Philanthropy & Communications Officer

Overview

The Mel Jr. & Marty Zajac Foundation is a not-for-profit organization, located in Vancouver, BC, whose mandate is to support children, seniors, and those with special needs through innovative community projects focused on developing lifelong skills and independence. Our current major focus is Zajac Ranch, a camp in Mission, BC, for children/young adults with chronic, life-threatening, and/or debilitating conditions.

Reports To:

Director of Operations
Direct Reports:
None

Location:

Vancouver Office

The Philanthropy & Communications Officer plays a critical role in advancing the Foundation’s mission by securing philanthropic support and strengthening donor and community engagement through clear, compelling communications.

This role is responsible for:

• Grant writing and institutional fundraising
• Managing and stewarding a portfolio of annual and mid-level donors ($10,000 and under)
• Supporting Foundation-wide communications, including newsletters, reports, digital content, and campaigns

The successful candidate is both detail-oriented and relationship-driven, able to balance deadlines, donor stewardship, storytelling, and collaboration across departments.

This is an exciting opportunity for a fundraising professional who thrives in a hands-on environment and wants to see the direct impact of their work. You will work closely with internal teams to identify funding needs, research and secure grants, steward donors, and ensure timely, meaningful communication with supporters. In addition to philanthropy responsibilities, the PCO supports the Foundation’s communications strategy, working collaboratively with the Marketing Manager and Director of Operations on newsletters, annual reports, campaigns, and digital engagement.

• A strong, confident writer who can turn program details and data into compelling funding proposals and donor communications?
• Highly organized and deadline-driven, with the ability to manage multiple grants, donors, and reporting timelines simultaneously?
• Comfortable building relationships with donors, funders, and partners, and guiding them along a thoughtful stewardship journey?
• Energized by both strategy and execution — equally happy planning a campaign and sending the thank-you note?
• Detail-oriented with systems, CRM tools, and tracking — but always focused on the human impact behind the data?
• Passionate about working in a mission-driven, child-focused organization where your work directly supports life-changing experiences?

If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you.

Philanthropy & Development

• Write clear, concise, and compelling grant proposals, letters of inquiry, and funding applications that effectively communicate the Foundation’s mission, programs, and impact.
• Research and identify funding opportunities from foundations, corporations, government agencies, and other institutional funders.
• Collaborate with Directors, finance staff, and program teams to gather information required for grant submissions.
• Tailor proposals to funder priorities, guidelines, and evaluation criteria.
• Manage grant timelines and submission deadlines to ensure timely and complete applications.
• Maintain accurate records of all grant activity, including submission dates, funding amounts, reporting requirements, and outcomes.
• Coordinate grant compliance and reporting, including interim and final reports.
• Gather data, stories, outcomes, and metrics from program staff to demonstrate impact to funders.
• Cultivate and steward relationships with institutional funders and individual donors.
• Actively manage a portfolio of annual and mid-level donors, including individuals and corporate partners.
• Implement a moves-management approach to encourage donor retention, upgrades, and multi-year commitments.
• Ensure all restricted funds are allocated and used in accordance with grant and donor guidelines.
• Stay current on funding trends and opportunities relevant to the Foundation’s mission.

Donor Administration & Systems

• Utilize Raiser’s Edge/NXT to accurately record all donor interactions, gifts, communications, and actions.
• Process and approve recurring monthly donations.
• Generate…