Donor Relations Officer, MLSE Foundation

About MLSE Foundation

MLSE Foundation believes in the power of sport to change lives. With the support of MLSE’s teams and community partners, we invest in programming, capital projects, and partnerships that expand opportunity for youth across Ontario. As MLSE Foundation enters a multiyear campaign period and deepens its major gifts work, this role plays a pivotal part in strengthening donor relationships and fueling long‑term philanthropic growth.

As the Donor Relations Officer, you will manage and advance an annual major gifts pipeline of donors typically in the $25K–$100K range that supports the success of MLSE Foundation’s Major Gifts and Foundations portfolios. You will contribute directly to the overall ~$4.5M annual Major Gifts target, providing end‑to‑end donor lifecycle support from cultivation through solicitation and stewardship. You will act as a senior fundraising resource to the Director, Fund Development, supporting campaign cabinet activity, high‑value donor engagement, and cross‑portfolio major gift opportunities.

You will be a cornerstone of MLSE Foundation’s major gifts engine, helping to shape donor relationships that drive long‑term impact across Ontario. Your work directly fuels program innovation, equity‑driven community investment, and the Foundation’s most ambitious campaign in its history.

• Manage and advance a $1M portfolio of major gift prospects and donors, ensuring disciplined movement through qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Conduct donor meetings, create customized cultivation plans, and collaborate with senior leaders on high‑value solicitations.
• Identify prospects for multi‑year commitments aligned with organizational and campaign priorities.
• Serve as a senior resource in preparing campaign cabinet members for donor meetings, briefings, and strategic follow‑ups.
• Support cross‑portfolio opportunities by collaborating with colleagues in Community Engagement, Events, and Partnerships.
• Participate in developing donor strategies for campaign milestones and priority funding opportunities.
• Lead and/or support the creation of high‑quality proposals, cases for support, tailored donor packages, impact reports, and stewardship materials.
• Draft compelling donor correspondence, briefing notes, and call reports.
• Ensure donor communications are timely, personalized, and aligned with MLSE Foundation’s brand and voice.
• Lead disciplined pipeline management practices, including forecasting, weekly movement tracking, and portfolio reporting.
• Play a central role in CRM (Salesforce) implementation and optimization, ensuring consistent, accurate data entry.
• Support the adoption of prospect management standards and donor journey workflows.
• Partner with Finance, Programs, Communications, and senior leadership to ensure seamless donor stewardship and accurate reporting.
• Contribute to donor experiences such as events, site visits, recognition moments, and tailored engagement opportunities.
• Model best practices in donor relations that reflect MLSE Foundation’s values of equity, excellence, and community impact.

• 3–5+ years in fundraising, donor relations, major gifts, or related fields.
• Exceptional writing skills with a track record of producing donor proposals and stewardship communications.
• Strong relationship‑building skills with the ability to work comfortably with high‑net‑worth individuals, board members, and campaign volunteers.
• Experience with CRM systems (Salesforce preferred) and strong pipeline discipline.
• High level of professionalism, sound judgment, and ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Demonstrated experience managing a portfolio of major gift prospects at the $25K–$100K level.
• Experience supporting or participating in capital campaigns or multi‑year fundraising initiatives.
• Knowledge of sport for development or youth‑focused organizations.
• Ability to translate technical, programmatic, or impact data into compelling donor narratives.

Salary range: $60,000-$70,000. Bonus, vacation, competitive benefits, and many exciting perks are also included.

At MLSE, we are committed to building an equitable,…