CRC: Senior Development Officer-Major Gifts – Ontario

Title: Senior Development Officer – Major Gifts

Employee Working Location: Remote (Ontario; Preferably GTA)

Employment Status: Permanent, full-time

The Canadian Red Cross (CRC) – an inspirational not for profit organization, helps people and communities in Canada and around the world in times of need and supports them in strengthening their resilience. As a Canada’s Best Employers 2026, we are committed to having an accessible, diverse, inclusive, and barrier-free work environment.

The Senior Development Officer- Major Gifts is responsible for managing a high-value portfolio of active and prospective donors across Ontario and with a focus on the GTA, building strong relationships, and securing major gifts in support of the Canadian Red Cross” mission. This role focuses on gifts within the CRC major gift range ($25K–$249,999), with a primary emphasis on securing gifts of $100,000 and above. Over time, the role is expected to grow to secure gifts up to $500,000 and to partner with senior staff on the strategy and solicitation of transformational gifts at the $1M+ level. As CRC executes on Vision 2030, the Major Gifts program is in an exciting period of expansion — representing a rare opportunity for a senior fundraiser to help shape and scale a program at a defining moment in the organization”s history.

Working closely with the Senior Manager, Major Gifts and colleagues across the Philanthropy department, the Senior Development Officer plays a central role as a senior individual contributor, with significant autonomy and responsibility for leading complex donor strategies. The role is accountable for cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gift donors, ensuring a positive donor experience, while providing strategic leadership on donor files and shaping plans for stewardship, recognition, and donor engagement. For the right candidate, this is more than a fundraising role — it is an opportunity to be a meaningful part of how the Canadian Red Cross supports the most urgent needs of communities in Canada and around the world.

The ideal candidate is a highly proactive, relationship-driven fundraiser with a track record of securing significant philanthropic commitments, bringing strong communication skills, experience working with complex donor situations, sound judgment in sensitive environments, and the ability to manage multiple priorities while contributing subject matter expertise within a collaborative, high-performing team.

We are seeking an exceptional fundraiser who is motivated by impact and energized by contributing within a high-performing team. In this role, industry-leading skills translate directly into the Canadian Red Cross” ability to deliver urgent humanitarian support and build stronger, more resilient communities in Canada and around the world.

In this role, you will:

Strategic Donor Engagement & Pipeline Development

Design and lead tailored donor engagement strategies for a portfolio of high-value gifts, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors capable of making six-figure commitments.

Build and grow the major gifts pipeline by identifying qualified leads, conducting discovery, and advancing donor journeys toward significant gift commitments using moves management best practices.

Prioritize consistent, high-quality donor interactions, dedicating the majority of time to substantive, donor-facing activity, including in-person meetings across Ontario, with a concentration of activity in the Greater Toronto Area and its significant base of high-capacity donors.

Operate within a high-performance fundraising environment that prioritizes frontline activity, with a clear focus on maximizing time spent in direct donor engagement and targeting approximately 15 meaningful donor visits per month as an aspirational benchmark.

Portfolio Management

Manage a diverse, high-value portfolio of major gift prospects and donors, ensuring consistent and strategic engagement and forward momentum across all relationships.

Ontario represents one of CRC”s highest-capacity markets, and this portfolio reflects that — encompassing a depth and diversity of donor relationships that offer significant opportunity for a skilled major gifts fundraiser.

Conduct frequent donor meetings (virtual and in-person) to discuss philanthropic priorities and CRC impact.

Lead the strategic development of donor proposals, briefing materials, and stewardship communications, partnering closely with internal enablement teams to create compelling, tailored materials that deepen donor relationships and inspire philanthropic investment, while supporting senior volunteers and leaders in complex donor strategies.

Operational Excellence & Collaboration

Collaborate closely with the Senior Manager, Major Gifts and a nationwide team of philanthropy professionals to align strategies, share insights, and advance complex donor opportunities within a growing and evolving major gifts program.

Ensure all donor interactions and strategic plans are accurately logged in the CRM system (Unity) to maintain data integrity and enable accurate forecasting and reporting.

Contribute to a collaborative, disciplined team environment that emphasizes accountability, continuous improvement, and alignment with organizational and campaign priorities.

What we are looking for :

6-9+ years of experience in major gifts, principal gifts, or related fundraising roles, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Advanced understanding of major gift fundraising and the ability to develop and execute complex donor strategies.

Demonstrated success managing a high-value donor portfolio, building pipelines, and securing six-figure philanthropic gift commitments.

Strong knowledge of, and experience working within, the philanthropic landscape and donor networks in Ontario, including familiarity with the depth and density of the GTA”s philanthropic community.

Familiarity with the humanitarian, community services, or broader social impact sector, and an appreciation for how CRC”s mission connects to donors” philanthropic values.

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build rapport and trust with diverse donors while managing multiple priorities and deadlines with strong organization and attention to detail.

Competence using CRM/donor management systems and Microsoft Office Suite.

Fluency in English; French is an asset.

Valid driver”s license and access to a vehicle.

Working conditions:

Regular travel across Ontario is required to support donor engagement.

Ability to manage multiple, sometimes conflicting deadlines.

Work requires interactions with clients who may be agitated or are experiencing stressful situations.

As we work with and support people (managers, colleagues, beneficiaries/customers, volunteers, donors and external partners) and communities in Canada and around the world, applicants whose first language is not English may be required to perform the responsibilities of the role in English.

Eligibility to work in Canada: At this time, we welcome applications from candidates eligible to work in Canada. If you are not a citizen or permanent resident of Canada, we encourage you to carefully review your visa to determine eligibility for employment.

If you are selected for this role, you will be required to complete a successful pre-employment screening process which includes a satisfactory Enhanced Police Information Check (E-PIC).