Manager, Annual Giving

The Dartmouth General Hospital Foundation (DGHF) is the philanthropic heart of Dartmouth General Hospital. It connects donors, families, businesses, and community partners to the healthcare that matters most in their own backyard. Every gift raised through the Foundation stays here, supporting patient care, medical equipment, and programs that allow the hospital to deliver better outcomes for the people of Dartmouth and surrounding communities.

The Foundation is growing. With a clear plan to strengthen annual giving, DGHF is investing in the people and programs that turn first-time donors into lifelong supporters. This role is central to that investment.

On behalf of DGHF, we are seeking an Annual Giving Manager who believes every gift matters, no matter the size. Someone who brings a storyteller's instincts, a love of building relationships, and the discipline to keep annual giving moving all year.

About Dartmouth General Hospital Foundation

Dartmouth is a fast-growing, deeply connected community known as the City of Lakes, a place where people put down roots, support local, and take pride in where they live. The hospital and its Foundation are cornerstones of that community, helping ensure access to modern, compassionate healthcare close to home.

DGHF is a small team that works closely together. Everyone pitches in, and everyone cares about the numbers because the numbers mean better care for patients.

Right now, annual giving is growing, and the foundation is ready to invest in it. This role’s focus will be on growing monthly giving, bringing direct response, digital, and events together, and building a pipeline from annual giving to mid-level giving and beyond.

Why This Role Matters:

The Annual Giving Manager is a new manager-level role, created to give annual giving the focus and leadership it needs to grow. The role reports to the Senior Manager, Donor Engagement, and leads a team of two.

Key priorities for the role include:

• Growing monthly giving by acquiring, converting, upgrading, and retaining monthly donors
• Leading the holiday and spring integrated direct response appeals
• Building DGHF's email and digital fundraising program
• Developing mid-level giving for donors giving $1,000 to $24,999
• Growing employee giving at the hospital, including the staff lottery and payroll deduction
• Leading the events team and integrating events into the annual giving program

The ideal candidate brings a track record in annual giving, experience leading staff, and a strong belief in the value of every donor.

Your Core Responsibilities

Annual Giving Strategy & Execution

• Build an annual giving plan that maps your yearly goal month by month, and track progress against it
• Lead the monthly giving program, including acquisition, conversion, upgrades, and retention
• Coordinate the holiday and spring integrated direct response appeals in partnership with our agency, including story sourcing, internal approvals, and timeline management
• Build DGHF's email and digital fundraising program
• Develop mid-level giving, including giving circles or a donor club that could build on the existing Fraser Conrad Society
• Grow employee giving, including the staff lottery and payroll deductions
• Explore new ways to acquire monthly donors, including a possible face-to-face pilot

Team Leadership

• Manage and coach the Corporate Event & Partnership Officer, who leads sponsorship, corporate partnerships, and third-party fundraising
• Manage and coach the Special Events Coordinator, who leads planning and logistics for DGHF's signature events
• Support KPI development, hold regular check-ins, and complete annual performance reviews

Systems, Data & Reporting

• Work hands-on in Raiser's Edge to run queries, build dashboards, and monitor monthly giving, including expiring credit cards
• Work with finance to follow up on payroll deductions and unpaid pledges
• Develop and manage the annual giving budget
• Track and report on results by channel
• Manage vendor relationships, including consultants, mail houses, printers, and Canada Post

Relationship & Partnership Development

• Build relationships across the hospital to find stories and giving opportunities
• Work with the stewardship team on the annual giving donor experience
• Coordinate with major gifts on prospect clearance and moving donors to higher levels of giving
• Work with communications on appeals and digital content
• Represent the Foundation at events and in the community

Requirements

What Will Set You Up for Success:

The ideal candidate will:

• Be a performance-driven fundraiser who maps out a plan to reach their goals and tracks progress against it
• Believe every gift matters, and treat donors at every level with the same care
• Build relationships proactively across the Foundation, the hospital, and the community
• Bring strong planning discipline, and keep campaigns on schedule, especially around integrated direct response
• Balance big-picture planning with hands-on execution
• Lead staff with clear expectations and consistent support
• Be motivated by impact, and connect what the numbers mean to patients and families

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of progressive fundraising experience, with a focus on annual giving
• Demonstrated success growing an annual giving program
• Experience across multiple annual giving streams, including direct mail, monthly giving, and mid-level giving
• Hands-on experience with donor database management, ideally Raiser's Edge
• Experience supervising staff
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Post-secondary education or equivalent professional experience
• Digital and face-to-face fundraising experience is an asset
• Healthcare sector experience is welcome but not required

Benefits

Work Environment & Compensation:

• Annual base salary, depending on experience and qualifications, of $75,000 to $85,000
• Health and Dental Benefits
• Wellness Allowance ($500.00)
• Defined Benefit Pension Plan (Mandatory)
• 3 weeks of vacation time

About the Hiring Process:

This search is being led by Kittiwake in partnership with DGHF. We believe a thoughtful process leads to the right fit for both the candidate and the organization. Our process includes the following steps:

1. Virtual Pre-Screen: A virtual conversation with Mackenzie Darbyshire to learn more about your experience, interests, and alignment with the foundation.
2. In-Person Interview (1st Round): Selected candidates will be invited to an in-person interview with leaders from the Dartmouth General Hospital Foundation, focused on skills, experience, and values alignment.
3. In-Person Interview (2nd Round): Successful first-round candidates will be invited to complete a short activity ahead of an in-person interview to further solidify overall fit and values alignment.
4. Final Meeting: A final conversation with Stephen Harding, CEO of DGHF, offering an opportunity to connect, ask questions, and ensure mutual alignment.