Director, Principal Giving

Are you a strategic, relationship-driven fundraiser energized by unlocking transformational gifts and elevating a team’s ability to inspire visionary philanthropy?

Consider joining UNICEF Canada – one of Canada’s most respected charities – and be part of a high-impact, mission-driven team working across Canada and globally to create a better world for children.

UNICEF Canada is seeking to recruit a talented and high-performing individual in the role of Director, Principal Giving.

Position Details

Why UNICEF & UNICEF Canada?

UNICEF is the world’s farthest-reaching humanitarian organization for children. Across 190 countries and territories, and in the world’s toughest places, we provide and advocate for education, health and nutrition services. Protect children from violence and abuse. Bring clean water and sanitation to those in need. Keep them safe from climate change and disease. Serve as the world’s largest provider of vaccines. Before, during and after emergencies, we’re on the ground with life-saving help and hope. The needs of children around the world continue to increase and the role of UNICEF is more important than ever.

UNICEF Canada is one of 32 National Committees located in high-income countries around the world. Our team exists to fundraise for UNICEF’s highest priorities, and to work neutrally with governments and the private sector in Canada and internationally to advance the rights and well-being of children and youth. 

As UNICEF Canada prepares to launch a bold new Strategic Plan in 2026, a key priority will be amplifying our voice through our policy and advocacy efforts to further advance the children’s rights in Canadian laws, policies and budgets. 

Be part of this next phase of impact!

Position Description

Reporting to the Vice President, Development, the Director, Principal Giving will be a major catalyst for ambitious fundraising growth, driving results aligned with the organization’s Strategic Plan while championing a culture of philanthropy, collaboration, and innovation.

The Director will manage a focused principal gift portfolio of roughly 50 seven- and eight-figure donors across revenue channels, with a special focus on qualifying new prospects and strengthening all fundraisers’ ability to develop transformational gift strategies.

Working closely with prospect managers and in consultation with the Vice President, Development, the Director will co-create qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies that move prospects toward meaningful engagement and investment. A true team player, the Director will also both secure and steward new principal gifts and elevate the principal giving efforts of the entire Major Gifts team.

Key Accountabilities

Fundraising (70%)

• Manage a focused Principal Giving portfolio of ~50 seven- and eight-figure individuals/families and related giving vehicles, leading qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship and with a particular emphasis on engaging unqualified prospects new to UNICEF Canada.
• Build and maintain a robust donor pipeline by submitting 15–20 principal gift proposals annually and securing at least $5M in new commitments, while retaining and growing existing principal donors.
• Develop a deep understanding of UNICEF’s program priorities and use this knowledge to craft compelling, innovative proposals that inspire transformational partnerships.
• Build and expand the Principal Giving program across the Development team using relationship mapping, referrals, strategic networking, and event follow-up to drive new opportunities.
• Leverage the networks and relationships of UNICEF Canada’s Senior Management Team and global UNICEF leadership to advance donor engagement.
• Partner with the Planned Giving team to design and implement blended-gift and asset-based giving strategies for high-net-worth individuals and families.
• Participate in pipeline reviews and prospect strategy meetings to advance Individual Philanthropy’s progress on principal-level prospects.
• Build the skills and confidence of individual fundraisers – formally and informally – by offering coaching, sharing best practices, elevating philanthropic insights, and fostering a culture of continuous learning.

Strategy (30%)

• Contribute to cross-cutting Principal Giving strategy sessions with Philanthropy colleagues to strengthen alignment and long-term revenue growth.
• Enhance the effectiveness of prospect managers by advising on qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies; champion donor-centric process improvements and help remove barriers to a culture of philanthropy across UNICEF Canada.
• Implement plans supporting UNICEF’s billionaire strategy, collaborating across the Individual Philanthropy continuum and with Institutional Philanthropy; partner with UNICEF’s global Private Fundraising and Partnerships team and other National Committees to engage emerging and established billionaires with ties to Canada.
• Identify and activate opportunities through UNICEF’s International Council for high-potential donors and prospects.
• Provide insights and recommendations to the Vice President, Development on best practices for Principal Giving structures, processes, and business rules to strengthen organizational effectiveness.
• Lead on revenue reporting, financial forecasting, activity metrics, and KPI tracking relating to the transformational giving pipeline in coordination with the Director of Development (Major Gifts).
• Support the maintenance of robust business rules and best practices for Principal Giving prospect clearance, coordination, data hygiene and integrity with support from the Prospect Researcher and other data specialists.
• Contribute to organizational strategic and operational planning as an active member of the Senior Leadership Team, bringing forward insights that elevate revenue growth and philanthropic impact.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree or equivalent experience, with a professional fundraising designation recognized in Canada preferred (e.g., CFRE or equivalent).
• 8–10+ years of fundraising or relevant experience, with a proven record of success at the Principal Giving level.
• Demonstrated experience personally cultivating, soliciting, closing, and stewarding seven-figure gifts, including complex or blended gifts requiring negotiation and collaboration with institutional leaders.
• Proven ability to create multi-layered, transformational gift proposals that inspire high-level philanthropic investment.
• Skilled at building effective internal relationships, collaborating across teams, and sharing successes to strengthen organizational impact.
• Demonstrated ability to partner with executive leadership and the Board of Directors to drive fundraising strategy, support board engagement and cultivate transformational donor relationships.
• Able to work independently while being a highly engaged, team-oriented partner within a small, high-performing fundraising team.
• Deep familiarity with the broader philanthropic community, influencers, and trends.
  Experience navigating complex, multi-team environments.
• Strong organizational, time management, and attention-to-detail skills.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication, with the ability to influence and engage donors and cultivate long-term relationships.
• Solid knowledge of fundraising best practices, including donor qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Highly motivated, enthusiastic, and mission-driven, with a strong work ethic and commitment to advancing UNICEF Canada’s impact.
• Demonstrated interest in the organization’s programmatic work for children and willingness to invest time to develop deep subject-matter knowledge.
• Proficiency with CRM databases and data-informed decision-making.
  Willingness to travel domestically and occasionally internationally (approximately 10%).
• Strong alignment with UNICEF Canada’s mission, vision, and values.

An Employer of Choice: What We Offer

UNICEF Canada is where diverse talent & passion come together to create extraordinary impact for every child. We are committed to being an employer of choice and building a culture that is inclusive, ambitious, compassionate, and high impact. 

Members of the UNICEF Canada team have access to the following employee benefits:

Our Commitment to Inclusive Workplaces & Recruitment

UNICEF Canada is an inclusive workplace and is committed to championing diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage of the recruitment process.

At UNICEF Canada, we believe strongly in personal connections and our hiring process is entirely human- driven. We do not use AI or automated systems to review applications or conduct interviews. Each candidate is evaluated by our experienced team to ensure a fair and thoughtful hiring experience.

How to Apply

Please submit your resume and cover letter as one document to careers@unicef.ca by 11:59 PM EST by Friday, January 23, 2026. Please include your salary expectations in your cover email and reference Director, Principal Giving in the subject heading.

UNICEF Canada thanks all applicants for their interest in this opportunity, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Consistent with our Child Safeguarding Policy, all successful candidates must receive clearance by a police background check (including a vulnerable sector screen).