Established in 1966, Mohawk College is a public college of applied arts and technology located in Hamilton, Ontario. The Mohawk College Foundation raises funds exclusively for the College, for campus improvements, scholarships, bursaries, and other College programs. Working with community partners and teams throughout the College, the Foundation helps to ensure our campuses, infrastructure, facilities, and equipment are all at a standard to help our students thrive.
Reporting to the Foundation President, the Executive Director, Development will lead the strategic direction for fundraising activities. A fundraising professional with excellent relationship-building skills, the successful candidate will provide expertise, guidance, and organizational support to key Foundation and College stakeholders, external leaders, donors, and other community contacts.
An experienced leader and manager of people, the EDD will lead and inspire a team of eight to collaborate and drive forward to meet goals established in the Foundation Strategic Plan which includes our Capital Campaigns, Annual Giving, Alumni Annual Fund, Planned Giving, and Family Campaigns. The Executive Director will collaborate with College academic and administrative leaders in donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, and will also work closely with our exceptional Foundation Board of Directors to encourage and support these volunteers while leveraging their skills and networks.
The Executive Director, Development will work at the Foundation offices, which are located at the College’s main campus on Fennell Avenue in Hamilton, located on the edge of the beautiful Hamilton escarpment.
ABOUT MOHAWK COLLEGE
Established in 1966, Mohawk takes pride in educating future-ready graduates who can make meaningful contributions to their industries and their communities.
We offer 183 full-time, 65 diploma programs, 28 certificate programs, 44 advanced diplomas, and 22 apprenticeship programs located on four campuses with five partner locations. Mohawk has a student population of over 32,500 full, part-time, and continuing education students, including students from 80+ countries. Through College and University partnerships, we have created new education pathways for Indigenous students.
Over the past 50 years, Mohawk has educated, worked with, and for Hamilton and the GTHA. We engage our community through our unique City School learning hubs and academic upgrading, employment, and newcomer services. The College is also home to the McIntyre Performing Arts Centre and the award winning Joyce Centre for Partnership and Innovation. Other programming also offered are community summer camps for youth, programs for adults with autism, plus a Fitness Centre and a clinic for Massage Therapy that are open to all members of the community.
Vision
Future ready. Learning for life.
Mission
We educate and prepare highly skilled graduates for success and contribution to community, Canada, and the world.
Values
Our values guide our actions and decisions, define our innovation culture, and focus on students, staff, and community.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Mohawk College Strategic Plan 2022-2025
Foundation Strategic Plan 2017-2021
Mohawk Foundation Ways to Give
Mohawk College Equity Diversity and Inclusion
ABOUT THE MOHAWK COLLEGE FOUNDATION
Vision
Transformation through education.
Mission
We partner with others to create opportunities to support Mohawk College and its students.
Mohawk Foundation has the honour of working with our generous family of donors, and the college’s amazing students, faculty, and staff. Through the commitment of our donors, we create important differences in students’ lives with a broad and growing range of scholarships and bursaries. And, with critical partnerships and support for capital campaigns, Mohawk’s world-class, multi-campus facilities have grown with impressive architecture, featuring thoughtful learning environments, outfitted with up-to-the-moment equipment and technology.
Guided by the Foundation’s values of student focus, excellence, community engagement, inclusivity and accountability, we foster a culture of support and opportunity for students by engaging our donors and partners in life-transforming initiatives.
Below are some examples of the important initiatives we help fund:
- Student mental health: The pandemic has heightened the need for mental health support. In swift response to the rise in mental health concerns, Mohawk evolved its student mental health strategies and initiatives to ensure our students had fast access to a variety of supports including free counseling services through telephone, video, and text. Numerous virtual informational sessions and resources were offered to students virtually in addition to daily mindfulness, meditation, and yoga classes.
- Helping Hampers: Mohawk started a grocery basket program called Helping Hampers to help students facing food insecurity.
- Gift Catalogue: We were able to help over 27,000 of our students with situations like job-loss, adjusting home resources to accommodate online learning, unplanned trips home, and simply making ends meet.
- Women in Technology and Trades group (WITT): WITT was created as part of a strategy at Mohawk to support and encourage women to enter the technology and trade fields. Thanks to funding from the RBC Foundation, our WITT program provides the support to connect female students to the resources they need to succeed.
- Challenge 2025 and City School: Brings free education to community neighbourhoods to start people on a path to education or employment. Seeing the success of City School over the past five years, Mohawk saw an opportunity to do more. Challenge 2025 (C2025) was created to build a pathway to college for thousands in the community.
- Homeward Bound: A program supporting single Indigenous moms to embark on a phased education program. Since participants often face multiple barriers, including previous difficulties with education, unstable housing conditions, lack of confidence, or poverty, this program focuses on removing those barriers.
KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
In the role of Executive Director, Development, the new incumbent will:
Fundraising (40%)
- Provide leadership to complex, multi-year institutional campaigns meeting ambitious revenue targets to support the overall advancement of the College.
- Develop and deliver a $3M-$5M+ annual revenue generation and business plan with measurable goals that align with the Foundation and the College’s strategic objectives.
- Act as the senior representative of Development in a manner that advances relationships and helps meet fundraising and volunteer recruitment goals with internal and external decision-makers and stakeholders including, colleagues at the College and MF, Deans, faculty the Foundation Board of Directors, the College Board of Governors, major donors, and corporate and community leaders.
- Oversee, assess, and monitor all fundraising revenue streams, fundraising programs, and moves management activities, ensuring that revenue potential is both maximized and in alignment with the College objectives.
- Working closely with the President’s Office develop and execute fundraising events for the Foundation.
- Personally lead donor relationship development with a portfolio of major and planned gift donors and corporate partners, in partnership with other staff and volunteers where appropriate.
- Ensure suitability of all donor relationships, identifying legal, cultural, or ethical reasons why partnerships may be ineffective or detrimental as required.
- Oversee major donations announcement, ensuring adequate donor recognition and stewardship.
- Provide input, directly and through the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), to inform the public of key Foundation activities such as major donor announcements and campaign achievements.
- Collaborate with the President’s Office to ensure the quality of fundraising communication materials and alignment with brand standards.
- Play a leading role in developing the College’s culture of philanthropy.
- Coordinate proposals preparation with the President, Foundation, and key stakeholders as needed.
- Maintain familiarity with relevant Canada Revenue Agency guidelines, and work in partnership with the College’s Finance team to ensure that these guidelines are adhered to.
- i) Capital Projects and other College campaigns
- Work with the Foundation President to identify needs, and then plan and lead the execution of solicitations for major donations
- Prepare and execute detailed plans for major capital and other campaigns and recommend appropriate staff/volunteers to support implementation of plans.
- Work with the Foundation team to develop and deliver major gift requests and ensure appropriate moves management strategies are in place for supporters at all levels.
- Provide direction to College leaders (President, Vice Presidents, Deans, volunteers, and employees) by supporting their responsibilities to prepare for requests for financial support.
- Work with the Development team to analyze fundraising results, donor profiles, and fundraising trends to identify new strategies and prospects to bring forward for clearance.
- ii) Annual Giving
- Collaborate closely with the Director, Alumni Relations, and the Alumni Relations team to create and implement alumni development and fundraising plans and strategies ensuring a solid base of revenue is established and increased through the Alumni Annual Fund.
- Ensure the planning, management, and delivery of all facets of the Annual Fund program through oversight of the Development Officer, Annual Giving.
iii) Relationships
- Provide assistance, guidance, and advice to the Foundation Board as required, reporting on plans and activities and assessing ongoing needs in support of the College and the Foundations’ development.
- Consult with other colleges, universities, and related professional organizations to seek information on relevant developments, programs, and best practices; and represent the Foundation on related committees.
- Interact with a variety of external vendors and other partners for gifts in kind and sponsorships.
- Provide leadership and training to volunteers including students, alumni, faculty, and the community as required to further the aims and objectives of the Foundation.
Human and Financial Management (30%)
- Provide leadership, guidance, and supervision to the eight-member Development team and oversee all aspects of staffing including recruitment, training, orientation, and performance management.
- Ensure effective individual work plans are created to achieve or exceed operational goals and develop professional skills.
- Maintain a high level of employee performance through coaching and evaluation.
- Oversee and direct the recruitment, orientation, training, recognition, and ongoing program coordination of Development volunteers.
- Prepare the annual budget for the Foundation, in consultation with the President and Chief Financial Officer.
- Oversee day-to-day financial management of the department and ensure effective financial controls and reporting standards are in place and maintained.
- Work with the appropriate college leads to develop formal policies, procedures, and systems to ensure the smooth operations of all aspects of gift processing, acknowledgement, recognition, and stewardship.
- Work with data analyst to ensure integrity of the Raiser’s Edge database system and processes.
Planning & Leadership (15%)
- Work with the Foundation admin team to execute the strategic direction of the Foundation in alignment with the Mission, Vision, and Values.
- Advise the Foundation President on the progress of the strategic plan implementation, and evaluation of a comprehensive development program that meets the needs of the College and its donors.
- Create programs that develop life-long relationships and encourage support through private giving and ensure all programs align with the Foundation and the College strategic objectives.
- Function as an integral member of the Foundation management team.
- Propose development related Foundation policies and procedures ensuring proper process for review and approval.
- Research new trends in philanthropy, donor relations, programs, events, and educational fundraising to recommend innovative approaches to campaign development, annual giving, and alumni annual giving programs.
- Identify and mitigate situations that could impact the Foundation’s ability to achieve its financial goals.
Communications (10%)
- Develop the College’s case(s) for support and help program clusters articulate clear, compelling visions to ensure quality of case materials.
- Work with team to build a communication strategy to ensure regular and appropriate communication with donors.
- Partner with the President’s Office and College’s Marketing team to ensure that messaging is consistent and on-brand
- Develop effective print and electronic communication materials in collaboration with the President’s Office to engage audiences in the current activities of the College and the Foundation.
- Represent the Foundation in various public-speaking environments internally at the College, and at external community events.
- Represent the Foundation with provincial, national, and international professional organizations.
QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES
- Progressive experience in senior leadership and managing teams with revenue generation responsibilities in a large, complex organization.
- Excellent strategic, business, and fundraising planning, execution, and management skills.
- Demonstrated success with institutional fundraising campaigns and securing major gifts from diverse sources.
- Proven track record soliciting and confirming major and planned gifts with individuals, and significant donations and partnerships with corporations.
- Demonstrated experience coaching and supporting senior volunteers including cabinet and board members within a fundraising setting.
- Experience working with university/college leadership or equivalent to manage donor pipelines.
- Excellent relationship building skills with the ability to gain buy-in and build unity with diverse stakeholder groups.
- Solid people and project leadership experience and the ability to coach and build the skills and competencies of others in a collaborative, empowering manner.
- Demonstrated ability to function as a role model to staff and colleagues, employing the highest standards of professionalism, confidentiality, and sensitivity.
- Comprehensive knowledge of philanthropy along with a solid understanding of the ethics and motivations for giving and volunteering.
- Knowledge of fundraising best practices through all stages of the donor engagement cycle.
- Exceptional written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
- Strong analytical, organizational, and creative problem-solving skills.
- An advanced education degree would be considered an asset, but is not a requirement
- A CFRE would be considered an asset, but is not a requirement.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
KCI Search + Talent has been retained to conduct this search on behalf of Mohawk College. For more information about this opportunity, please contact Tara George, Partner / Lead, Search + Talent by email at Mohawk@kcitalent.com
To view full position brief, visit kcitalent.com