Director, Major Gifts

Overview

Salary Range: $74,252.00 to $ Annually

Duration: Indeterminate

Type: Full-time at 37.5 hours per week

Location: Ottawa, ON (Hybrid) or Toronto, ON (Remote). Remote candidates outside Ottawa and Toronto can be considered (within Canada).

Reports to: Chief Conservation Officer

Salary range: $74,252 to $111,378 per year

Who we are

The Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF) is a national not-for-profit charitable organization dedicated to ensuring an appreciation of the natural world and a lasting legacy of healthy wildlife and habitat. By spreading knowledge of human impacts on the environment, developing and delivering educational programs, conducting research, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, and advocating for effective wildlife policy and regulation, CWF strives for a future in which Canada’s wildlife is conserved for generations to come.

Diversity is a fundamental part of our core values; we create every opportunity to become more inclusive. We encourage applications from qualified candidates from all diverse communities including, but not limited to, Indigenous persons, racially visible persons, people with disabilities, 2

SLGBTQ+, and women in non-traditional roles.

CWF is seeking a Director, Major Gifts to lead a growing major gifts program that secures significant restricted and designated support from individual donors, foundations, government agencies, and institutions. Reporting to the Chief Conservation Officer, this role builds and manages a pipeline of major donors, cultivates long‑term relationships, identifies strategic funding opportunities, and secures transformational gifts—including six‑ and seven‑figure contributions annually—to advance CWF’s conservation priorities across education, species and habitat initiatives, and cross‑cutting strategies.

The Director collaborates closely with the Conservation and Marketing & Communications teams to develop compelling proposals, oversee grant submissions, and ensure strong reporting and funder stewardship. Working in partnership with the Fund Development Department, the Director ensures unified prospect pipeline management and aligned stewardship across restricted and unrestricted revenue streams.

As a newly created leadership role, the Director, Major Gifts will also help shape CWF’s long‑term designated and major gifts strategy and build a team to expand organizational capacity and drive sustainable, mission‑aligned revenue growth.

• Identify major gift, grant, and institutional funding opportunities aligned with CWF’s Conservation programs.
• Develop compelling, strategically aligned gift opportunities based on donor interests and program priorities.
• Stay informed on philanthropic trends and emerging opportunities to strengthen fundraising strategy.

• Build and manage a robust pipeline of individual, corporate, and foundation prospects.
• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major gifts, including six‑ and seven‑figure contributions.
• Prepare briefing notes, call reports, and customized solicitation materials to support donor engagement.
• Partner with organizational and Conservation leadership to align donor strategies and provide strong follow‑up.
• Collaborate with the Fund Development Department to ensure integrated pipelines and coordinated stewardship.
• Lead the development of letters of intent, proposals, budgets, and presentations in collaboration with Conservation and Marketing & Communications.
• Manage the full grant lifecycle, from submission through reporting and renewal.
• Maintain a proposal and reporting calendar and track all grant activity through the CRM.
• Ensure high‑quality impact reporting to support donor retention.
• Hire, supervise, and develop staff supporting major gifts and restricted/designated revenue.
• Provide mentorship, coaching, and performance management to build a strong, collaborative team.
• Work with internal subject‑matter experts to enhance proposals and donor communications.
• Maintain accurate donor and grant records and monitor fundraising performance.
• Support annual budgeting, forecasting, and multi‑year revenue planning.
• Represent…