Description

The Opportunity

Campfire Circle is seeking a collaborative leader and engaged, data-driven fundraising professional to serve as our new Director, Donor Experience and Insights. This is a pivotal leadership role at the centre of fundraising operations and donor engagement strategy who will help shape how data, systems, insights, and stewardship come together to drive meaningful, donor-centred impact.

The Director will oversee fundraising operations and database management; gift processing; donor stewardship and recognition; prospect research and pipeline management; analytics and reporting. This role does not require deep technical expertise in each functional area, but rather a leader who can bring a systems-level perspective ensuring teams and functions are aligned, integrated, and working together to advance Campfire Circle’s objectives and priorities. 

Reporting to the Chief Development Officer and serving as a member of the development leadership team, the Director will drive the creation and execution of integrated fundraising operations; business intelligence; and donor experience strategies aligned with organizational priorities and values. This role will ensure fundraising performance is clearly understood, effectively communicated, and leveraged to inform strategic decision-making. 

An exceptional team leader, the incumbent will guide and coach a team of subject matter experts, and will foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. This includes oversight of budget and resource allocation, talent development, and the creation of a positive and inclusive workplace culture.

This position is hybrid, working from our Toronto office two to three times per week in an open concept working environment. Occasional evening and weekend commitments will be required. In consideration of the population Campfire Circle serves, the incumbent must be a non-smoker.

About Campfire Circle

Since 1983, Campfire Circle (formerly Camp Ooch & Camp Trillium) has brought healing through happiness to kids with cancer or serious illness and their families—at no cost to them. 

OVERNIGHT CAMP 

Campfire Circle offers an opportunity no one else can: medically accessible, overnight camps with no financial barriers. Muskoka is the only camp in Canada that can provide IV chemotherapy and blood transfusions, while Rainbow Lake hosts family camps, fostering healing and connection with onsite medical support. 

IN-HOSPITAL PROGRAMS 

Campfire Circle plays a key role in Ontario’s paediatric healthcare system, providing play-based programming, combatting isolation, supporting frontline healthcare teams, and ensuring equitable access for kids too sick to go home.

Help Bring Back the Joy of Childhood

Since 1983, Campfire Circle has delivered healing through happiness to thousands of kids with cancer or serious illness and their families across Ontario. Our programs are offered in paediatric hospitals across Ontario and at our medically supported overnight camps, offering year-round experiences that build social and emotional skills, develop self-confidence and resiliency, and improve overall well-being.

Childhood isn’t supposed to be spent in a hospital, undergoing painful treatments, and missing out on childhood experiences. But for more than 40,000 children with serious illness and their families across Ontario, this is the reality. That’s where Campfire Circle comes in. We meet kids where they are, bringing moments of laughter, joy, and friendship when they need it most. Demand for our programs is growing year over year, and our overnight camps are already at full capacity. Our healthcare partners are calling on us to extend our support far beyond hospital walls—ensuring kids have continuous, compassionate care throughout their healthcare journey. 

That’s why we have a bold vision: to grow from serving 3,000 campers a year to 10,000. We’re building a passionate, talented team to help make that vision a reality. When you join Campfire Circle, you become an integral part of a dynamic team helping to transform the lives of thousands of kids with serious illness, alongside our dedicated community of volunteers and donors. 

Beeps to Peeps

At Campfire Circle, kids with cancer or serious illness can feel like kids again. Watch this new video to learn more about how you are helping Campfire Circle bring joy and laughter to kids and families who need it most https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOBLyXu5WDY.

In-Hospital Programs

We are proud to work with leading pediatric healthcare partners across Ontario to bring our camp-inspired experiences to children receiving treatment in hospitals, often at their bedside, all year round. Our Program Specialists provide thousands of daily one-on-one bedside, group, or in-clinic camp-inspired experiences for newly diagnosed families, kids on active treatment, or during palliative care. These play-based sessions bring normalcy and connection to kids and caregivers during their time in the hospital. Our programs are offered at: The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), McMaster Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), Southlake Regional Health Centre, and Credit Valley Hospital, along with other satellite centers throughout the province, all delivered at no cost to patients or hospital partners. 

And our medically supported overnight camps ensure that even the most fragile children can experience the joy and freedom that comes from being at camp. 

Overnight Camp Programs 

Campfire Circle offers an opportunity no one else can: medically accessible, overnight camps with no financial barriers for kids with complex needs. Kids, teens, siblings, and parents can attend everything from family camp to teen camps, to camper-only experiences. Our Muskoka site is the only camp in Canada equipped with IV chemotherapy, blood transfusions, and dialysis so kids can attend even while undergoing active treatment. Our Rainbow Lake site hosts family camp so the whole family can benefit. Both sites host Weekends at Camp (WACs) all year round so campers and families can stay connected.

We believe that every child deserves to laugh, play, create memories and make lasting friendships. That’s why when Camp Ooch and Camp Trillium merged in 2020 and became Campfire Circle, we expanded our mission to serve children with other life-impacting illnesses. 

Land Acknowledgement 

Campfire Circle acknowledges that we operate on the traditional territory of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples, and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

On this land, we are grateful to share the magic of camp with children and families, and we endeavour to create a community of joy, hope and healing. Acknowledging the land that we occupy is just one small step on the path towards Truth and Reconciliation.

Additional Information

• The Story of Campfire Circle
• Our Model
• Our Stories
• 2024-2025 Impact/Gratitude Reports 
• 2024 Annual Report
• 2024 Financial Statements
• Board of Directors, Leadership and Medical Advisory Committee 

Key Responsibilities

Leadership and Planning

• Lead the development of all fundraising operations and donor experience functions for the organization. 
• Develop, execute and evaluate the Donor Experience business plans and performance goals aligned with the organization’s overall strategy and values.
• Act as an active member of the Development leadership team contributing expertise and thought partnership to colleagues across functions, supporting integrated planning and organizational effectiveness.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive business intelligence strategy to support fundraising and inform future strategy in collaboration with Development, Marketing and Communications, and Information Technology.
• Lead the budget management and resource allocation of the Donor Experience team.
• Collaborate across the Donor Experience department and the organization to implement information systems, infrastructure, policies and operational procedures to support best practice in donor relationship management, insights, and analytics.
• Provide oversight and direction to staff in accordance with the department’s strategic planning and annual objectives. Develop clear and concise guidelines to identify group projects and how to track progress.
• Manage weekly/biweekly team meetings, identify areas of focus, and develop agendas, assign and follow-up on responsibilities and duties.
• Supervise, coach, mentor the Senior Manager, Prospect Research; Senior Manager, Data Management and Insights; Manager, Donor Experience and Event, Manager, Gift Processing. 
• In collaboration with Human Resources, support recruitment and selection of new hires, and provide onboarding, career development planning, and ongoing training opportunities to support employee growth.
• Manage staff performance and development through regular check-ins, documenting achievements and areas for improvement, and leading the annual goal setting and performance review process.
• Foster strong employee relations within and beyond the Donor Experience department to promote a positive and collaborative workplace culture.
• Develop and promote a healthy and safe work environment and overall wellness culture.

Fundraising Insights and Research

• Accountable for pipeline development and strategy by leveraging data-driven reports and analytics to identify trends, assess performance, and inform strategic decisions that strengthen donor acquisition, retention, and long-term engagement.
• Oversee the development of reports and mechanisms to track moves management and fundraising KPIs.
• Monitor and evaluate fundraising performance, preparing comprehensive reports for the leadership team, committees, and Board of Directors to support strategic oversight and decision-making.
• Support donor lead generation through gift analysis and collaborative research, strengthening the donor pipeline by identifying opportunities to upgrade and convert existing and lapsed donors.

Operations and Database Management

• Accountable for the optimization and management of the database (Raisers’ Edge) and fundraising systems (Engaging Networks, Race Roster, other giving platforms) including architecture, processes, procedures, data integrity, data integration and security in collaboration with Information Technology. 
• Establish and maintain processes and procedures to ensure data integrity, security and compliance with regulations in collaboration with Information Technology and Finance.
• Enhance fundraising operations to improve efficiency and quality while staying at the forefront of industry trends and technologies.
• Lead the Donor Experience team to develop, export, segment and clean stakeholder lists and custom reports, including importing and aggregating data from various sources.
• Work with vendors and external project leads to deploy new solutions and updates in collaboration with Information Technology.
• Oversee training of Development team and other key team members on fundraising operation procedures, technology and policies.  
• Oversee gift processing and certain financial controls, reports related to audit, as approved by the CFO in accordance with CRA guidelines.
• Identify opportunities to innovate gift processing procedures, business rules to improve efficiencies, quality and ease of completion.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by their supervisor or their designate.

Stewardship and Recognition

• Lead the development, implementation, and evaluation of the donor stewardship and recognition strategy for donors at all levels, ensuring they are meaningfully engaged and informed about the impact of their giving.
• Oversee the donor stewardship and recognition infrastructure and initiatives that support quality, timely and efficient fulfillment of stewardship activities
• Develop donor segmentation models to effectively track, communicate with and upgrade donors and other stakeholder groups across fundraising channels, in collaboration with Marketing and Communications.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

KCI Search + Talent has been retained to conduct this search on behalf of Campfire Circle. For more information about this opportunity, please contact Ellie Rusonik, Senior Vice President/Practice Lead, KCI Search + Talent by email at CCDirector@kcitalent.com. 

All inquiries and applications will be held in strict confidence. Interested candidates should send resume and letter of interest to the email address listed above by May 29, 2026.

To view the full position brief, visit: www.kcitalent.com 

This position offers a competitive annual salary range of $100,000 to $125,000. Campfire Circle is invested in our staff’s health, wellness and career growth. As part of the total compensation package for this role, we offer a comprehensive benefits package, including $4,000 annually for mental health practitioners (premiums fully paid by the organization with the exception of Long Term Disability), a wellness benefit up to $500 annually, an accelerated RRSP matching program up to 5% of base salary, paid vacation time plus a paid winter shutdown period up to eight days, flexible hybrid work arrangements, on-going professional development, and the opportunity for paid participation at Camp programs. 

Campfire Circle is deeply committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the rich diversity of the communities we serve. We welcome applications from racialized persons/persons of colour, Indigenous People from North America and around the world, persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, and those who bring diverse perspectives and experiences. Our commitment is to provide equitable employment opportunities to all and to maintain a work environment free from discrimination and harassment.

We are equally committed to providing an inclusive and accessible workplace. Applicants requiring accommodations to access our job postings and apply for roles with our organization are invited to reach out to the Search Consultant at the email address above or in a manner that fits their accessibility needs, and can trust that their application will be considered equitably for our available roles. More information about our accessibility commitments can be found at https://campfirecircle.org/about-campfire-circle/accessibility-at-campfire-circle.

Requirements

Qualifications and Experience 

• Experience in fundraising operations and donor experience. 
• Experience in people management and building successful teams that support cross-functional teams/departments.
• Strong administrative and problem-solving skills with the ability to translate vision and strategy into tactics and actions.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate, prioritize, and advance initiatives involving multiple inputs and stakeholders and competing priorities
• Proven experience in both fundraising operations and designing and delivering donor-centric fundraising programs.
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills with the ability to communicate to diverse audiences. 
• Proven experience in reporting, database management and analytics with Raiser’s Edge or other fundraising databases. 
• Demonstrated experience managing complex projects and change initiatives with excellent project management, organization, change management implementation and budgeting abilities. 
• Direct experience managing prospect research and pipeline management.
• Skilled in managing donor stewardship and recognition programs.
• Experience conceptualizing, organizing, and executing fundraising, cultivation, and stewardship event activities.
• Strong project leadership skills, with the ability to coordinate multiple moving parts, manage competing priorities, and deliver results
• Proficiency with SQL, relational database modeling, database applications and integrations tools, client/server solutions (i.e. Power BI, Engaging Networks, Raiser’s Edge & SmartSync).
• Strong knowledge and experience of donation management tools, project management, and email management tools.
• Knowledge and experience in developing and managing budgets and business plans, with the ability to initiate, analyze, monitor, evaluate, and adapt strategic business plans.
• Experience with gift processing process, CRA policies, monthly and yearly reconciliation to support financial audits.
• Highly motivated, proactive and persistent, understanding how to work collaboratively with individuals and teams in a complex environment.
• Experience developing and delivering effective training to stakeholders of all learning styles.
• Excellent proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
• Post-secondary education or equivalent combination of education and work experience
• Current police reference check with vulnerable sector screening.
• Current driver’s license with the ability to be covered by camp’s insurance policy.

Assets:

• Experience with Race Roster, CampSite and Microsoft PowerBI software.
• CRFE designation.
• An understanding of the power of camp.
• Demonstrated commitment to volunteerism or volunteer sector.