Description Details

Volunteer Director of Fundraising and Donor Relations

Organization: Hopespyre Society Inc.
Location: Remote/hybrid, with occasional activities in Oshawa and the Durham Region
Position type: Volunteer leadership position
Time commitment: Approximately 5–8 hours per month, with additional time around campaigns and events
Term: One year, renewable by mutual agreement
Reports to: Executive Director and, where appropriate, the Board of Directors

About Hopespyre Society Inc.

Hopespyre Society Inc. is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting neurodivergent, 2SLGBTQIA+, and neuroqueer individuals. We are working to create affirming, accessible, and community-informed programs that promote mental health, personal growth, belonging, and equitable access to support.

As a developing organization, Hopespyre is seeking a committed and creative fundraising leader who can help build sustainable relationships with donors, sponsors, funders, and community partners.

Position Summary

The Volunteer Director of Fundraising and Donor Relations will provide strategic leadership for Hopespyre’s fundraising and donor-engagement activities. Working closely with the Executive Director and Board of Directors, the successful candidate will help develop fundraising strategies, identify funding opportunities, cultivate prospective supporters, and strengthen relationships with existing donors and sponsors.

This position is well suited to someone who wants to use their fundraising, communications, relationship-building, or nonprofit-development experience to support neurodivergent and queer communities.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising Strategy and Planning

• Develop and help implement an annual fundraising and donor-relations strategy aligned with Hopespyre’s mission, programs, and financial priorities.
• Establish realistic fundraising goals, timelines, performance measures, and campaign plans.
• Research individual, corporate, foundation, and community-based funding opportunities.
• Help diversify Hopespyre’s revenue through donations, sponsorships, grants, fundraising campaigns, events, and strategic partnerships.
• Collaborate with organizational leadership on fundraising budgets and revenue projections.
• Provide regular fundraising updates and recommendations to the Executive Director and Board.

Donor Cultivation and Stewardship

• Identify and cultivate prospective individual donors, sponsors, and community partners.
• Develop respectful, long-term relationships with donors and supporters.
• Create donor-recognition, appreciation, renewal, and retention strategies.
• Coordinate thank-you communications, campaign updates, impact reports, and other donor-stewardship activities.
• Maintain accurate and confidential donor and prospect records.
• Ensure donors receive timely, accurate, and meaningful information about the impact of their support.
• Respect donor preferences regarding communication, recognition, privacy, and anonymity.

Campaigns and Community Engagement

• Plan and coordinate fundraising campaigns, including digital appeals, crowdfunding initiatives, sponsorship outreach, and community fundraising activities.
• Assist with the creation of fundraising materials, sponsorship packages, donor communications, and campaign messaging.
• Work with communications volunteers or staff to promote fundraising initiatives through social media, email, the Hopespyre website, and community networks.
• Represent Hopespyre at selected community events, networking opportunities, donor meetings, and presentations.
• Help recruit and coordinate volunteers for fundraising campaigns and events when required.

Sponsorships and Partnerships

• Identify businesses, community organizations, and other prospective sponsors whose values align with Hopespyre’s mission.
• Prepare and deliver sponsorship proposals and presentations.
• Negotiate sponsorship arrangements in consultation with the Executive Director and subject to organizational approval.
• Ensure sponsorship commitments and recognition benefits are documented and fulfilled.
• Evaluate prospective partnerships for mission alignment, accessibility, reputation, and potential conflicts of interest.

Ethics, Accountability, and Compliance

• Conduct fundraising activities honestly, transparently, and in accordance with applicable Canadian and Ontario requirements.
• Follow Hopespyre’s policies concerning privacy, confidentiality, financial controls, accessibility, conflicts of interest, and donor relations.
• Ensure fundraising communications accurately describe Hopespyre’s programs, organizational status, use of funds, and ability to issue—or not issue—official charitable donation receipts.
• Never make unauthorized financial commitments, sign agreements, or promise tax receipts or specific uses of funds on behalf of Hopespyre.
• Protect confidential donor, financial, organizational, and community information.
• Support accurate documentation and internal reporting of donations, sponsorships, pledges, and fundraising expenses.
• Promote ethical fundraising practices that respect the dignity, autonomy, and lived experiences of the communities Hopespyre serves.

Qualifications

We recognize that strong candidates may bring relevant experience from employment, volunteering, education, community organizing, or lived experience. Applicants do not need to meet every qualification to be considered.

Preferred Experience and Skills

• Experience in fundraising, donor relations, nonprofit development, sponsorships, sales, communications, community engagement, or a related area.
• Strong relationship-building, networking, written communication, and presentation skills.
• Ability to develop persuasive and mission-aligned fundraising messages.
• Strong organizational, planning, and follow-through skills.
• Comfort initiating conversations with prospective donors, sponsors, and community partners.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with organizational leadership and volunteers.
• Sound judgment when handling confidential or sensitive information.
• Familiarity with donor databases, spreadsheets, email campaigns, crowdfunding platforms, or customer-relationship management systems is an asset.
• Experience with grant research or proposal development is an asset.
• Knowledge of the Ontario not-for-profit sector and ethical fundraising practices is an asset.

Values and Community Alignment

The successful candidate will:

• Demonstrate a genuine commitment to supporting neurodivergent, 2SLGBTQIA+, and neuroqueer communities.
• Approach fundraising through an anti-oppressive, trauma-informed, accessible, and community-centred lens.
• Respect diverse identities, communication styles, access needs, family structures, and lived experiences.
• Be willing to learn, receive feedback, and challenge practices that create barriers or reinforce stigma.
• Represent Hopespyre professionally, respectfully, and consistently with its mission and values.

Lived experience within the communities Hopespyre serves is valued but is not required, and applicants will never be expected to disclose personal diagnoses, identities, or health information.

What Hopespyre Offers

• A meaningful opportunity to help shape the fundraising strategy of a growing community organization.
• Leadership experience in nonprofit fundraising, donor relations, sponsorship development, and organizational growth.
• The opportunity to build relationships with funders, businesses, and community organizations.
• Collaboration with people committed to affirming neurodivergent and queer communities.
• Flexible scheduling and primarily remote participation.
• A reference or letter confirming volunteer service, subject to satisfactory performance and completion of an agreed period of service.
• Reasonable disability-related accommodations throughout the recruitment process and volunteer appointment.
• Reimbursement of reasonable, pre-approved expenses in accordance with Hopespyre’s policies and available resources.

Volunteer Nature of the Position

This is an unpaid volunteer position. It does not create an employment relationship or guarantee future paid employment. The volunteer will not be expected to personally donate funds or cover organizational expenses.

Unless the individual is separately elected or appointed to Hopespyre’s Board of Directors in accordance with the organization’s bylaws and applicable legislation, the title “Director of Fundraising and Donor Relations” refers to an operational leadership position and does not confer the legal authority, duties, or voting rights of a corporate director.

Application Process

Applicants are invited to submit:

• A résumé or summary of relevant experience;
• A brief statement describing their interest in Hopespyre’s mission and this volunteer position; and
• Any relevant examples of fundraising, donor-relations, sponsorship, communications, or community-engagement work, if available.

Applications may be submitted to holly@hopespyre.ca with the subject line “Volunteer Director of Fundraising and Donor Relations.”

Hopespyre Society Inc. welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds. We particularly encourage applications from neurodivergent, disabled, 2SLGBTQIA+, racialized, Indigenous, and otherwise underrepresented applicants.

Accommodation is available throughout the application and selection process. Applicants may request accommodations without being required to disclose a diagnosis.