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Location and Work Environment
Toronto, Ontario, AI Forward Fundraising Lead (Hybrid see below):
You’ll regularly work in our office alongside colleagues for collaboration on individual fundraising, while also enjoying the flexibility to work from home when the noise and bustle of families, furniture, and new homes being delivered isn’t ideal for AI-driven fundraising.
Is This Role Right For You?
This Role Is NOT For You If…
❌ You prefer clear separation between technology and fundraising, rather than embracing their integration.
❌ You find it frustrating to translate technical AI concepts into donor-friendly messaging.
❌ Rapid technological advancements feel overwhelming instead of exciting.
❌ You like predictable, established workflows more than building new systems from scratch.
❌ AI seems like just another tool rather than a game-changing force in fundraising.
❌ You avoid experimentation, risk-taking, and iteration in favor of staying in your comfort zone.
❌ You prefer working alone in specialized silos rather than collaborating across teams.
❌ You struggle to balance strategy and execution, leaning too far in one direction.
❌ You focus on perfection over progress, hesitant to launch and refine as you go.
❌ You’re reluctant to share knowledge, drive adoption, and champion innovation across the organization.
Instead, This Role Is Perfect For Someone Who…
✅ You love bridging technology and fundraising to create innovative solutions.
✅ You can translate between technical and non-technical teams with ease.
✅ You see technology as a way to strengthen human connections in fundraising, not replace them.
✅ You’re excited about AI-driven social enterprise and the mission of Furniture Bank.
✅ You balance creativity with systematic thinking, finding structure in innovation.
✅ You embrace learning and feel comfortable navigating emerging technologies.
✅ You find energy in cross-departmental collaboration and problem-solving.
✅ You’re passionate about scaling individual giving to make it as impactful as other revenue streams.
✅ You value measurable impact while understanding that fundraising is ultimately about people.
✅ You’re motivated by building scalable, transformative systems for nonprofit fundraising.
Our commitment: We don’t expect perfection or expertise in every area. We’re looking for someone with the right mindset, a ability to learn, and passion for our mission of turning empty housing into furnished homes while pioneering responsible (and beneficial) AI use in the social purpose sector.
About the Role
Your Mission
As our AI Forward Fundraising Lead, you’ll be at the forefront of our digital transformation, bridging technology and fundraising to revolutionize how we engage donors and secure resources. This pioneering position involves direct collaboration with our Tech Lead and Executive Director/Fundraising Leader to develop innovative, data-driven strategies that strengthen our fundraising capabilities while advancing our organization’s digital transformation.
Key Accountabilities
Fundraising & Technology Integration (40%)
- Execute personalized donor campaign workflows using our integrated AI-augmented tech stack.
- Develop fundraising materials, including proposals, decks, and annual reports, leveraging AI-assisted storytelling tools.
- Support fundraising initiatives across individual, and corporate channels.
- Create and improve AI-driven workflows for individual donor prospecting, and stewardship.
- Implement ethical AI and data governance processes for responsible AI adoption.
Digital Fundraising Management (30%)
- Leverage multiple fundraising platforms including Salesforce, FundraiseUp, and Mailchimp
- Develop and maintain automated donor communication workflows
- Create and monitor fundraising dashboards and reports
- Ensure data integrity across integrated systems while complying with privacy and security standards.
- Document best practices and train team members on AI-enhanced fundraising strategies.
Cross-Functional Leadership (30%)
- Serve as the fundraising department’s AI and digital transformation champion
- Collaborate with all departments to share best practices
- Work within the Development team to support annual campaigns, capital campaigns and stewardship
- Contribute to organization-wide AI forward projects on a selective basis
- Managing the AI requests from all stakeholders
Required Skills & Experience
- Proficiency in CRM systems, particularly Salesforce and Notion
- Experience with leading fundraising principles and donor relations
- Understanding of AI capabilities and prompt engineering, (agent workflows a bonus!)
- Ability to translate complex data into compelling narratives
- Strong project management and cross-functional collaboration skills
- Individual donation experience and understanding of the nonprofit sector
Success Metrics
Your effectiveness in this role will be evaluated through concrete metrics including:
- Significant growth in individual donor acquisition and retention rates
- Substantial increases in individual giving revenue year-over-year
- Development of sustainable, scalable fundraising systems that leverage AI
- Creation of innovative donor journeys that maximize lifetime value
- Improvement in fundraising efficiency and effectiveness
Your Starting Tech Stack
As our AI Forward Fundraising Lead, you’ll help ensure our technology investments directly support fundraising goals and measurable outcomes. Your role bridges technical capabilities with practical fundraising applications to increase our impact and sustainability.
Core Systems
- Salesforce – Our customized CRM serves as the central hub for donor management, client services, and operational data
- Fundraise Up – AI-powered donation platform that integrates seamlessly with Salesforce
- Pllenty – Payment processing and tax receipting system with automated workflows within Salesforce
- Mailchimp – Email marketing platform connected to Salesforce for donor journeys and impact measurement
Current AI & Automation Tools
- Cassidy – Enterprise-grade platform for building AI workflows and automations (you’ll be among the first to leverage this powerful tool)
- Dial Pad – AI-augmented contact center solution that transcribes calls, tracks performance metrics, and integrates with Salesforce
- Zapier – Powers our custom integration workflows between platforms
- Typeform – Creates engaging surveys and data collection forms that flow directly into Salesforce
Collaboration & Content Creation
- Basecamp – Our primary Project and task management for coordinating across departments
- Canva – The design platform for creating compelling visual content
- Planable – Social media coordination and scheduling platform
- Scribe – Tool for creating step-by-step documentation of digital processes
As our AI Forward Fundraising Lead, you’ll help bridge the gap between technology and human-centered fundraising, creating systems that strengthen donor relationships while driving meaningful results for the communities we serve.
Compensation & Growth Opportunity
Salary Range: $55,000 – $85,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications
This position offers a competitive compensation package reflective of the unique combination of fundraising expertise and AI technology proficiency you bring to the table. We’ve designed a flexible salary range to accommodate candidates at different career stages:
- Entry level with strong AI technical skills but developing fundraising experience: Starting range
- Experienced fundraisers with growing AI capabilities: Mid to upper range
- Exceptional candidates demonstrating both fundraising expertise and advanced AI implementation skills: Up to $100,000
Succession Planning Opportunity: This role is part of our organizational succession strategy. The right candidate who demonstrates the ability to take ownership of individual giving through our AI-forward approach will have significant growth potential within Furniture Bank.
Application Process: We value your time and ours. Initial screening will include assessment of both fundraising experience and practical AI implementation skills beyond basic familiarity. Qualified candidates will be invited to an informal discussion to explore mutual fit before formal interviews begin.
Our ideal candidate bridges both worlds—AI technology and fundraising—bringing a unique skill set to help Furniture Bank pioneer new approaches in the nonprofit sector.
Why Join Furniture Bank?
Social Impact Through Innovation
At Furniture Bank, you’ll be part of an organization that’s not just talking about digital transformation but actively implementing it to increase our social impact. We’re committed to being leaders in the responsible (and beneficial) use of AI in the social purpose sector while simultaneously addressing furniture poverty through our innovative social enterprise model.
National Scale and Growth
Join an organization that’s expanding its reach across Canada. We’ve recognized furniture poverty as a national issue and are actively scaling our impact beyond the Greater Toronto Area through our partnerships with like charities across Canada who collaborate with us through the Furniture Bank Support Services (FBSS) platform. In 2023 alone, we supported 7,423 individuals across Canada through our national network, with plans to add more organizations to our platform in 2024 . As our AI Forward Fundraising Lead, you’ll be part of this exciting national growth journey as well supporting educating on best practices.
Corporate Partnerships and Social Finance
At Furniture Bank, you’ll engage with volunteers from leading companies including IKEA, CIBC, RBC, KPMG, BMO, Home Depot, Staples, Salesforce, and many others who are committed to creating social impact through active involvement . These corporate volunteering initiatives not only strengthen our operational capacity but also build lasting relationships that extend beyond traditional philanthropy. As our AI Forward Fundraising Lead, you’ll have the unique opportunity to develop and enhance these corporate engagement programs, leveraging technology to create even more impactful volunteering experiences that benefit both our mission and our corporate partners .
Environmental Leadership and ESG Impact
Contribute to significant environmental benefits through our circular economy model. Our work leads to measurable outcomes including waste reduction, pollution reduction, extending landfill life, and reducing reliance on new waste processing equipment . You’ll be helping shape a sustainable future while addressing social needs – a perfect blend of environmental and social impact that aligns with modern ESG priorities .
Collaborative Environment
Work alongside passionate professionals dedicated to turning empty housing into furnished homes. Our cross-functional approach means you’ll collaborate with teams across the organization, sharing insights and aligning efforts to maximize our impact. We value transparency, learning, and adaptation, with regular monitoring and evaluation of program performance using data and client feedback to continuously improve our services .
Measurable Impact
Be part of an organization that takes impact measurement seriously. We’ve established feedback loops for major beneficiaries to validate our impact and openly share learnings with stakeholders to make informed program changes that meet evolving community needs . Your role will directly contribute to our ability to measure, communicate, and enhance our social and environmental impact.
Is this you? Apply today!
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