Development Officer

About us:

The Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto offers graduate programs in architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, forestry, and visual studies — as well as unique undergraduate programs that use architectural studies and visual studies as a lens through which students may pursue a broad, liberal arts-based education. Its mission is to educate students, prepare professionals, and cultivate scholars who will play a leading role in creating more culturally engaged, ecologically sustainable, socially just, and artfully conceived environments.

The greater Toronto region serves as a dynamic laboratory for both its students and faculty, while the University of Toronto, which year after year ranks among the top universities in the world, provides a wealth of knowledge and expertise that they can draw from. Like Toronto, Daniels students and faculty are incredibly cosmopolitan in sensibility, hailing from every part of the world, with their work crossing all sorts of geographic and cultural boundaries. The city’s multicultural networks and international connections make the Daniels Faculty a powerful place to start a career.

Your opportunity:

The Office of Advancement was established in 1998 to build the profile of the Faculty and to raise private funds to support its mission of offering internationally recognized research, teaching, creative practice, and critical discourse in the disciplines of architecture, landscape architecture, forestry, urban design, and visual studies. Through a range of programs, events and special initiatives, the office raises awareness among current and prospective donors, alumni, volunteers and friends regarding the importance of investing in the Faculty and our students.

Reporting to the Director of Advancement and working as part of a collaborative, high-performing advancement team, the Development Officer will play a key role in advancing fundraising and stewardship priorities at the Daniels Faculty. The incumbent will build and strengthen relationships with donors, alumni, volunteers, and colleagues; develop and implement thoughtful donor engagement and stewardship strategies; and contribute to the identification, cultivation, solicitation, recognition, and retention of annual (<$1,000) and leadership giving ($1,000-$49,999) donors.

This role requires a professional who can combine strong relationship-building skills with strategic thinking, sound judgment, attention to detail, and data-informed decision-making. The Development Officer will help advance faculty priorities through donor-centered communication, effective collaboration, and a commitment to inclusive excellence.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Developing and implementing plans to support donor management and stewardship strategies and/or activities
• Conceptualizing, organizing and executing event activities
• Assessing needs and contributing to the development and implementation of plans for prospect identification, cultivation, solicitation and recognition
• Writing project-specific proposals related to fundraising campaigns
• Determining logistics required for fundraising activities including direct mail, email and telefund
• Developing components of programs and initiatives that advance strategic objectives
• Analyzing complex giving and donor trends/patterns and making strategic recommendations to senior University officials
• Assigning and checking the work of work-study students

Essential Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree or acceptable combination of equivalent experience.
• Minimum of three (3) years’ recent experience in philanthropy, fundraising, or a related advancement environment, with demonstrated knowledge of donor relations, stewardship, and fundraising practices.
• Experience with prospect identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement tailored fundraising and stewardship initiatives that align with broader strategic priorities and respond to donor and organizational needs.
• Demonstrated experience drafting complex donor reports and communications.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to craft clear, compelling, and audience-appropriate communications for donors, colleagues, and other stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain effective, respectful relationships with donors, alumni, volunteers, and colleagues, and to engage a range of stakeholders with professionalism, sound judgment, and diplomacy.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced environment and contribute positively to an inclusive, respectful, and high-performing team culture.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and data interpretation skills, with the ability to use donor information, trends, and reporting to inform strategy and decision-making.
• Must be able to multi-task and meet deadlines; and exercise accuracy and attention to detail.
• Strong computer skills with experience in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook), donor database management systems (i.e. ARBOR) and budget management.

Assets (Nonessential):

• Experience with the University’s policies, and the Division of University Advancement is a strong asset
• Experience working with in a university environment.

To be successful in this role you will be:

• Achievement oriented
• Communicator
• Multi-tasker
• Persuasive
• Resourceful