Director, Donor Experience – MH Foundation

THE OPPORTUNITY:

Mackenzie Health Foundation is growing, and we’re looking for an experienced and forward-thinking leader to join our team as Director, Donor Experience. This new leadership role reflects the Foundation’s commitment to elevating donor experience, strengthening stewardship, and ensuring every donor feels connected to the impact of their generosity.

As our inaugural Director, Donor Experience, you will build, mature, and scale the donor experience function as the Foundation evolves, setting standards that will shape how Mackenzie Health Foundation engages and stewards’ donors for years to come. You will lead an integrated portfolio encompassing donor recognition, stewardship, engagement events, experience design, and naming implementation. You’ll collaborate closely with colleagues across the Foundation and Hospital to ensure donors receive accurate, timely, and meaningful acknowledgement of their giving, and you’ll set and guide strategies that strengthen donor retention and deepen long-term relationships.

You’ll be joining a high-performing team in a fast-paced environment where collaboration, agility, and accountability drive results - and we’re looking for someone who will thrive and lead confidently in that setting.

If you’re inspired by relationship-building, motivated by operational excellence, and ready to lead a team dedicated to delivering superior donor experiences, we’d be pleased to meet you.

ABOUT MACKENZIE HEALTH FOUNDATION:

Mackenzie Health Foundation is the fundraising arm of Mackenzie Health, a dynamic regional health care provider, serving an ethnically diverse and rapidly growing community of over one million residents. Our job is to work with the community to raise funds to ensure that patients and families in York Region, including Richmond Hill, Thornhill, Vaughan, King and surrounding communities have access to exceptional and compassionate health care now and for generations to come.

Mackenzie Health includes two hospitals -Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital and Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital, as well as community-based services. Our hospitals work in tandem, with each site offering a full-service emergency department, core and specialized services to provide our community with the care they need.

It’s an exciting time to join Mackenzie Health Foundation. We’ve recently completed our incredible $250 million capital campaign, which built and equipped Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital - Canada’s first smart hospital and the first hospital in Vaughan. To anchor ourselves and achieve continued success, we’ve launched a new five-year strategic plan designed to fulfill our statement of purpose: Be a leader in health care philanthropy to inspire community support of patient care excellence at Mackenzie Health.

THE ROLE:

Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, the Director, Donor Experience leads a focused portfolio responsible for donor recognition, stewardship, and engagement across the Foundation. You will guide the strategy, oversee execution, and support the continued evolution of a program that ensures donors experience timely, consistent, and meaningful acknowledgement at every stage of their relationship with Mackenzie Health.

As a strategic hands-on leader, you will work closely with fundraisers, hospital partners, Marketing and Communications, and senior leadership to deliver high-quality donor experiences that strengthen relationships and support pipeline development. You will also represent the Foundation at community and third-party events to cultivate relationships and reinforce our presence in the community. You will build internal alignment around a common vision for donor experience and continuously refine systems, processes, and governance to support a growing and increasingly sophisticated program.

Passionate about health care philanthropy, you’ll champion a culture that values gratitude, accuracy, responsiveness, and storytelling - ensuring every donor understands the impact of their generosity.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

Leadership and Strategy Development

• Work with senior leadership to establish strategies and plans for donor experience and stewardship.
• Provide leadership and guidance to the Specialist, Donor Experience, supporting clear priorities, strong execution, and professional growth. As the portfolio expands, plan for future team structure, roles, and capabilities.
• Set the donor experience strategy, standards, and frameworks that guide recognition, stewardship, and engagement across all levels of giving, while ensuring consistent execution.
• Support budget development and key performance indicators to meet annual objectives for the Donor Experience portfolio.
• Act as an Ambassador for Mackenzie Health Foundation in the community, including attending community and third-party events to cultivate and steward relationships.
• Build internal relationships with hospital and Foundation staff, promote a culture of philanthropy, and ensure donor experience activities reflect organizational priorities.
• Model and foster a culture of excellence, innovation, and collaboration. Champion continuous improvement and evolution of the donor experience function as organizational needs grow.

Donor Experience, Recognition & Stewardship

• Oversee all aspects of donor recognition and stewardship, ensuring commitments outlined in gift agreements are fulfilled accurately and on time.
• Lead the implementation of naming dedications, recognition installations, stewardship events, and other donor engagement activities.
• Collaborate internally on communications materials and assets for stewardship and recognition, including impact reports, naming materials, event collateral, and digital content.
• Work closely with fundraisers to develop individualized stewardship plans and donor journeys that support cultivation, solicitation, and long-term engagement.
• Liaise with hospital staff to gather impact information and ensure donor recognition aligns with operational requirements.
• Maintain oversight of all donors’ experience touchpoints to ensure consistency, timeliness, and alignment with Foundation standards.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Major Gifts, Signature Events & Community Giving, Annual Giving, and Planned Giving, to ensure an integrated donor experience across all portfolios.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Communications to design and deliver print, digital, and event-based donor engagement and recognition.
• Work with Operations to support documentation, tracking, reporting, and compliance related to donor recognition and stewardship.
• Ensure strong information-sharing processes are in place to support donor journey management and accurate record-keeping.

Data, Reporting & Administration

• Effectively track and report on donor engagement activity through Raiser’s Edge, ensuring accurate data hygiene and timely activity logging.
• Provide analysis of donor engagement trends and program performance, informing improvements and strategic planning.
• Work with Operations to support program reporting, budget monitoring, and timely fulfilment of recognition and stewardship commitments.
• Maintain current knowledge of trends in donor engagement, stewardship, and recognition through networking, research, and professional development.

WHAT YOU HAVE:

• A university degree or college diploma in Communications, Business Administration, Non-Profit Management, Fundraising, or a related field.
• Seven to ten years of progressive experience in stewardship, donor experience, fundraising, or relationship management, including experience leading programs or portfolios.
• Demonstrated success developing and implementing donor experience or stewardship strategies in a charitable setting.
• Strong written communication skills with the ability to craft accurate, compelling, and engaging donor-focused content.
• Proven ability to build and sustain strong relationships with donors, volunteers, hospital partners, and colleagues.
• Experience managing budgets, operational plans, and program evaluation.
• Proficiency with Raiser’s Edge or a comparable CRM system.
• Experience in health care or academic philanthropy is considered an asset.
• CFRE designation is an asset.

WHAT YOU BRING:

• Strong judgement and the ability to navigate complex situations with clarity and purpose.
• A collaborative mindset that strengthens partnerships and aligns teams around shared donor experience standards.
• Exceptional organizational skills and a disciplined approach to managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• The ability to communicate with clarity and accuracy across varied internal and external audiences.
• A passion for elevating donor experience and demonstrating the impact of community generosity.
• The ability to lead both strategically and operationally, moving seamlessly between vision-setting and hands-on execution.
• Awareness of and sensitivity to the rich cultural diversity of York Region, with a genuine commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility.
• Passion for health care philanthropy and improving care in the community.
• A leadership approach that reflects our Foundation values of Excellence, Integrity, Optimism, Inclusion, and Gratitude.
• A proven ability to design, build, and scale programs - not only manage them - in a complex, growing organization.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE WORKING HERE:

• Hybrid flexibility: Work two days a week in our Vaughan office, with flexibility to balance work and life.
• Comprehensive total rewards: Competitive compensation, pay-for-performance bonus, extended benefits, vacation and bonus holiday days, and HOOPP pension plan.
• Purpose-driven work: Every gift you inspire directly improves care for patients and families across York Region.
• Career growth: Join a team where excellence is recognized, collaboration is encouraged, and your leadership makes an immediate impact.
• Collaborative culture: Work alongside passionate colleagues who care deeply about each other and the mission.

Mackenzie Health is an inclusive and equal opportunity employer committed to providing accommodations for applicants upon request at any stage of the recruitment process in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and the Ontario Human Rights Code.

Our hiring process does not involve the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to screen, assess or select applicants.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those under consideration for an interview will be contacted.