Director, Gift & Estate Planning

About SickKids Foundation: Established in 1972, SickKids Foundation is the fundraising organization for The Hospital for Sick Children - Canada's most research-intensive hospital and the largest centre dedicated to improving children's health in the country.

The Foundation's fundraising is driven by the belief that improving the health and wellbeing of children is one of the most powerful ways to improve society.

Philanthropy is a critical source of funding for The Hospital for Sick Children. For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2009, SickKids Foundation made an investment of $64.4 million in children's health research, education and care. A direct result of community support, this is the largest investment in paediatric health care and one of the largest contributions to a hospital anywhere in Canada.

HealthyKids International, an initiative that supports the international projects of The Hospital for Sick Children, is an investment in the future health of children around the world. It is steeped in the belief that children need home-grown medical practitioners who understand their countries’ social and cultural contexts.

The shared vision of SickKids Foundation, HealthyKids International and The Hospital for Sick Children is "Healthier Children. A Better World."™

Description of the Position:

Reporting to the Vice-President, Major and Leadership Gifts, The Director of Gift and Estate Planning will provide overall management for the Foundation’s planned giving strategies and activities designed to engage, cultivate, solicit and acknowledge donors of estate and planned gifts.  The Director will also be an internal champion for the development of a greater literacy for Foundation staff about planned giving vehicles, opportunities and strategies that can be integrated into other programs.

As such, the Director will have a highly technical knowledge of planned giving vehicles including bequests, gifts of life insurance, gifts of residual interest, charitable remainder trusts, gifts of personal property, and will be familiar with the relevant tax provisions associated with planned gifts.  At the same time the Director will be a consummate relationship builder, an effective communicator, and a strong advocate for the importance of philanthropic support for the Hospital for Sick Children.

Specific duties include:

• Lead the development and implementation of an overall strategy and  annual and multi-year goals for estate and planned giving fundraising initiatives that is integrated across Foundation fundraising programs;
• Direct a team of four including two Senior Development Officers, one Estates Officer and a Development Coordinator and together with this team identify and mange planned giving donor prospects and strategies for cultivating and soliciting planned giving donors;
• Hire and manage staff positions within the Estate and Gift Planning team including recruiting, orienting, training, setting objectives, monitoring performance and encouraging professional development;
• Oversee the management of estates in progress with the support of the Estates Officer, and where necessary liaise with Estate executors, Estate advisors and family members;
• Ensure the Raiser’s Edge system is fully utilized to effectively enter, track and retrieve estate and planning information. Establish standard reporting systems for monitoring gift expectancies and realizations;
• Manage team budget and performance and measurement of team members in a way that develops talent and motivates results;
• Identify, recruit and train volunteers who can support the Foundation’s planned giving program;
• Develop networks of professional advisors (financial planners, estate lawyers, accountants, insurance industry) to encourage understanding of charitable giving methods and support for SickKids Foundation;
• Work with the Director of Stewardship and Donor Relations, develop meaningful recognition and stewardship programs for planned giving donors;
• Oversee an effective marketing campaign for planned giving that is directly associated with, and integrated into, the overall marketing strategies of the Foundation;
• Commit to ongoing professional development through reading current literature, attending professional meetings, participating in professional associations (Canadian Association of Gift Planners, Association of Fundraising Professionals) and developing working relationships with other professionals at other institutions. Collect comparative data and program information for the purposes of evaluation, benchmarking, and as a source of new ideas;
• Oversee the Donor Advised Giving Program including the identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of donors participating in the program.

Qualifications: The successful applicant must possess the following:

• A bachelor’s degree and a minimum of five years experience at a management level in the advancement field, preferably in a senior Planned Giving role;
• A proven track record in an advancement environment;
• A proven track record as a skilled manager;
• The ability to think at a high level about Hospital and Foundation priorities;
• The ability to work within a senior management team;
• The ability to think strategically and work proactively, managing competing priorities;
• Excellent donor and volunteer relations skills, with a keen sense of diplomacy;
• Superior writing and communications skills.

Available: ASAP

Position Status: Permanent, Full-time

Submit Resume and Cover Letter to:
Human Resources Department
SickKids Foundation
525 University Avenue, 14th Floor
Toronto, Ontario M5G 2L3
email: careers@sickkidsfoundation.com

For all of our career opportunities, please visit our website at www.sickkidsfoundation.com.