Description
Fundraising and Development Specialist (Contract) - FDS-25
Mission Statement: Homes First Society develops and provides affordable, stable housing and support services to break the cycle of homelessness for people with the fewest housing options.
Position type: Full time, Contract
Reports to: Manager of Fundraising and Development
Location/s: Hybrid
Hours of Work: Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm, with flexibility
Contract duration: 6-month contract
Salary: $58,000 annually, plus 7% in lieu of benefits
Homes First is seeking a Contract Fundraising and Development Specialist to join our Fundraising and Development team during a critical time in our annual fundraising calendar. This role will provide hands-on support in executing key fundraising initiatives — most notably our signature event, Homes for Dinner — as well as ongoing donor engagement, stewardship, and campaign efforts.
Reporting to the Manager of Fundraising and Development, the Specialist will contribute to our fundraising success through event coordination, donor communication, database assistance, and administrative support. This contract offers valuable frontline experience in a dynamic and mission-driven organization.
Job Responsibilities:
- Support the implementation of seasonal fundraising campaigns, including direct mail, digital appeals, and Giving Tuesday efforts.
- Assist in all planning and execution stages of Homes for Dinner, including sponsorship engagement, ticketing, auction tracking, donor stewardship, and post-event follow-up.
- Collaborate with the Fundraising and Development team to execute tailored donor messaging and outreach strategies.
- Assist with the stewardship of individual and monthly donors and corporate supporters through personalized touchpoints.
- Help coordinate donor communications such as thank-you letters, tax receipts, campaign updates, and impact reports.
- Maintain strong donor relationships through consistent, high-quality engagement efforts.
- Provide event support including guest management, logistics, vendor communication, and day-of-event coordination.
- Solicit event ticket sales and donations for the event’s silent auction.
- Track donor/sponsor deliverables and ensure visibility and recognition in campaign materials.
- Perform basic Raiser’s Edge NXT tasks such as data entry, donor record updates, and list generation.
- Support the processing of donations, acknowledgements, and other fundraising admin functions.
- Assist in maintaining accurate documentation for fundraising activities and donor communications.
- Help develop and schedule social media content related to fundraising campaigns and donor stories.
- Write blog posts for the Homes First website
- Support the creation of donor emails, campaign materials, and event communications.
- Other duties as required.
Qualifications:
- Post-secondary education in fundraising, communications, nonprofit management, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
- Minimum 2 years of experience in fundraising, development, or event coordination.
- Highly proactive, charismatic self-starter who thrives in dynamic environments, brings energy and initiative to every task, and inspires those around them to do the same.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills; comfortable interacting with donors and stakeholders.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines.
- Experience supporting fundraising events and working in donor-facing roles.
- Familiarity with donor databases (Raiser’s Edge NXT experience an asset).
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office; experience with Canva, Mailchimp, or social media tools is a plus.
- Ability to work occasional evenings/weekends for events.
- Valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle is an asset.
Working in an environment where there may be smoke is required.
The successful applicant must provide a criminal record check that is satisfactory to Homes First Society Homes First Society is an equal opportunity employer
Accommodation
Homes First is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive organization. We are committed to providing barrier-free and accessible employment practices in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Should you require Code-protected accommodation through any stage of the recruitment process, please make them known and we will work with you to meet your needs.
