Development Assistant

Department: Major Gift Advancement
Position covered by the Collective Agreement with USW Local 4120

If you are a current employee of the University of Guelph you must apply on the internal Career Page in order to be considered as an internal applicant. 
Career Opportunities (sapsf.com)

General Purpose

Alumni Affairs & Development (AA&D)’s purpose is to maximize philanthropic support for the University of Guelph’s mission of creating unique solutions for the challenges facing our world.  We achieve this purpose by building the kind of deep and sustained relationships with our donors, alumni and friends that increase awareness of, engagement with, and investment in the University of Guelph ‘s work. As a member of this campus-wide team, the Development Assistant pitomizes the department’s shared values of respect, empowerment, integrity, appreciation, and forward focus.

The University of Guelph is currently planning to launch its first fundraising campaign since 2014. The campaign aims to expand on the University’s recent fundraising growth so that AA&D becomes a team that consistently raises $ 75 M a year by 2030 (a record $ 55M was raised in FY24/25). By aligning donor passions with the university's ambitious goals, the campaign will boost revenue, elevate the university's global profile, deepen donor relationships, and create a highly developed culture of philanthropy across the University community. Institutional leaders and volunteers will be highly engaged in advocating for the university's global impact and the vital role of philanthropy in achieving this vision.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Development Assistant (DA) works to support and coordinate the major giving fundraising activities and plans of Senior Development Managers, Development Managers and Alumni Advancement Managers. The DA is an important contributor to university-wide prospect management. The incumbent contributes significantly to discussions of prospect strategy and is responsible for prospect management administration for 400 to 600 prospects, including tasks such as management of prospect clearance timelines, updates to the alumni database, preparation and manipulations of prospect lists, and the preparation and distribution of reports outlining the status of activity on prospects. The DA is expected to work closely with staff in Advancement Research to familiarize themselves with prospects for discussion and is responsible for coordinating general correspondence with prospects.

The DA creates and maintains tools to contribute to and help assess the productivity of the development function, as well as the performance of individual development managers. These tools include personalized tracking for the SDMs and major gift database data from which fundraising reports are produced. The DA is an integral contributor to the arrangement of all prospect calls, including primary responsibility for preparation in advance of the call, and assigned follow-up. The calls are key fundraising meetings designed to cultivate individuals and ultimately seek resources to support the University. The incumbent’s success in this role directly affects the overall success of the fundraising program.

Using the extensive knowledge of prospects and donors, the DA is required to customize and produce appropriate acknowledgement materials and provide support to various donor acknowledgement activities including acknowledgement letters, donor recognition events, donor reports, and internal reporting mechanisms intended to ensure that the University of Guelph acknowledges and informs its donors.

The DA is a team member of Advancement which is responsible for both the Alumni Advancement and Annual Fund, and Development functions of Alumni Affairs & Development. As such, the incumbent may be asked to perform other duties on an as needed basis such as editing and proofing documents and department or university-wide event support.

Requirements

• Two (2) year post secondary in communications, public relations, business fundraising or related field
• One (1) year of related experience, preferably in a senior administrative support level in a fundraising, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Advanced computer skills with excellent demonstrated knowledge of Microsoft spreadsheet, database, internet and word processing applications
• Self-motivated with a proven ability to work independently
• Ability to assess priorities in a demanding work environment with tight timelines and multiple origins for work assignments
• Ability to multi-task
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Highly effective written and oral communication skill
• Superior interpersonal and client service skills
• Ability to exercise good judgement, tact and diplomacy
• Problem solving and decision making

Please include a cover letter along with your resume in your application. 

Why choose the University of Guelph

• Comprehensive Extended Health Care Benefits: Immediate enrollment in extended health to cover yourself and your family
• Time off: Strong vacation allocation, floater days, and paid time off during the December closure to ensure that you are at your best
• Wellness: In addition to extensive wellness programming, the University offers a yearly flexible spending credit that can be allocated to any of the following: Health Spending, Wellness or Professional Development
• Learning & Development: Learning and development curriculum and other professional growth opportunities
• On-campus Activities: Discounts on food and apparel, fitness programming, access to networking events and team building opportunities
• Improve Life: Work that directly impacts a brighter future by turning knowledge into action

The university provides a flexible work arrangement. This position is required to be fulfilled both remotely and on-campus (Guelph Campus).

Employee Type: Regular 
Position Number: 10394049 
Classification: USW, Local 4120 Salary: Band 4  
USW Local 4120 Wage Grid

At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion is an institutional imperative. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution.

Posting Date: 08/21/2025  
Closing Date: 08/28/2025