Senior Development Officer, Major Gifts Canada

About us

Rainbow Railroad was founded in 2006 to provide an additional solution to address the global refugee crisis, to which LGBTQI persons are uniquely vulnerable. Rainbow Railroad’s mission is to help persecuted LGBTQI individuals get to safety as they seek a safe-haven from state-enabled harassment and violence. Rainbow Railroad provides support to LGBTQI individuals seeking safety with airfare and financial support that facilitates departure, travel, arrival, and referral for settlement. Beyond direct financial assistance, Rainbow Railroad provides information, resources, and advice for asylum claimants. 

Rainbow Railroad is a registered Canadian charity and a USA 501(c)(3) organization with its headquarters in Toronto, Canada and an office in New York City, USA.

The Role 

Rainbow Railroad is seeking a skilled major gifts specialist with a wide range of expertise who is passionate about LGBTQI rights and who can enthusiastically join our team to increase and diversify our donor base. This person will play a key role in the management and growth of a rapidly growing major gifts program, helping to achieve strategic objectives and revenue goals for the organization. This role will work with donors in both Canada and the United States, and regular travel throughout North America is required.

Duties & Responsibilities

Major Gift Fundraising

• Constantly liaise with & meet with donors, continuously engage with senior volunteers and ambassadors, and proactively identify new opportunities for growth of Rainbow Railroad’s program in Canada and the USA
• Develop, create, and manage a pipeline of 100 donors at the $5,000-$100,000 level in both Canada and the United States
• Develop long-term cultivation and pipeline management strategies for Rainbow Railroad’s supporters to inspire growth in donor commitment through research, data mining and analysis, relationship-building, and use of ambassador networks
• Support the Chief Development Officer & CEO in their fundraising activities by preparing briefs, messaging, reports, and then call notes for follow-up 

Volunteer & Event Management

• With the support of the Chief Development Officer co-lead on the organization’s fundraising committee and “All Aboard” ambassador program to build a network of supporters and executive-level volunteers for Rainbow Railroad
• Assist senior volunteers in the identification, solicitation, and stewardship of prospects
• Organize cultivation and stewardship events with volunteers, ambassadors, and other staff to introduce new prospects to Rainbow Railroad 

Strategic Planning & Growth

• Support in the development and growth of the organization’s early stage Planned Giving program through messaging development, prospect identification and solicitation
• Support in the creation, development, and execution of the organization’s next fundraising strategic plan
• As a subject matter expert, support the entire development & management team in navigation of the Canadian fundraising landscape
• Utilize Rainbow Railroad’s expanding advocacy and programmatic efforts to increase support and interest in our work

Qualifications

• 4-6 years’ related experience in a fundraising management role with experience in Canada’s giving landscape
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field, or relevant combination of skills and expertise
• Demonstrated success in major gifts at the $25,000+ level
• Excellent volunteer management ability, with experience directly managing a board or committee a strong asset
• Experience in developing donor-facing communications, fund applications, case writing and impact reports
• Excellence in stewardship, which makes our donors feel celebrated with mass-communication celebrations, individualized stewardship plans, donor recognition activities and customized approaches
• Flexible to grow alongside a rapidly growing philanthropic program across North America
• Experienced in a variety of software programming including CRM software (Salesforce an asset), G-Suite, Zoom, Wordpress and others
• Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) an asset
• Deep enthusiasm for Rainbow Railroad’s mission and vision is an absolute must

Application Deadline – December 15, 2025

Length of Contract – Full-Time, Permanent

Hiring Salary – $75,000 plus benefits

Application Process- Please make sure to submit your application to the portal link here in Collage

We thank all applicants for their interest in this position however we will only be contacting those selected for next steps. 

Rainbow Railroad is dedicated to building an organization that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. This includes diversity in languages spoken, culture, race, sexual orientation and gender identity.

Requests for accommodation due to disability can be made at any stage in the recruitment process, please reach out to  hire@rainbowrailroad.org for any questions