Overview
The Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy is the largest Ontario-based charitable land trust. Since 1997, we have permanently protected more than 25,000 acres of ecologically significant forests, wetlands, alvars, shorelines, and Niagara Escarpment landscapes through acquisition, conservation easements, and long-term stewardship.
Our work is entering an exciting new phase. Through the Living Landscapes Campaign, we are seeking to protect 8,000 acres by 2030 while building the stewardship capacity needed to care for these lands forever.
We are looking for an exceptional fundraiser who wants to help shape one of Canada's fastest-growing conservation organizations.
Employment type Full-time, 37.5 hrs/week (hybrid), 3-year contract (renewal dependant on funding), reporting to the Chief Executive Officer
Location Hybrid (Ontario), with regular travel throughout the Niagara Escarpment including the Saugeen Peninsula and Manitoulin Island, and elsewhere in Ontario as required. A home office location in the Owen Sound/Grey County/Bruce County area is ideal but not mandatory.
What We Offer
· An annual salary of $80,000 - $90,000 depending on qualifications and experience
· A comprehensive health benefits package
· Flexible work arrangements
· Welcoming, uplifting and supportive staff colleagues, volunteers, board members and partners
· Professional development opportunities and a dedication to wellness of staff members
· Room to grow, with the potential to develop into a future Director of Philanthropy position as the Conservancy continues to expand, pending funding success
· The opportunity to see some of spectacular landscapes and make a lasting difference for conservation in Ontario
The Opportunity
This is not a traditional fundraising position.
We are looking for someone who is equally comfortable sitting across the table from a prospective major donor, planning a direct mail campaign, coordinating a fundraising event, researching foundations, helping prepare grant applications, and building systems that make fundraising more effective.
You will work closely with the CEO, who remains actively involved in major gift fundraising. Rather than replacing that role, you will help strengthen it by helping manage donor relationships, identifying opportunities, coordinating cultivation strategies, and ensuring that excellent ideas become well-executed fundraising initiatives.
The successful candidate will become one of the organization's key fundraising leaders and will have significant opportunity to shape the future of philanthropy at the Conservancy.
Primary Responsibilities
Major Gifts
- Work with the CEO to identify, cultivate, solicit and steward major donors
- Coordinate donor strategies, meetings and follow-up
- Research prospective major donors and foundations
- Prepare donor briefing notes and cultivation plans
- Assist with gift agreements, recognition opportunities and stewardship reports
- Build long-term relationships with donors and supporters
Annual Giving
- Coordinate annual fundraising campaigns
- Assist in developing direct mail appeals
- Support digital fundraising initiatives
- Help expand monthly giving and recurring donations
- Analyze campaign performance and recommend improvements
Foundation and Corporate Giving
- Identify prospective foundations and corporate partners
- Prepare or coordinate grant applications, or assist other program staff with grant application as necessary
- Maintain grant calendars and reporting requirements
- Build relationships with institutional funders
Campaign Coordination
Support implementation of the Living Landscapes Campaign by:
- coordinating campaign communications
- tracking fundraising progress
- preparing campaign materials
- helping organize donor events and recognition
- ensuring excellent stewardship of campaign supporters
Donor Stewardship
- Ensure every donor receives outstanding stewardship
- Coordinate acknowledgement letters and impact reporting
- Help develop donor recognition initiatives
- Maintain accurate donor records and relationship histories
- Support legacy giving initiatives
Systems and Planning
- Improve fundraising systems and workflows
- Develop donor pipelines
- Maintain prospect management processes
- Produce fundraising reports and dashboards
- Assist with annual fundraising planning and budgeting
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will possess many of the following:
- Five or more years of progressively responsible fundraising experience
- Demonstrated success securing major gifts ($10K and up)
- Experience with annual giving and donor stewardship
- Strong writing skills, including proposals, donor communications and grant applications
- Excellent organizational and project management abilities
- Strong interpersonal skills and confidence working with donors, volunteers and community leaders
- Experience using donor databases and CRM systems
- Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
- A valid driver's licence and willingness to travel throughout Ontario
Assets
Experience in one or more of the following would be considered an asset:
- Environmental or conservation organizations
- Charitable land trusts
- Capital or comprehensive fundraising campaigns
- Planned giving
- Corporate sponsorship
- Foundation fundraising
- Event fundraising
- Knowledge of Ontario's environmental and philanthropic sectors
The successful candidate will be:
- Entrepreneurial and self-directed
- Highly organized
- Relationship-focused
- An excellent listener
- Diplomatic and professional
- Creative in developing fundraising opportunities
- Comfortable working both independently and collaboratively
- Excited by helping build an organization that is growing rapidly
Most importantly, we are looking for someone who genuinely enjoys building relationships with people who care deeply about conservation.
Why join us?
This is a rare opportunity to help shape the future of one of Ontario's leading conservation organizations.
Over the past few years, the Conservancy has experienced extraordinary growth in both conservation impact and philanthropic support. We have ambitious plans for the future, including protecting thousands of additional acres, expanding stewardship programs, strengthening Indigenous relationships, and building a sustainable financial foundation for generations to come.
You will work directly with an experienced CEO who is deeply engaged in fundraising and who is looking for a collaborative partner to help expand the Conservancy's philanthropic capacity.
Your work will directly contribute to enduring preservation of some of Ontario's most important natural landscapes.
Application process
Application deadline: Applications will be received until the position is filled
Start date: September 1, 2026 (with some flexibility)
How to apply: Please email both a cover letter and resume to [email protected]. Indicate your name and the position title in the subject line. Only applications submitted via email will be accepted; applications submitted through LinkedIn and other on-line career portals will not be considered.We thank all applicants for their interest in the position, however only the selected candidates will be contacted for interview
The Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy welcomes applications from racialized groups, ethnic minorities, women, Indigenous People, people with disabilities, and +2SLGBTQ people. This is an equity employment opportunity, and we encourage members of the communities mentioned above to self-identify.
Pay: $80,000.00-$90,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental care
- Extended health care
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Owen Sound, ON
