Founded in 1894, Havergal College is one of Canada’s pre-eminent independent schools for girls, offering an exceptional education from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12. Located on a beautiful 22-acre campus in midtown Toronto, Havergal prepares young women to make a difference through outstanding academic and co-curricular programs. Our culture is defined by our core values of integrity, compassion, inquiry, and courage, and we take pride in attracting and retaining outstanding faculty and staff who share our commitment to educational excellence and community.
Position
Havergal College is seeking a dynamic and strategic fundraising professional to join our Advancement team as Director, Development. Reporting to the Executive Director, Advancement, the Director will play a pivotal role in leading Havergal’s philanthropic efforts during an exciting time of growth, helping to achieve bold goals and strengthen support for the School’s priorities.
With approximately 75% of their time dedicated to major gift cultivation/solicitation and stewardship, the Director will manage a personal portfolio of 35–45 prospects, cultivating and soliciting support for the School’s highest priorities. They will also provide leadership to annual giving, donor engagement and stewardship portfolios and fostering a collaborative and high-performing culture focused on meaningful donor engagement and impact.
The ideal candidate is an experienced fundraiser and thoughtful team leader, skilled in building relationships, with experience across a number of advancement functions including Annual Giving, Stewardship and Major Gift fundraising and advancing a culture of philanthropy across a complex organization.
Specific Accountabilities
· Supporting the implementation of a comprehensive major gift strategy, from cultivation and solicitation to stewardship and ongoing donor engagement.
· Maintain a personal portfolio of 35–45 major gift prospects and donors, advancing them through the full engagement cycle.
· Provide leadership and mentorship to direct reports, including Advancement Officers in the portfolios of Annual Giving, Donor Engagement and the Senior Advancement Officer, while working closely with colleagues across the Advancement team to support fundraising strategy and donor engagement.
· Provide strategic oversight and guidance to the Annual Giving portfolio initiatives, ensuring alignment with the School’s broader fundraising priorities and donor engagement strategy.
· Collaborate with the Executive Director, Advancement and Associate Director Major Gifts, to shape campaign priorities, goals, and donor engagement strategies.
· Partner closely with Advancement Services to ensure seamless coordination of research, gift processing, and data integrity.
· Build strong relationships across the College community including faculty, staff, parents, and Old Girls/Alums to inspire philanthropy and connect donors to meaningful opportunities for support.
· Establish and track performance metrics, ensuring accountability and progress toward fundraising goals.
· Recruit, support and work with volunteers throughout the gift cycle to strengthen donor engagement and advance fundraising priorities.
· Regularly collaborate with Havergal senior leadership who have cross-functional leadership responsibilities.
· Promote and model a culture of high performance and continuous improvement that values learning and a commitment to quality.
· Keep current on programs and faculty expertise, student initiatives, parent and alumni relations and engagement at Havergal.
· Remain current on trends, and patterns in the philanthropic sector, and the independent school community, as well as maintain understanding and assessment of risks and opportunities.
Qualifications
· Broad knowledge of fundraising principles, including campaigns, annual giving, and donor stewardship. Knowledge of fundraising best practices in independent schools or the education sector is an asset.
· Proven success in major gift fundraising, with experience cultivating and soliciting gifts at the six- and seven-figure level.
· Demonstrated experience leading and coaching a high-performing team.
· Proven ability to build strong internal and external relationships with integrity and professionalism.
· Strategic thinker with exceptional interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills.
· Bachelor’s degree required; CFRE designation or equivalent experience preferred.
Demonstrated ability and commitment to the Core and Leadership Competencies of;
· Collaboration & Teamwork
· Integrity & Trust
· Learning Agility
· Communication
· Growth Mindset
· Inclusive Excellence
· Managerial Courage
· Champion Change & Innovation
· Coach & Develop Others
· Purpose Alignment & Results
Havergal College has partnered with KCI to conduct this recruitment. For more information, please contact Jill Anderson at janderson@kcitalent.com.This job posting is for an existing vacancy.
Havergal College is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive, barrier-free recruitment and selection process and work environment in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). If you require accommodations in any part of the recruitment and selection process, please advise KCL.
