THE OPPORTUNITY

Pro Bono Ontario is looking for an inaugural Senior Manager, Fundraising to develop and lead our fundraising initiatives and advance our mission of assisting low-income Ontarians in resolving legal issues that prevent them from leading secure, healthy, and fulfilling lives. This role provides the opportunity to blend strategic leadership in fundraising with a strong sense of purpose, ensuring Pro Bono Ontario can continue to innovate and meet the legal needs of those who need it most.

This Senior Manager, Fundraising role offers the opportunity to lead initiatives for Pro Bono Ontario, a pioneer in transformative legal programs including the Free Legal Advice Hotline and Canada’s first medical-legal partnership established in 2001. By joining our team, you'll play a key role in sustaining and expanding these essential programs, helping us empower vulnerable communities and create lasting, positive change in the lives of those who need it most.

Reporting to the Deputy Director, the new Senior Manager will be responsible for designing and implementing a comprehensive fundraising program, with a specific focus on exploring new avenues to expand our donor base to include more individuals, foundations, and corporations. A self-starter with an entrepreneurial mindset, the Senior Manager will lead the organization in implementing a fund development plan designed for growth. This role involves building processes and strategies to enhance both the annual and planned giving programs, while also expanding overall fundraising capacity. 

The ideal candidate will be a personable and confident fundraising professional with demonstrated experience engaging with individual and corporate donors at both major and mid-levels along with a strong understanding of other philanthropic revenue streams and digital strategies. As a tech-driven organization, the Senior Manager will thrive in a culture of innovation, backed by a proven track record of scaling impactful programs.

Pro Bono Ontario offers a flexible, fully remote work environment, with preference given to candidates located within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Travel within Ontario for events, meetings, and donor and volunteer engagement will be required in this role.

ABOUT PRO BONO ONTARIO

Pro Bono Ontario helps Ontarians who have essential legal needs but can’t afford a lawyer.

Founded in 2001, Pro Bono Ontario is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free legal services to individuals who cannot afford representation. Through innovative programs like the Free Legal Advice Hotline and Canada’s first medical-legal partnership, Pro Bono Ontario served nearly 35,000 people last year.

In Ontario, there is a critical need for accessible legal services, particularly for low-income and vulnerable individuals. Our services help prevent the escalation of social problems, often making the difference between stable housing and homelessness, access to food and hunger, financial stability and bankruptcy, or employment and unemployment.

Many of our clients are individuals facing challenges with everyday legal issues. These include seniors on fixed incomes who have become victims of predatory door-to-door sales tactics, caregivers who risk job loss while caring for sick children, children experiencing barriers to education, and low-income workers struggling to collect what is owed to them when they lose their jobs. These and other vulnerable groups reach out to us for assistance in large numbers. 

We also contribute to community development by supporting start-ups, artists, social service organizations, and social entrepreneurs with the legal challenges associated with running a small business in Ontario.

Pro Bono Ontario runs high-quality programs that connect volunteer lawyers with Ontarians who cannot afford legal representation. Pro Bono Ontario focuses on providing low barrier services that are accessible to seniors, people with child and elder care responsibilities, inflexible work schedules and poor transit options. 

MISSON AND VISION

Our vision is to leverage the skills of volunteer lawyers to address the legal problems that interfere with low-income Ontarians’ ability to lead secure, healthy, and productive lives.

Our mission is to bridge the gap between lawyers who want to donate their services and low-income Ontarians whose legal problems aren’t covered by government agencies (e.g. Legal Aid, Children’s Lawyer and PGT). We implement this mission by:

• Developing and directly managing pro bono programs that address unmet legal needs.
• Providing strategic consulting services and tailored technical assistance to third parties engaged in the provision of organized pro bono projects. Promoting the private bar’s role in the overall delivery of legal services in Ontario.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• About Pro Bono Ontario
• Impact Report 2023
• Our Projects
• Financial Statements
• Gateway Report
• Volunteer

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Strategy and Leadership

• Work closely with the Executive Director and the Deputy Director, serving as a fundraising strategist and an operational leader.
• Collaborate with the Executive Director and Deputy Director to develop short and long-range fundraising strategies, including creating, monitoring, and evaluating the annual fundraising plan and targets in alignment with organizational priorities and needs.
• Collaborate with senior staff to align volunteer recruitment, grants, and fundraising activities.
• Collaborate with senior staff and the Board to create compelling donor opportunities, funding proposals, and stewardship initiatives.
• Report on fundraising progress to the Executive Director, Deputy Director, and the Board.
• Develop relationships with staff and board to support a culture of philanthropy throughout Pro Bono Ontario.
• Represent Pro Bono Ontario in the community, at events, and with partners in a manner that supports increased awareness and connection.

Fundraising

• Grow the major gifts program to drive ambitious organizational expansion, while assisting the Executive Director and Board in cultivating major gifts and managing their individual donor prospect portfolios.
• Build and manage a portfolio of high-value prospect donors to meet fundraising goals.
• Evaluate and advance the current annual giving program (~$500,000) with a focus on retention and growth within the individual donor stream.
• Provide strategic input and oversight in the design and planning of a structured planned giving program that focuses on bequests for future investment.
• Identify, analyze, and implement new fundraising opportunities with a variety of donors, including law firms, in-house legal departments, corporate partners, foundations, and individual donors.
• Conduct prospect research to identify and evaluate potential donors, ensuring alignment with the organization's fundraising goals and strategies.
• Create strategies for donor acknowledgment, recognition, and stewardship to manage both current and future gifts.
• Identify and evaluate new revenue channels with potential to grow revenue, diversify revenue sources, increase efficiency and engage donors.
• Maintain knowledge of best practices and trends around philanthropy. 

Financial and Data Management

• Develop and manage the annual fund budget, ensuring financial targets are met and resources are allocated effectively.
• Collaborate with the finance team to reconcile donor contributions, monitor revenue streams, and prepare accurate financial statements and reports.
• Ensure accurate and timely entry of donor information in the database.

QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES

• Minimum of five years fundraising experience, with a proven track record in developing and executing personalized donor engagement strategies and securing donations at the five-figure level, at minimum.
• Demonstrated experience building fundraising strategies and plans, including the ability to analyze fundraising challenges, identify growth opportunities and develop innovative solutions to achieve objectives.
• Experience managing or supporting a comprehensive a donor-centered fundraising program encompassing annual, mid-level, major, and legacy giving, and corporate partnerships.
• Skilled in building lasting relationships and fostering a culture of philanthropy through strong relationship-building skills and the ability to cultivate partnerships and consensus with diverse groups of donors, volunteers, committees, and internal teams.
• Experience working with volunteers in a fundraising capacity.
• Skills in prospect research and development, donor cultivation and solicitation, and stewardship.
• Experience developing budgets and tracking and reporting against goals.
• Technologically fluent with demonstrated proficiency in Salesforce and/or other donor database systems, including experience using data systems, CRMs, reporting applications, and dashboards.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and with the ability to drive and manage change. 
• Highly developed interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively and foster relationships with diverse audiences. 
• Excellent problem-solving, research, and analytical skills, with a drive to exceed expectations.
• Ability to leverage entrepreneurial creativity to drive revenue growth.
• Ability to exercise tact and diplomacy and maintain confidentiality.
• Commitment to uphold professional standards and ethics, knowledgeable of fundraising trends, Canadian charity, and related tax implications and CRA regulations.
• Reside in the Greater Toronto Area.
• CFRE designation is an asset.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

KCI Search + Talent has been retained to conduct this search on behalf of Pro Bono Ontario. For more information about this opportunity, please contact Meredith Roberts, Senior Consultant at KCI Search + Talent via email at PBO@kcitalent.com.

To view full position brief, please visit www.kcitalent.com 

Please send your resume and letter of interest to the email address listed above by May 5, 2025.

The salary range for this position is $85,000 - $100,000 plus RRSP contribution and comprehensive benefits. Pro Bono Ontario offers a flexible, fully remote work environment, with preference given to candidates located within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Travel within Ontario for events, meetings, and donor and volunteer engagement will be required in this role.

Pro Bono Ontario is an equal-opportunity employer who welcomes candidates from Ontario’s diverse communities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. If you require any accommodations, please notify the Search Consultant.