Do you get excited about connecting with others and understanding what inspires them? Would you love to work with a great group of people who care as much as you? You may never have thought of working in a school, but if you get excited about supporting a mission that strives to make the world better through our youth, then Calgary French & International School (CFIS) might be right for you.
CFIS is a full French language immersion independent school, serving nearly 730 students from preschool through to Grade 12. Our approach inspires children’s unique curiosity and exploration of the world around them. The CFIS Advancement team leads fundraising, alumni relations, enrolment, communications and marketing efforts to advance the mission and vision of CFIS. We are currently looking for an experienced fundraising and alumni relations professional to join our high-performing team.
What if I don’t speak French? No problem. While the primary language of instruction at CFIS is French, we communicate to our parent community and alumni in English. Families that choose CFIS are rarely native French speakers. We celebrate the diversity of our school community including race, colour, religion, national or ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity. We welcome candidates representing the diversity of our world in our educational program, policies,
staff hiring and other school-administered programs.
Who we’re looking for:
The right person for this position is a highly motivated and experienced fundraising professional with a passion for building relationships with alumni and major donors. They should have a bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or a related field and 3-5 years of experience in fundraising, preferably in an educational or non-profit setting.
The ideal candidate should have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, be highly organized with strong attention to detail, and be able to work independently as well as part of a team. The working environment at CFIS is supportive and collaborative, with a focus on teamwork and achieving shared goals. Our team is passionate about making a difference in the lives of our students. We offer a starting salary of $72,500, a generous tuition discount of 60% and unmatched RSP benefits as part of our total compensation package — see below for more details. You’ll also have opportunities for professional development to grow your skills. If you are a fundraising professional who is passionate about building relationships, we encourage you to apply.
The successful candidate will be a collaborative, dynamic and engaging professional, who will work with the Director of Advancement to develop and execute a comprehensive and robust development program, including donations to the annual fund, building an endowment fund, and executing strategic fundraising initiatives. Applicants should be skilled at managing relationships with major donors, identifying, qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding current and prospective supporters through the philanthropy cycle.
What you’ll be responsible for:
- In partnership with the senior leadership team and your Advancement team colleagues, you will create an inspiring culture of philanthropy that provides
parents, alumni, staff and friends of the school with different ways to give and support our school community. - Identifying and implementing annual giving, fundraising events and major gift strategic planning and solicitation strategies. Developing a strategic development plan, which may include but is not limited to an annual fund, a capital campaign, special events budgets and alumni relations.
- Building and maintaining effective working relationships with internal stakeholders at all levels.
- Working with the CFIS Society Board Advancement Committee to engage Board members and observers in fundraising and friend-raising activities.
- Ensuring effective donor management throughout the donor cycle and maintenance of an accurate database of essential information, in collaboration
with the Advancement Services Associate. - Coordinating and developing a robust alumni engagement program, defining long and short-range goals and overall direction of the alumni engagement program.
- Promoting and fostering effective alumni relations through in-person, written communication and online contact with alumni on digital platforms.
- Collaborating and building strong relationships with all stakeholders to build philanthropic literacy and nurture a culture of giving.
- Planning, coordinating and evaluating all fundraising and alumni engagement events activities.
- Promoting a culture of participation and sustained engagement through an authentic partnership approach, maintaining and growing key community
partnerships. - Coordinating online giving and monthly giving platforms and appeals. Identifying potential grant opportunities to support funding priorities at the
school.
What you’ll bring to the team:
- Successful completion of a post-secondary degree in a related field and three to five years of experience in progressively responsible fundraising, preferably in an
educational environment. - Understanding of, and sensitivity to, principles of equity, diversity and inclusion.
- Strong organizational and analytical skills and creativity and imagination.
- Exceptional interpersonal/social interaction skills.
- Effective verbal and written communication skills, especially in the area of written communication and interaction with stakeholders.
- An astute listener and strategist; comfortable receiving input from many sources, and able to analyze and formulate disparate information into a sound, well-organized plan.
Benefits we offer to you:
- Annual salary starting at $72,500 (variable, depending on experience)
- 10.99% automatic company contribution to your RRSP, and an optional 10.99% employee contribution (no deposits are required by you)
- 7-hour work day; 35 hours per week
- Summer months – 7 designated days in July/August – 15 minutes/day (opt-in)
- 3 weeks of vacation annually, plus 3 weeks leave when the school is closed at Christmas (two weeks) and March Break (one week, typically the last week of
March) flexible/remote work option, up to 2 days per week - Extended Health Insurance, Dental Insurance, Life Insurance, Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance, Employee & Family Assistance Plan
(EFAP), and Health Spending Account – premiums paid 100% by CFIS - 60% Tuition Fee Reduction for any children enrolled at our school (no French is required for entry in preschool to Grade 2).
Application Process:
If this position sounds like the perfect fit for you, please submit your cover letter and resume to Apply Now.
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single
qualification. At CFIS we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway with a cover letter and resume describing why you are a great fit and to help us learn more about you. You may be just the right candidate!
We thank all applicants in advance for their submission
