.
Behavioural Competencies:
- Diplomacy: show discretion and tact in dealing with a variety of stakeholders.
- Strategic mindset: consider, anticipate and prepare for various outcomes, situations and challenges; practice global and long-term thinking
- Teamwork: readily work with others towards a shared goal, actively support teammates and recognize everyone’s contributions
- Time Management: efficiently allocate and use time to meet goals and deadlines, prioritize tasks as necessary.
This full-time posting is for an existing vacancy located in Stratford, Ontario. This position requires the candidate to work onsite, with remote available when required. Regular work hours for this position are Monday to Friday, but may require the candidate to work holiday and weekend hours as scheduled.
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McMaster University
Director of Advancement, Faculty of Engineering
Posted On: January 20, 2026
Closing On: February 20, 2026
Location: McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario.
Three days per week on site in Hamilton.
Effective: Spring 2026
Employment Type: fulltime
Level: senior
Salary Range: $140,000 - $160,000 plus fulsome benefits, details included on the Position Profile.
Website: https://www.eng.mcmaster.ca/
File: Download
Position Overview
Organization: McMaster University
Title: Director of Advancement, Faculty of Engineering
Reports to: Associate Vice President, Pan-University Advancement (Faculties & Units)
Key Internal Relationships: Dean of Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Advancement Colleagues
Team: Four (4)
Location: McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario. Three days per week on site in Hamilton.
Compensation: $140,000 – $160,000 plus fulsome benefits (details below).
Is This You?
You are a problem solver who enjoys working with exceptional academic leaders to achieve success. You would be described as the ultimate collaborator. Your engaging, sincere, inquisitive nature allows you to bring like-minded people together.
You are creative and like trying out ideas and you encourage your team to do the same. You enjoy working within an academic environment because of your exposure to some of the brightest minds. You are inquisitive and ask great questions of your academic partners – which gives them confidence in your commitment to enabling their success through philanthropy. You relish in data-driven pipeline development. You mobilize support through your infectious and focused enthusiasm and your responsiveness to others. People want to work with and for you because you follow through on your commitments, you operate with a high degree of integrity, and you reach goals. You enjoy all facets of fundraising and enjoy building networks of friends and supporters.
Ideally, you bring campaign experience and have worked collaboratively to bring a campaign to life. You would provide value and input to executive leadership around campaign planning, priority setting and executing plans. You are an excellent communicator both written and verbal.
You are known for your ability to guide and lead with high emotional intelligence, and you would be motivated to work for a world-class organization with a respected brand, exceptional leadership team and diverse donor pool.
If this sounds like you, read on…
The Position
The Director of Advancement will play a key role in leading the fundraising strategy and execution on behalf of the Faculty of Engineering, in concert with University Advancement. This is an opportunity for a fundraiser to be part of shaping one of Canada’s most ambitious engineering fundraising agendas during a pivotal campaign, driving institutional priorities and philanthropic impact.
The successful candidate will be an excellent relationship builder and will be intellectually curious about the subject matter. They will be a collegial colleague, who believes in collaboration and communication and demonstrates this through every interaction. They will oversee all major gift strategy for gifts greater than $25,000 and will direct a team of four.
The Faculty has a very strong history of advancement and fundraising success that the incoming Director will build upon and will support the ambition of a $10M annual fundraising target, outside of the campaign. The ideal candidate will have experience cultivating, soliciting and stewarding individual, foundation and corporate donors, and will bring solid understanding of the Canadian philanthropic environment, legislation, and available charitable vehicles.
Key Accountabilities
Priority Setting & Faculty Collaboration
- Foster a culture of collaboration, integration, and service to support the University’s core research and academic missions.
- Demonstrate a commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and indigeneity through leadership, encouraging inclusive behavior and practices.
- Lead the Faculty of Engineering, Advancement team in implementing fundraising plans, pipeline development, stewardship plans and initiatives, and strategies to increase revenue.
- Develop, monitor, evaluate, and measure the Faculty of Engineering’s strategic plans to ensure clear priorities and adequate resources align with University Advancement’s goals.
- Collaborate with senior Faculty leadership and the Associate Vice President, Pan-University Advancement (Faculties & Units) to create advancement plans that align with academic priorities, building a compelling vision and case for support for major and principal gifts.
- Build and lead a high-performance team dedicated to achieving the Faculty’s short- and long-term goals.
- Partner with University Advancement’s senior leaders to set goals and objectives, including annual professional development plans for continuous improvement and change readiness.
- Engage with and support volunteer leadership within the Faculty of Engineering.
Advancement Leadership
- Commit to achieving University Advancement’s annual fundraising goals, including the Faculty of Engineering’s revenue targets.
- Develop and implement plans with clear short- and long-term priorities for university revenue-generating campaigns within the Faculty of Engineering.
- Provide expertise and guidance related to advancement as part of the Faculty of Engineering senior administration/operational leaders group as required.
- Manage the Faculty’s Advancement budget allocation, ensuring resources are prioritized to meet university objectives and outcomes.
- Partner with the Associate Vice President, Pan-University Advancement (Faculties & Units) to enhance the University’s major and principal giving program, developing and implementing strategies to increase new revenue specific to the Faculty.
- Lead campaign strategies for the Faculty, including designing, implementing, and managing development activities.
- Develop and maintain in-depth knowledge of the Faculty’s approved research and teaching activities, needs, and priorities, matching them with potential supporters’ interests.
- Collaborate with University Advancement to support major gift announcements, events, stewardship requirements and related activities.
- Represent the Faculty of Engineering and University at relevant community and University events, locally, nationally and internationally.
- Work closely with University Advancement to support annual financial goals and University Advancement’s mission and strategic goals.
- Promote a culture of philanthropy within the Faculty of Engineering.
Team Leadership
- Oversee human resources activities for direct reports, including recruiting, onboarding, goal setting, performance management, development, and engagement initiatives.
- Motivate and mentor a team of development professionals; and be a collegial and collaborative colleague, offering leadership and support to colleagues across University Advancement, faculties and units.
- Attend University Advancement meetings to update on individual and team activities and stay informed on development activities.
- Work with University Advancement to plan and execute McMaster’s next comprehensive Fundraising Campaign. Play the lead role in executing campaign strategies for the Faculty of Engineering by designing, implementing, and managing development activities related to the campaign.
Relationship Development
- Support University Advancement’s senior leaders in engaging the President, Vice Presidents, senior University leadership, and volunteers in cultivating and soliciting principal gift supporters, ensuring appropriate briefings and follow-up actions.
- Collaborate with McMaster’s Vice-Presidents, Deans, University Advancement and volunteer leaders in the Faculty of Engineering to identify and qualify new major gift supporters and develop engagement strategies.
- Liaise with the Vice-President of University Advancement, academic leadership, and advancement leaders on fundraising initiatives, including joint solicitation strategies and shared gifts.
- Identify, cultivate, and solicit support from a portfolio of prospects, donors and alumni, collaborating with senior academic leaders, senior Advancement leadership, and key volunteers to increase engagement and financial investment.
Administrative
- Ensure compliance with fundraising and revenue generation policies and procedures.
- Responsible for the allocation of advancement budget within the Faculty of Engineering and accountable to ensure resources are allocated and prioritized to meet University objectives and short and long-term outcomes.
- Timely update and report activities on the donor database (Ellucian Advance Web).
The Ideal Candidate
- Proven track record in securing and closing $1M+ and complex donations and partnerships.
- Successful experience in major giving fundraising, preferably in post-secondary or complex organizations.
- Committed to equity, diversity, inclusion, and indigeneity, applying this lens to fundraising leadership, strategy, and tactics.
- Experience leading and managing high-performing, donor-centered development professionals.
- Expertise in attracting and maintaining donor and supporter relationships.
- Donor-centered, goal-oriented, with a reputation for integrity and transparency.
- Comfortable and credible working with senior academic leaders, donors, and volunteers.
- Competent in understanding Canadian tax legislation and the philanthropic landscape.
- Able to work at high strategic levels within the Faculty of Engineering, gaining and maintaining trust, and translating strategy into action.
- Experienced in staffing, supporting, and partnering with senior leaders on fundraising visits.
- Superior skills in critical analysis, judgment, decision-making, and relationship-building.
- Visionary with strategic thinking and a creative, entrepreneurial mindset.
- High initiative, tact, and diplomacy.
- Effective in a complex organization valuing collaboration, individuality, and creativity.
- Quickly develops a deep understanding of a research-intensive university’s mission.
- Superior communication and interpersonal skills; skilled in writing proposals and development materials.
- Strong administrative skills in human resources, volunteer, and budget management, with financial acumen and comfort with data analytics.
- Proficient with computers and relational donor databases (Advance).
Working at McMaster University
At McMaster, you will find a community of talented individuals who are inspired by the University’s Mission and the sense of purpose this mission brings. It is through these talented individuals, their creativity and drive for results that McMaster University has earned its reputation as being Canada’s “most innovative” University.
Leaders in The Senior Administrative Leader Group are vital contributors to McMaster’s renowned culture of creativity, innovation and excellence. They demonstrate the value they place on their leaders with a highly competitive total rewards package featuring compensation, well-being, growth and inclusion provisions.
McMaster University strives to embody the values of integrity, quality, inclusiveness and teamwork, and has a strong commitment to employment equity. Building an inclusive community with a shared purpose is something that McMaster University prioritizes. They believe it is important for their workforce to reflect the diversity of their students and community. The diversity of their workforce is at the core of their innovation and creativity and is a key area that strengthens their research capabilities and teaching excellence.
Compensation & Benefits
To learn more about the total rewards available to the successful candidate, please access McMaster’s interactive guide with a summary of the compensation, benefits, retirement income, work life, development and career opportunities, and performance and recognition provisions offered at McMaster. To further explore the extensive total rewards program, detailed information can be accessed through the links throughout the guide. The hiring range for this position is $140,000 – $160,000 plus a performance pay bonus eligibility of up to 10% of base salary, along with an excellent benefits package.
Application Instructions
The University seeks qualified candidates who share their commitment to equity and inclusion, who will contribute to the diversification of ideas and perspectives, and especially welcomes applications from indigenous (First Nations, Métis or Inuit) peoples, members of racialized communities, persons with disabilities, women, and persons who identify as 2SLGBTQ+.
Preston Human Capital Group has been retained to conduct this search on behalf of McMaster University. If you would like to apply, please send your CV and cover letter to Lindsay Preston (lindsay@phcap.ca) by February 20, 2026, at 5pm ET. Accommodation is available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. If you require any accommodation, please notify Lindsay Preston.
McMaster University is located on the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee and Mississauga Nations and within the lands protected by the “Dish With One Spoon” wampum agreement. The diversity of their workforce is at the core of their innovation and creativity and strengthens their research and teaching excellence. In keeping with its Statement on Building an Inclusive Community with a Shared Purpose, McMaster University strives to embody the values of respect, collaboration and diversity and has a strong commitment to employment equity. We thank you in advance for your interest. Only qualified candidates will be contacted.
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DeafBlind Ontario Foundation - Manager of Major Gifts, Foundation
Posted On: January 26, 2026
Closing On: March 12, 2026
Location: NEWMARKET
Effective: February 2026
Employment Type: fulltime
Level: management
Salary Range: $77,500 - $92,000
Website: https://deafblindontario.com/
Potential for remote/hybrid work
Ready to make a difference?
Reporting to the Director of Communications and Employee Experience, the Manager of Major Gifts, provides leadership to the Development Team to advance the Foundation’s mission and assists in achieving its strategic objectives. This role manages, builds, and maintains legacy programs gifts while carrying a portfolio of corporate and community partners.
WHO WE ARE
We believe in endless possibilities.
DeafBlind Ontario Foundation raises, invests and directs funds to DeafBlind Ontario Services to enhance programs which support the individuals they serve.
DeafBlind Ontario Services supports people who are deafblind, as well as those living with a developmental disability who are Deaf, hard of hearing or use non-traditional forms of communication. Specialized services are customized to each person’s unique needs, method of communication, and goals to live their best life.
YOU ARE
- Is driven by an unwavering belief that every person possesses ‘Infinite Possibilities’
- Is committed to a culture of high performance and learning from others
- Believes in teamwork and know that working together gets greater results
- Takes bold actions that prioritize the well-being of others, demonstrating genuine care
- Contributes to a culture of accountability and trust by taking responsibility for your actions and decisions
YOUR ROLE
- Leads, engages, develops, and manages the Development team. Provides direction, mentorship, coaching, training, and timely feedback to positively impact team effectiveness and build
- Manages a portfolio of prospects and donors that support strategic objectives with planned giving and major gifts related to corporate and community
- Builds and maintains relationships with key stakeholders such as corporate partners, individual donors, and community prospects to understand their philanthropy goals and match them current
- Oversees the design and implementation of a robust and effective donor acquisition strategy.
- Leads the development and implementation of new programs and infrastructure for a consistent pipeline of potential new donors in alignment with long-term organizational objectives.
- Collaborates with the development team and communications teams creating alignment to achieve organizational
- Promotes the values of the organization within the workplace and in the community by demonstrating positive and professional relationships with other agency staff, families, volunteers, advocates, and
- Performs other duties as
Requirements
Education & Experience:
- University degree in business, communications, fundraising or a related
- 6 to 10 years’ experience in a leadership capacity with professional fundraising in the not- for-profit
- Proven track record of fundraising success, with an active network of philanthropic contacts.
- Working towards the CFRE designation is an asset
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Demonstrated sense of diplomacy, including solid negotiation, conflict resolution, people management skills and issue-based problem-solving
- Proven track record of successfully leading, mentoring, and motivating staff in a changing, high-growth, mission-driven
- Strong knowledge of all relevant federal and provincial legislation including Employment Standards Act, Human Rights Act, Occupational Health & Safety Act,
- Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills to effectively manage key relationships, including community partners, business partners,
- Demonstrated high level of integrity, confidentiality, and accountability, in addition to possessing effective attention to detail and a high degree of accuracy, while exhibiting sound analytical thinking, planning, prioritization, and execution
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills to effectively convey ideas and
- Valid Ontario Driver’s license required, access to a reliable vehicle, and the ability to
- Entrepreneurial spirit.
- Ability to communicate in French is an
WHY WORK FOR US
At DeafBlind Ontario Foundation, we want you to be your best. We provide a collaborative culture, supportive environment, open communication, and commitment to your personal and professional development.
OUR CULTURE
- Create and provide unique opportunities for growth, extensive training for new employees, and ongoing learning;
- Celebrate and recognize our valued employees through an Employee Recognition Program;
- Motivate and encourage one-another, as well as the people we support, to achieve their goals and dreams;
- Believe that compensation is more than paid wages. We offer our team members an employer sponsored Group RRSP, a comprehensive benefits plan, as well as competitive vacation time and personal emergency leave.
Make a difference in the life of someone who is deafblind as well as those living with a developmental disability who are Deaf, hard of hearing or use non-traditional forms of communication. Discover the difference it will make in you. Start your career with DeafBlind Ontario Foundation today.
DeafBlind Ontario Foundation is committed to Employment Equity and Diversity and invites applications from Women, Aboriginal People, Persons with Disabilities and Visible Minorities. To receive this job posting in an alternative format or if you require accommodation measures for the selection process, please notify the HR Department.
Please note that only those candidates selected for further consideration will be contacted.
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