Alumni & Corporate Relations Coordinator

About this position

Alumni and Corporate Relations Coordinator - Calgary or Toronto office

About Windmill Microlending

Windmill supports immigrants, including refugees, who arrive in Canada with education, skills and experience and want to continue their professional success. Lacking the financial resources to pay for training and licensing, immigrants often fall into low paying “survival” jobs to make ends meet. Without income, collateral or credit history, it can be difficult, if not impossible, for them to access financing and reach their professional goals.

Windmill addresses this problem by providing microloans of up to $15,000 to internationally trained immigrants so they can obtain the Canadian licensing, credentials or training required to achieve their career goals. Since 2005, Windmill has provided $43 million in loans to more than 6,000 immigrants across Canada from a wide range of occupations. The impact of a Windmill loan is profound:

• The income of skilled immigrants is increased 3x on average. With the help of a loan, which averages about $10,000, our clients typically triple their income.
• The contributions of skilled immigrants to the Canadian economy multiplies exponentially. Every $1 invested, Windmill returns $38 for the Canadian economy in the first year after a borrower completes their learning plan.
• Canadians, as a whole, benefit when immigrants are able to put their skills to work in Canadian communities, particularly where there are skill shortages.

Position Description

Windmill Microlending is seeking a full-time Alumni and Corporate Relations Coordinator, a role that has been created to administer Windmill’s Alumni engagement strategy and increase revenue from corporate donors and investors.

Windmill alumni are former clients who have paid their loans in full. Windmill currently has over 2,100 alumni who are important sources of success stories and have become an important informal referral community. Windmill recognizes that these individuals can become a potent force in helping the organization advance its vision by (1) increasing applications and growing awareness for our organization (2) becoming mentors for our clients, helping them achieve greater professional success and (3) supporting Windmill financially with donations that reflect their own success and appreciation for Windmill’s work. The role will also assist in the management of corporate donors, and the coordination of corporate volunteer opportunities. The successful candidate is self-motivated and results oriented, with a passion for building relationships that will create more opportunities for newcomers.

The Alumni and Corporate Relations Coordinator reports to the Associate Director, Corporate Partnerships and has the following responsibilities:

Administer Windmill’s Mentorship program (50% of role):

• Connect with professionals (identified from corporate partners and alumni network) to assess their suitability to become a Windmill mentor.
• Recruit mentors and mentees from the alumni and active client databases.
• Establish and manage mentoring matches on the mentorship platform.
• Manage the evaluation of mentorship relationships and the mentorship program overall, and report back to management.
• Develop and suggest tactical adjustments and program innovations where appropriate.
• Maintain and update the alumni database.
• Execute tasks on our Client Relationship Management for Alumni and Paid in Full clients.
• Support Marketing & Communications, Development and external partnership requests by:
  • working closely with Client Success Coaches to identify outstanding client success stories.
  • working cooperatively with the Marketing and Communication team to support alumni requests for media relations opportunities, speaking engagements, and client success stories; and communicating with current clients and alumni regarding opportunities and requests from partners.

Corporate Revenue Generation and Relationship Management (50% of role):

• Manage and grow a portfolio of corporate donors ($1,000 - $50,000) conducting cultivation visits, solicitation calls and stewardship activities
• Work with Director, Corporate Partnerships to identify new opportunities, develop cultivation strategies and conduct introductory calls/visits with prospects
• Develop strategies and support the growth of workplace giving programs
• Support corporate partnerships’ activation or stewardship activities
• Prepare donor correspondence, proposals, meeting briefs, and call notes
• Ensure donor files are maintained and updated accurately in a timely fashion
• Ensure compliance with Salesforce operating policies and procedures

Qualifications and Knowledge:

• A minimum of 2-3 years of charitable sector experience, or transferable experience of a business development role
• Experience working in a community-based, not-for-profit organization would be an asset, preferably serving immigrants
• Proven track record of securing revenue
• Intermediate to advanced MS Office skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint and Outlook), internet and databases
• Excellent English verbal and written communication skills
• Fluency in French will be considered an asset

Competencies and Characteristics:

• Share our values of passion, empowerment, simplicity, and results
• Strong interpersonal and relationship management skills
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills
• Ability to work in a fast paced and results-oriented environment
• Excellent organization, planning and administrative skills
• Ability to work independently and manage projects autonomously
• Ability to prioritize and appropriately identify and respond to urgent situations while meeting competing deadlines
• Ability to embrace and adapt to the use of new technology
• Excellent interpersonal skills and self-management skills to work effectively with clients, co-workers, and other stakeholders; must be persuasive and persistent
• Has a proven ability to achieve results and meet deadlines; has strong organizational and problem-solving skills; has a high-energy, self-motivated approach and entrepreneurial attitude
• Strong desire to help skilled immigrants to succeed in the Canadian labour market; while holding a sensitivity to the various backgrounds and challenges facing our alumni (ideally from immigrant experience)

Working Conditions:

• Work from home, until safe to return to Windmill office
• Full-time
• Flexibility to occasionally work outside of regular business hours due to events and presentations
• Overnight travel may occasionally be required, have access to transportation to attend events.

Salary:

Commensurate with experience. Windmill offers an attractive and market-relevant compensation package.

If you meet the criteria above and are interested in applying for the position, please send your cover letter and resume to hr@teamwindmill.org (reference: Alumni and Corporate Relations Coordinator). We are actively recruiting for this position, so to ensure you are given due consideration for this opportunity, interested candidates should send their resume, including a cover letter and salary expectation, as soon as possible. The successful candidate will be required to provide a Police Clearance Certificate. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those considered for an interview will be contacted directly. No phone calls, please.

Windmill Microlending is an equal employment opportunity employer. Adhering to Canada’s Human Rights Code, Windmill grants equal employment opportunity to all qualified persons without regard to race, creed, colour, gender identity or expression, disability, sexual orientation, family status, marital status, citizenship, ancestry, ethnic origin, age or place of origin. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.