Director, Communications & Donor Experience @ The Royal Ottawa Foundation

Opportunity has been filled!

Learn more about this exciting opportunity

Make an Impact

You will play a pivotal role in shaping the organization’s future and making a lasting impact on the lives of people living with complex and treatment-resistant mental illness.

Make History

You will be at the forefront of a critical comprehensive campaign — the largest in The Royal’s 100+ year history — working alongside the President of the Foundation and the corporate communications team at the hospital.

Strategic & Creative

You will have the opportunity to navigate complex stakeholder dynamics, think creatively, and make strategic decisions that have a tangible impact.

Director, Communications & Donor Experience @ The Royal Ottawa Foundation

Company: The Royal Ottawa Foundation

Position: Director, Communications & Donor Experience

Location: Ottawa, ON

The Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to raising funds and generating awareness to support The Royal, one of Canada’s foremost mental health care, teaching, and research hospitals. In Canada, one in four individuals are experiencing a mental illness or substance use disorder right now. Recognizing the significance of this statistic, the Royal Ottawa Foundation contributes funding to the Royal, to support the highest quality of care and research achievable. By collaborating with generous donors and fostering a strong sense of community, they play a pivotal role in improving the lives of those affected by mental illness and substance use disorders, while reducing the stigma associated with it.

Skills & Experience

Sector Experience

Communications and marketing experience for non-profits, ideally within a hospital, educational, or other complex setting

Background

You have created strategies to engage the community, utilize social and digital platforms, identify prospects, and cultivate donors

Donor Relations Expertise

Excellent communication skills and you feel comfortable presenting to customers, executives, and internal audiences.

Strong Networker

Enable effective engagement with senior-level individuals and you excel in persuasive writing for proposals, pitch decks, speeches, and donor impact reports

Progressive Leadership Experience

A proven track record in fundraising communications, brand development, and donor relations including stewardship

Strategic & Tactical

An ability to see the bigger picture with the ability to develop an actionable roadmap for you and your team to execute

Summary of the Role

As the Director of Communications and Donor Experience, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the organization’s future and making a lasting impact on the lives of people living with complex and treatment-resistant mental illness.

Directly reporting to the President of the Foundation, you will serve as a key strategic leader within the area of marketing, communications, and donor experience. In collaboration with the leadership team, you will focus on fundraising efforts, participating in the strategic planning process and development of an annual operating plan that aligns with the Foundation’s mission and objectives.

This role encompasses overseeing all aspects of the Foundation’s marketing and communications, including brand management, advertising, market research, digital, and social media initiatives. You will strategically lead the creation of public-facing strategies and campaigns with the goal in mind to raise awareness of the Foundation, cultivate and steward existing donors, and attract new supporters. You will develop differentiated donor relations strategies across various segments and fundraising products, driving growth and fostering strong relationships. Your leadership and collaborative skills will be applied as you work with multiple departments, stakeholders, and cross-functional teams to achieve the Foundation’s objectives.

As the Foundation’s primary advisor on communications, you will collaborate with hospital communications partners to proactively enhance messaging and brand presence. It is critical that while mutual interests are considered and promoted, all messaging is uniformed, however unique to the Foundation. You will refine project management, marketing, and stewardship processes to effectively streamline operations and strengthen impact. Utilizing evidence and data, you will develop key performance indicators that drive informed decision-making and demonstrate the effectiveness of marketing communications and donor relations programs. You will safeguard The Royal’s brand and visual identity while overseeing the design and production of campaigns. Your oversight of agencies, vendors, contracts, and freelance employee relationships will support effective coordination and delivery of value.

Enhancing the donor experience will be a key focus of your role. You will map donor journeys, develop donor profiles, creating impactful, highly tailored communications and engagement strategies. Working in close partnership with the fundraising team and the Campaign Cabinet, you will provide tools and resources to enable the acquisition of new donors, re-engagement of lapsed donors, and retention of existing supporters. You will build strong relationships with hospital partners and senior management to gather stories of patient experiences that showcase the excellence and unique value of The Royal and its philanthropic impact. Additionally, you will play a vital role in media training hospital partners, including social workers, patients, scientists, and other professionals. This training will equip them with the skills and confidence to effectively communicate their experiences and expertise, further enhancing the Foundation’s organization’s visibility and impact.

With an entrepreneurial spirit and growth mindset, you will uphold a culture of innovation and collaboration within the Foundation. You will motivate and encourage a high-performing team to create, develop, and achieve personal and collective goals. You will provide strategic guidance to and work collaboratively with your colleagues at the Foundation, board members, volunteers, donors, corporate partners and other stakeholders to create a culture of donor-centricity. Your knowledge, leadership, and integration of communications strategies will support fundraising efforts and reinforce commitment to transparency and donor engagement.

Opportunity has been filled!