Director, Major Gifts, British Columbia

About this position

THE OPPORTUNITY
Arthritis Society Canada is seeking a strategic, proactive and results-driven fundraiser to serve as Director, Major Gifts for British Columbia. Building on an existing major gift program, the Director will bring a relationship-centred approach to secure donations and expand the portfolio of donors at the $10,000 level and above.
Reporting to the Vice President, Western Canada, and working as part of the National Revenue Development Team, the Director will manage a portfolio of donors and prospects across the full relationship lifecycle, from identification and cultivation through solicitation and stewardship. As a proven relationship builder and strong communicator, the Director will develop compelling proposals and cases for support, engage senior leadership in donor strategy, and collaborate with national colleagues to align efforts and share best practices.
The ideal candidate brings a strong track record in major gift fundraising, with relationship instincts, discipline, and an entrepreneurial and collaborative spirit to thrive in a mission-driven organization. This work provides a meaningful opportunity to directly support the millions of Canadians living with arthritis every day.
This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing team at a pivotal moment in time for the organization. With the recent launch of Arthritis Action Now, a new strategic planning process soon to get underway and an ambitious fundraising campaign on the horizon, there is real momentum and a genuine commitment to accelerating impact so people with arthritis can live their best life free from the disease.
The salary range for this position is $110,000 to $125,000 and includes a competitive benefits package. The BC regional office is located at 895 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, and this role offers flexibility to work from home according to a hybrid model, working at least two days a week from the BC office and the remaining days remotely/from home. This position will require some travel in the region and occasionally to the national office in Toronto.

ABOUT ARTHRITIS SOCIETY CANADA
More than six million Canadians live with arthritis – that's more than diabetes, heart disease, cancer, stroke, and dementia combined. It costs the economy $45.9 billion annually in healthcare spending and lost productivity. Yet arthritis research is underfunded, awarded less than two percent of investment from Canada's largest federal funder of health research. 
ASC recently released Arthritis Action Now, the first unified plan to end the arthritis crisis. Our new Report Card assigned low and failing grades to every single province and territory, highlighting widespread gaps in access to care, treatments, and research. That's why 21 leading organizations came together with input from over 100,000 Canadians to build this plan. It's a comprehensive roadmap to prevent, better treat, and ultimately cure arthritis — tackling everything from cutting wait times for joint replacements, and getting kids faster access to critical medications, to investing in life-changing research. This plan demands immediate government investment to become a reality.
This year, ASC advanced groundbreaking discoveries, mobilized national advocacy, supported people directly through expanded services, and accelerated game-changing ideas through strategic partnerships — all to transform arthritis healthcare outcomes.
As Canada’s largest charitable funder of arthritis research, ASC invested $7 million last year to drive bold discoveries, funding 113 game-changing projects across the country. Guided by a gold standard peer-review process and insights from people with arthritis, they launched 17 new research projects to improve diagnosis, prevention and treatment, and to move closer to finding cures.
Canada’s top scientific and entrepreneurial minds are advancing bold solutions to transform arthritis care. Through ASC’s partnership with Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), they supported four companies innovating in precision medicine, non-opioid pain management and chronic inflammation. In addition, the Newborn Arthritis Prevention Screening Project completed over 2,000 scans across Alberta and identified 45 cases of hip dysplasia - many that would have gone undetected. These breakthroughs are shaping the future of arthritis prevention and treatment for generations.
Last year, over 65,000 people accessed trusted information through Arthritis Talks, while many more found personalized supports through Arthritis Line and Arthritis Connections. During Arthritis Awareness Month, ASC carried a bold message nationwide: arthritis steals - and we must act. Together, ASC is changing the conversation, exposing the realities of this often-invisible disease, and empowering people to face their diagnosis with knowledge, resilience, and hope.
Arthritis Society Canada is honored to be a Canada’s Most Admired™ Corporate Cultures Award winner, and proud to be accredited under Imagine Canada’s Standards Program.
ASC is an organization where people feel engaged, valued, and proud of the work they do. 2025 employee data indicated that 92% of employees feel a sense of belonging at ASC, 93% feel safe and respected when sharing their ideas and opinions, and 93% are proud to work at Arthritis Society Canada.

ARTHRITIS ACTION NOW
Arthritis Action Now is Canada’s first actionable, coordinated strategy to transform prevention, care, and research for arthritis.
In 2023, Canada’s arthritis community came together with an unprecedented sense of urgency and shared purpose. ASC and 20 other organizations representing patients, researchers, clinicians and advocates, joined forces to confront the challenges faced by millions of people in Canada. All together, more than 100,000 Canadians have been engaged in the largest consultation ever conducted on arthritis in Canada.
Arthritis Action Now has three interconnected pathways—policy priorities, research and innovation, and catalysts for change—to drive transformative change for the more than six million people in Canada with arthritis.  


Pillar 1: Policy Priorities
ASC calls on provincial, territorial and federal governments to create and support legislation and funding for timely, appropriate and inclusive arthritis care; to reduce arthritis-related disability and associated costs, and to position Canada as a global leader in research, prevention and treatment innovation.

Pillar 2: Research and Innovation Priorities
Created by Canada’s scientific community, the research and innovation priorities will galvanize research institutions and funders to ultimately cure arthritis. This will require robust collaboration, increased investment and clear pathways to implementation.

Pillar 3: Catalysts for Change
ASC has identified nine initiatives that will spur transformation - including precision medicine, protecting youth from future arthritis, advancing arthritis equity and arthritis aware workplaces - and call on public, private and philanthropic sectors to invest.
You can read the full Arthritis Action Now plan here.

FUNDRAISING AT ARTHRITIS SOCIETY CANADA

The revenue development team at ASC is made up of talented fundraising professionals across Canada, in the areas of major giving, planned giving, events, community partnerships, and direct response, who work closely with its community of generous loyal donors to turn shared visions, passions and interests into meaningful impact in fighting the fire of arthritis. ASC is a nationwide charity with local impact, and the donations from these individuals makes a difference for people living with arthritis in every province.

As Arthritis Society Canada plans to grow its impact across the country through Arthritis Action Now, it is investing in the expansion of its national major gifts program. Major giving is a priority focus area of the growth strategy, underpinned by efforts that will deepen donor relationships and increase philanthropic revenue.  Alongside this, there is also a priority focus on building and growing the integrated digital marketing strategy across the organization.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
About Arthritis
2024-2025 Annual Report
2027 Strategic Plan
2025 Financial Statements
Arthritis Action Now
Support Services and Care
Board of Directors
Executive Team
News & Stories
Locations
Events

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
Major Giving (85%)

• Leads the development and execution of a comprehensive major giving program in British Columbia, focused on securing and growing gifts of $10k+.
• Builds and manages a strong portfolio of major gift donors and prospects, developing tailored strategies to deepen engagement and increase giving over time.
• Identifies, qualifies, cultivates, solicits, and stewards donors at the $10k+ level through a relationship-based approach, including personalized proposals, compelling cases for support, and face to face engagement.
• Develops high quality, customized proposals and presentations that align donor interests with organizational priorities and opportunities for impact.
• Drives major giving revenue by actively managing the full donor lifecycle and maintaining a disciplined focus on pipeline growth, movement, and conversion.
• Partners closely with colleagues across Revenue Development and other teams to identify opportunities, align strategies, and maximize results across the donor portfolio.
• Collaborates effectively with national colleagues to contribute to a strong, coordinated Major Giving program and share best practices.
• Builds meaningful, long-term relationships with donors, foundations, and key stakeholders to enhance engagement, retention, and overall donor experience.
• Engages and supports senior leadership and executive volunteers (board and committee members) in donor strategy and relationship management, including preparing briefing materials and facilitating strategic introductions.
• Identifies opportunities to deepen donor relationships, including connecting donors to additional giving opportunities such as planned giving where appropriate.

Portfolio Management and Operations (15%)

• Maintains a robust and well qualified pipeline of major gift prospects in British Columbia, with clear strategies and next steps for each relationship.
• Tracks and analyzes portfolio performance, including key metrics such as pipeline growth, conversion rates, and revenue outcomes, and uses insights to strengthen results.
• Ensures accurate and timely documentation of all donor interactions, proposals, and gifts in Raiser’s Edge and related tracking tools.
• Oversees pledge management to ensure commitments are fulfilled and donors are appropriately recognized and stewarded throughout the life of their gift.
• Develops donor reports and impact updates that clearly demonstrate the outcomes of philanthropic support.
• Monitors trends and opportunities within the philanthropic landscape in British Columbia to inform strategy and positioning.
• Ensures all donor communications and materials reflect organizational standards and are aligned with brand and messaging guidelines.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Progressive experience in fundraising, with a successful track record of cultivating, closing and stewarding major gifts $10,000+.
• Outstanding relationship-building skills, with proven ability to work cross-functionally and deliver a high level of customer service to donors, volunteers and other contacts throughout the relationship cycle including cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• A motivated self-starter, eager to pursue new opportunities and develop lasting relationships with donors.
• Experience supporting senior leaders and volunteers in major gift fundraising.
• Demonstrated project management skills with the ability to manage multiple, varied, and ongoing initiatives simultaneously.
• Exceptional written, oral and persuasive presentation skills.
• Ability to use discretion, judgment and tact in handling highly sensitive, confidential information related to donor information.
• Analytical with demonstrated skills using data to support evidence-based decision-making.
• Understanding of Western Canada’s diverse communities across social, cultural, business, and philanthropic contexts, with knowledge of the broader Canadian philanthropic landscape.
• Experience supporting a philanthropic campaign is an asset.
• Strong level of comfort and experience with donor databases (Raiser’s Edge experience preferred) and Microsoft Office.
• University degree, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• CFRE accreditation considered an asset, as is AFP membership in good standing.

CORE COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS:
Our values are personal commitments that every employee lives by, and that every leader models to inspire others. This is what they mean to us:
United: We are stronger together

• I build meaningful connections.
• I create an environment of belonging, inclusion, and openness.
• I share and welcome knowledge and new ideas.
• I approach relationships in an ethical and transparent way.
• I appreciate the strengths I bring and recognize and celebrate the success of others.

Impactful: We fearlessly work to achieve greatness

• I am relentless, standing with Canadians to fight the fire of arthritis.
• I am driven to make a difference.
• I am accountable for my words and actions.
• I strive for excellence.
• I am a trusted resource and a best-in-class expert in my role.

Transformative: We will create a bold future

• I am a changemaker, willing to challenge the status quo.
• I listen, am curious, self-reflect and am always learning.
• I am innovative, eager to bring new ideas forward.
• I am courageous and accept that failure is an important part of risk-taking.
• I am energized and fully engaged.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

KCI Search + Talent has been retained to conduct this search on behalf of Arthritis Society Canada (ASC). For more information about this opportunity, please contact Jill Anderson, Associate Vice President, or Jody Jacobson, Senior Consultant, KCI Search + Talent by email at ASCDirector@kcitalent.com.      

Interested candidates should send their resume and letter of interest to the email address listed above by May 18, 2026. All inquiries and applications will be held in strict confidence.

To view the full Position Brief, please visit www.kcitalent.com

In furtherance of its mission and strategic priorities, ASC is committed to promoting inclusion, diversity, equity and access (IDEA) through information and support, advocacy, programming, internal policies, and governance structures. In selecting individuals and furthering the goals of IDEA work, they aim to ensure that their people reflect the knowledge, experience, skills and diversity (including but not limited to diversity of gender, race, and geographical location) of the communities they live in and serve. ASC is also proud to have signed up for the 50 – 30 Challenge, a nationwide initiative by the Government of Canada to increase gender parity (50% women and/or non-binary people) and significant representation (30%) of members of other equity-deserving groups on its Boards and/or in senior management.

If you require accommodation, please notify the Search Consultant in advance and they will work with you to meet your needs. ASC is committed to providing accommodation throughout the recruitment and selection process.

This posting is for a current vacancy. Artificial intelligence will not be used to screen resumes nor assess candidates in this search.

 

About us

ASC recently released Arthritis Action Now, the first unified plan to end the arthritis crisis. Our new Report Card assigned low and failing grades to every single province and territory, highlighting widespread gaps in access to care, treatments, and research. That's why 21 leading organizations came together with input from over 100,000 Canadians to build this plan. It's a comprehensive roadmap to prevent, better treat, and ultimately cure arthritis — tackling everything from cutting wait times for joint replacements, and getting kids faster access to critical medications, to investing in life-changing research. This plan demands immediate government investment to become a reality.

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