About The Narwhal
The Narwhal is an award-winning online magazine that publishes in-depth and investigative journalism about the natural world in Canada.
Think of us as part newsroom, part non-profit and part startup. As a non-profit, reader-funded news organization, our goal isn’t to sell advertising or to please corporate bigwigs — it’s to bring evidence-based news and analysis to the surface for our readers. We’re part of a revolution in public-interest journalism that is reinvigorating the relationship between readers and the journalists who work on their behalf — and we want you to join us.
About the role
Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Starting salary: $61,800-$73,816 FTE
Type: Permanent, full time
Start date: January 18, 2027
We’re looking for a Development Coordinator to coordinate the day-to-day operations of our fundraising program and support the 10,000+ members and donors who make The Narwhal’s journalism possible.
A natural connector with a keen eye for detail, the Coordinator keeps our fundraising program running smoothly from responding to members and maintaining accurate donor records to supporting campaigns, stewardship activities and events. Working collaboratively across teams, this role also supports major donor cultivation, grant administration, tax receipting and impact tracking.
The ideal candidate for this position is a thoughtful communicator and strong organizer who thrives in the non-profit sector and brings a donor-centric approach to their work. They are comfortable working with people, data and systems, managing multiple priorities and collaborating as part of a larger team. This is an opportunity to contribute across different areas of fund development and play an important role in growing and supporting the community behind The Narwhal.
Responsibilities
Membership and fundraising administration
- Respond to member inquiries about donations, recurring gifts and account updates
- Maintain accurate donor and membership records in our fundraising database, including merging duplicate records, importing and exporting donations, processing refunds and making manual updates as needed
- Manage payment processors and support accurate donation processing
- Check organizational mail, process cheque donations and complete bank deposits
- Support tax receipting process and maintain accurate records
- Create and maintain Salesforce campaigns, reports and dashboards
- Track fundraising and membership metrics, including donor retention and other key performance indicators
- Support fundraising campaigns through data management, reporting, analytics and post-campaign debriefs
- Coordinate day-to-day donor stewardship administration and coordinate the work of the fulfillment volunteer
- Maintain the confidentiality and accuracy of donor, financial and personal information
- Provide events support to the Audience team to execute all logistic details associated with engagement, solicitation and/or stewardship activities
- Maintain swag inventory and coordinate fulfillment requests from staff
- Respond to donor information requests from the fulfillment volunteer
- Prepare presentations and fundraising materials as required
Grants and impact tracking
- Maintain the grants database, including tracking applications, awards, reporting requirements and deadlines
- Coordinate grant documentation and administrative follow-up
- Support preparation and submission of grant applications and reports
- Maintain impact tracking systems and coordinate the collection of information needed for fundraising and reporting
Major donor stewardship support
- Maintain accurate major donor records, activities and follow-up in Salesforce
- Coordinate and track stewardship plans that ensure timely and personalized donor engagement
- Conduct prospect research and prepare information and materials to support donor cultivation
- Support the Executive Director with major donor cultivation and stewardship activities.
- Coordinate logistics for donor cultivation and stewardship events
- Support donor outreach and follow-up as needed
Required qualifications & experience
- You bring a minimum of five years of experience in fund development, non-profit fundraising or equivalent experience
- You have experience with donor stewardship and donor/member communications
- You are experienced in maintaining fundraising databases, reporting tools and donor data
- You have worked with Salesforce or a similar Customer Relationship Management software (CRM)
- You bring strong interpersonal and service skills, with the ability to communicate professionally and thoughtfully with members and donors
- You have strong written communication skills for member/donor correspondence and fundraising materials
- You are highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and timelines
- You are comfortable working with data and maintaining accurate donor and financial records
- You have experience coordinating events or activities from planning through follow up
- You can work independently and as part of a collaborative, distributed team
- You have experience supporting the preparation of grant applications and reports
- You have a diploma in marketing, communications or fundraising (asset)
- You’re involved in the Association of Donor Relations Professionals (ADRP), Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) or Canadian Association of Gift Planners (CAGP) or a similar professional organization (asset)
Working conditions
- Regular, computer-based work, including database management, reporting, research and written correspondence
- Regular communication with members, donors, colleagues and volunteers by email, phone, video conference and in-person meetings
- Manages multiple priorities and time-sensitive deadlines, particularly during fundraising campaigns, grant cycles and events
- Occasional evening or weekend work may be required for fundraising, donor stewardship and events
- Occasional travel or attendance at in-person meetings and special events may be required
- Occasional lifting, carrying and moving boxes, supplies, event materials and merchandise weighing up to 15 lbs
We offer the following benefits
- Group health, vision and dental benefits and a health spending account
- A flexible workplace with a vibrant, collaborative culture
- Work-from-home stipend or work from a shared office in Victoria
- GRSP base contributions after three months
- Four weeks of vacation per year, plus your birthday off
- 10 personal days per year
- Organization-wide holiday shutdown
- Professional development opportunities and fund
- Two-month top-up program for EI-protected leaves
When it comes to compensation, research shows wide disparities in how candidates negotiate, which is partially responsible for wage gaps between groups of people. At The Narwhal we have a transparent and competitive salary grid for our entire team. We developed this approach because we wanted to remove the guesswork around compensation and put everyone on an equal footing. The posted salary range is in line with our grid and is not negotiable.
How to apply
To apply, please submit a cover letter and résumé by 11:59 p.m. PT, Friday, October 2, 2026, at the latest. Please include your full name in the file name of any attachments you submit. In your cover letter please tell us why specifically you want to work at The Narwhal and what from your previous experience makes you a good fit for this role.
Applicants must be eligible to work in Canada. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
The Narwhal is working to build an inclusive and equitable team that reflects the communities we serve. People who identify as being from marginalized communities, including Indigenous Peoples, racialized people, people with disabilities, people identifying as 2SLGBTQ+, and people from low-income backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply. Disability-related accommodations are available for candidates taking part in our hiring process. We will ask candidates selected for an interview about any accessibility needs ahead of the scheduled interview.
What to expect
We want candidates to have a clear sense of what’s ahead and when they can expect to hear from us. Here’s our anticipated hiring timeline:
- Week of October 4: Candidates will be invited to an initial video meeting with our People operations specialist — this is an opportunity to learn a little more about each other and the role
- Week of October 18: First-round interviews will take place
- Week of November 1: Selected candidates will move forward to second-round interviews
All interviews will take place virtually. We’ll keep candidates updated throughout the process so you know where things stand and what to expect.
