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Director, Major Gifts & Campaigns

The National Gallery of Canada Foundation

The National Gallery of Canada Foundation is seeking a Director, Major Gifts and Campaigns to help expand philanthropic support for Canadian art and artists.  This represents an opportunity to shape the next chapter of philanthropic investment in one of Canada’s most important cultural institutions.  Based in Ottawa and reporting to the CEO, the role will lead major gift strategies, strengthen donor relationships, and support campaign readiness for future fundraising initiatives.

The Director will provide leadership to an ambitious and dedicated team and will manage a portfolio of major donors and prospects, working closely with senior leadership to cultivate, secure, and steward major and principal gifts.  The position collaborates across Foundation and Gallery teams to build a strong culture of philanthropy and align donor engagement with institutional priorities.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA 

Located in Ottawa, and founded in 1880, the National Gallery of Canada has played a key role in Canadian culture for well over a century. In addition to showcasing works of art, the Gallery preserves, studies and shares works in every conceivable medium. With a mandate to share the visual arts with Canadians, the Gallery works with artists and arts organizations across the country and around the world to share our collective story through art.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA FOUNDATION

Founded in 1997, the National Gallery of Canada Foundation is an independent charitable organization that leads the development of philanthropic support for the National Gallery of Canada, advancing innovative programming, research, acquisitions, educational initiatives, and community engagement opportunities that are critical to the cultivation and preservation of the visual arts in Canada.  Guided by values of stewardship, collaboration, and integrity, the Foundation has raised more than $70 million in donations and we are proud to have facilitated donations of art valued in excess of $40 million as well as the establishment of more than 25 endowments and special project funds in support of research and acquisitions.

As the Gallery advances bold national and international priorities, private philanthropy is more critical than ever.  From transformative initiatives like Canada’s presence at the Venice Biennale, to reimagining how the collection is experienced digitally and across the country, the Foundation is building the philanthropic engine to match this ambition. Looking toward the future, the Foundation remains steadfast in its commitment to building pathways toward connection that bolster the Gallery and its projects, including the burgeoning National Engagement Endowment and the Venice in Canada Endowment, which will fundamentally expand Canadians’ access to art.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Major Gift Leadership

• Develop and execute strategies to secure six- and seven-figure philanthropic investments.
• Build and manage a portfolio of major gift-level donors and prospects.
• Lead cultivation and solicitation strategies for major and principal gifts.
• Partner with the CEO on high-level donor engagement and closing strategies.
• Engage, manage, and support fundraising volunteers, leveraging relationships for major gift development.
• Develop strong working relationships with the NGC Leadership Team and managers from various departments seeking engagement and nurturing a culture of philanthropy across the organization.

Campaign Development & Readiness

• Lead development of the Foundation’s major gift pipeline in support of future campaign priorities.
• Identify and cultivate lead and anchor gift opportunities.
• Align donor investment strategies with institutional funding needs.
• Contribute to the development of naming opportunities and philanthropic investment cases.
• Support engagement of Board, volunteer and NGC leadership in campaign-related efforts.
• Develop fundraising materials for major gift cultivation and solicitation needs.

Team Management

• Provide direct guidance, support, supervision, and annual performance reviews for direct reports.
• Promote a culture of collaboration, support, mentorship and continuous improvement, ensuring each team member has clear accountabilities and goals.

Partnership with Patron Programs

• Work in close collaboration with the Head, Patron Programs to identify patrons with leadership giving potential.
• Align cultivation strategies with patron engagement pathways.
• Support structured progression from participation to philanthropic investment.
• Ensure transitions from engagement to solicitation are coordinated and intentional.

Donor Progression

• Help define readiness for leadership giving in collaboration with Patron Programs.
• Lead philanthropic strategy once donors enter major gift pathways.
• Ensure appropriate cultivation, recognition, and stewardship are in place for all donors and prospects.
• Support long-term donor growth aligned with institutional priorities.

Strategic Collaboration and Representation

• Collaborate closely with Gallery leadership to align funding priorities.
• Working closely with the Foundation CEO and the Head of Patron Programs, lead the development of multi-year strategic objectives and annual business plans for the major gift program.
• Collaborate across development functions to support integrated donor strategy.
• Regularly reports to the CEO on revenue progress, identifying and mitigating risk and capitalizing on opportunities.
• Regularly evaluates major gift program effectiveness and efficiency, introducing new strategies and course-correcting to deliver best results.
• Contribute to campaign planning and long-term philanthropic growth initiatives.
• Represent the Foundation in donor-facing environments.
• Participates as a Foundation representative on Gallery committees as assigned by the CEO.
• Acts as a senior representative of the NGC Foundation at external functions as required.

Strategic Stewardship Alignment

• Partner with Patron Programs to ensure meaningful engagement for major donors.
• Align stewardship approaches with philanthropic growth objectives.
• Support recognition strategies appropriate to leadership-level investment.

QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES

• Significant progressive experience in major gifts fundraising.
• Demonstrated success securing high-value philanthropic investments.
• Experience supporting or leading capital or comprehensive campaigns.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build meaningful relationships with prospects, donors, colleagues, volunteers, staff and other partners.
• Experience leading and mentoring a fundraising team, fostering growth, performance, and success.
• Ability to work effectively with senior leadership and volunteer leaders.
• Strategic thinking combined with strong execution capability.
• Bilingualism (French and English) is an asset.
• Experience in arts and culture is valued but not required.
• Ability to work occasional weekends or evening hours.
• Occasional travel (domestic and international) is required in this position, thus a valid passport is needed.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

KCI Search + Talent has been retained to conduct this search on behalf of the National Gallery of Canada Foundation. For more information about this opportunity, please contact Sylvie Battisti, Senior Vice President, KCI Search + Talent by email at NGCF@KCITalent.com.

The hiring range for this position is $104,000 - $114,000, and a comprehensive suite of benefits is also provided.

All inquiries and applications will be held in strict confidence. Interested candidates should send resume and letter of interest to NGCF@kcitalent.com by July 10, 2026. This posting is for a current vacancy. Artificial intelligence will not be used to screen resumes or assess candidates in this search.

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