Grants and Legacy Officer

At House of Friendship, we believe in what we are doing. We get out of bed each day to make a difference in our community; to walk with and to serve. We are not happy with the status quo. We get energy from ongoing learning and growth. We lead with passion and believe without a doubt that everyone deserves to belong and thrive. We live and breathe our values of Compassion, Inclusion, Justice, Dignity and Hope. And we have fun! 

Sounds pretty great, doesn’t it? It is!   

The Development team is responsible for both the fundraising and marketing functions of House of Friendship, to grow financial support that sustains the mission of House of Friendship into the future, and to build awareness and affinity for our brand throughout Waterloo Region. The Grants & Legacy Officer is responsible for leading the Grants and Legacy program for House of Friendship, including providing excellent donor stewardship for these supporters, and for providing critical project management, report writing and analysis support to the Development Director for the Major Gifts program. 

** This is a permanent, salaried, full-time (37.5 hours per week) position with paid sick time, personal days, vacation time; group health benefits and defined contribution pension plan. Valid G class driver’s license and access to a reliable vehicle required. ** 

Key Responsibilities: 

• Build and steward beneficial relationships with grantors 

• Research, identify and evaluate a limited set of strategic grant opportunities in conjunction with Program Directors and the Development Director, coordinating the process, grant content creation, timelines, reporting, thanking and recognition requirements 

• Maintain an up-to-date grants tracking file, annual grants calendar and keep Raiser’s Edge (RE) foundation profiles up to date 

• Lead the planning, execution, tracking, stewardship and evaluation of the Legacy program to identify and cultivate new donors and steward existing legacy donors 

• Deliver exceptional, personalized and authentic legacy donor experiences throughout the year, in coordination with other planned Development donor activities and programs 

• Lead legacy donor surveys with an eye to constant learning and donor-centricity 

• Maintain accurate legacy database records and results tracking 

• Support Development Director in growing major gifts through excellent project management of key activities, creating major gift proposals, impact reports and thank you letters 

• Lead and conduct prospect research and opportunity analysis to identify and recommend major donor growth opportunities, keeping records and opportunities current in Raiser’s Edge 

• Provide program analysis and reporting of results 

• Provide support on Annual donor stewardship during high donation periods throughout the year 

• Support the Development Director on Capital Campaigns as assigned and contribute to the Development team’s broader objectives and priorities 

Job Specific Knowledge/Skills: 

• Proficient donor-centric communication skills that inspire and engage, whether on the phone, in personal videos, by email or in person 

• Experience leading or executing grants and/or legacy programs is an asset 

• Strong written communication skills to write successful grant applications and reports, excellent donor-centric stewardship communications and major donor proposals and reports 

• Proven ability to create and set the direction of a program to optimize impact 

• Outstanding project management skills including planning, organization, follow through and time management 

• Naturally curious with strong research and analytical skills, including high attention to detail and accuracy 

• Strong ability to create, adapt and manage efficient and effective processes 

• Self-directed with high capacity to manage multiple priorities and timelines 

• Excellent ability to maintain confidentiality of key constituents at all times 

• Easygoing, flexible and approachable with a positive attitude 

• Familiarity with fundraising with an anti-racist/anti-oppression approach an asset 

Education/Experience: 

• Undergraduate degree required in Fundraising, Communications, Business or related field 

• A minimum of 2 years of experience in donor-centric fundraising and grant writing activities within the social profit sector 

• A natural, proven relationship builder and collaborator, adept at creating authentic relationships with a wide variety of constituents including colleagues, grantors, donors, volunteers and community partners, demonstrating excellent interpersonal and team collaboration skills 

• Proven proficiency in Microsoft Office and Raiser’s Edge 

Critical Skills: 

• Commitment to understand and uphold the mission and values of House of Friendship is expected 

• Exemplary emotional intelligence, resilience, communication, conflict management and problem solving skills required 

• Ability to work professionally as a team member with staff, participants and community members 

• Experience or strong interest in working with diverse populations including people from various cultural backgrounds, income levels, and sensitivity to their needs 

• Experience with and commitment to using an anti-racism, anti-oppressive and trauma informed approach to consultation, program design, evaluations of processes and service delivery 

• Must be dependable, professional, flexible, a team player, and have a positive attitude 

• Respectful, supportive and engaging approach to persons with physical and/or cognitive disabilities, addictions, mental illness and other life challenges 

• Excellent project, timeline and deadline management skills including skills in logistics, planning and detailed record keeping 

Compensation: 

At House of Friendship, we know that our team members are the key to the success of our organization and our ability to provide essential services to the community. In support of our mission and in alignment with our values, House of Friendship is committed to ensuring fair, market competitive, and rewarding compensation practices for all of our team members. We aspire to support our team members to create a great work environment where our team is able to thrive, succeed, and have a positive work experience.  

House of Friendship compensation practices including our pay grid, have been developed using documented leading pay practices in the not-for-profit sector including Pathways to Decent Work (Ontario Nonprofit Network) and Ontario Living Wage Network. We value the experience that new team members bring to the organization and have a process in place to review previous related experience for placement on our pay grid. 

We value the work that you do with fair pay and benefits: 

• Time off includes three (3) weeks of vacation, 5* personal days (3 for 2025) and sick credits totaling approximately 12 days per year 

• Full-time benefit plan including Extended Health Care (EHC), Dental, Group Life, Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D), Long Term Disability (LTD), Flexible Spending Account and Employee & Family Assistance Program 

• We believe strongly in supporting the mental health of our team members, including providing access to the Employee and Family Assistance Program, $2,000 for counselling services and our workplace Wellness and Psychological Health and Safety programs 

• We help you save for the future by providing a retirement plan that includes a matched Group Pension Plan as well as a Group RRSP and a Group Tax Free Savings Account 

Rate of Pay: 

At House of Friendship all compensation ranges are categorized under a series of “grades” and we base our payment structure on internal equity. When determining rate of pay, a candidate’s past related experience will be taken into consideration. 

Grade: 4 

Min: $22.40 

Mid: $25.65 

Max: $28.90 

Working Conditions:  

• 37.5 hours per week, generally daytime, weekday hours 

• Flexibility for hybrid home office and work on site arrangement 

• Weekend and evening work is required to support House of Friendship and community events 

• Travel throughout Waterloo Region 

• Encountering participants at program sites who may be under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, and/or experiencing symptoms of mental illness can be expected 

House of Friendship is open and inviting to qualified candidates with lived experience. 

House of Friendship supports justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in our workplace. We strive to be a workplace free of harassment and discrimination and we are committed to removing barriers and being an inclusive, work environment. House of Friendship is a place where each person can bring their true selves and feel that they belong. We aspire to be an organization that is anti-racist and anti-oppressive so that our team, and therefore our community, can truly belong and thrive. 

We invite applications from all qualified candidates and actively encourage applications from members of groups with historical and/or current barriers to accessing employment including, but not limited to Indigenous Peoples, members of racialized groups, persons with disabilities, women, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. 

If you require accommodations to be able to participate fully at any stage in the recruitment process, including applying for this position, please let us know so that we can discuss accommodation options.  Accommodations will be provided upon request. 

If you are as passionate as we are about serving the community, let’s talk. 

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter here: 

https://house-of-friendship.hirehive.com/grants-and-legacy-officer-kitchener-on-yY8Ud5 

This job posting will remain live until the position is filled.