Senior Manager – Grants & Partnership Development at Canadian Lutheran World Relief

About the role

With supervision and support from the Co-Directors of our Program Team, the person in this role will lead efforts to diversify CLWR’s institutional funding base. They will lead a major donor mapping initiative to identify and cultivate relationships with private and institutional donors across Canada like philanthropic foundations, charitable trusts, corporate donors, and various innovative financing sources. They will continually update that mapping, advise the Co-Directors on strategic funding opportunities, and collaboratively lead proposal development with The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) partners around the world.

We have a talented team of people already stewarding and growing our funding partnerships with the likes of Global Affairs Canada, Humanitarian Coalition, and Canadian Foodgrains Bank. On occasion this role will be looped in to support them as well, but the primary focus will be building partnerships with new funders like the ones mentioned above.

About the person we’re looking for

We’re looking for someone with 5-7 years of proposal development experience with a diversity of institutional funders, including private, philanthropic, and innovative finance sources. They’re familiar with the international assistance funding landscape in Canada, including new or innovative approaches (ex. blended finance, climate finance, impact investing, and so on), will have secured funding from an array of funders for international relief and development work, and will welcome the challenge of building a new funding stream that supports some incredible work around the world. They’ll need to work in English, but fluency in French or another language would be a real asset as well.

They’re skilled at building results and monitoring frameworks, complex project budgets, and donor compliance checks, but also excel as a networker, partnership builder, and effective communicator with diverse audiences. They work well in multicultural teams and are ready to offer leadership, take feedback, and grow and learn alongside others. And of course, they must be eligible to work in Canada.

Given the nature of the work and the partnerships we have around the world, we’ll need someone who’s open to occasionally working some flexible hours and to travelling up to 30 days per year internationally and domestically. Sound like you?

This will be a challenging job, but you would be well supported. The Program Team and its Co-Directors bring a wealth of experience you would lean on and learn from, and you would be plugging into an org-wide strategy that is dynamic and supported at all levels

You can apply by submitting a single PDF document including a cover letter and resume to [email protected] Closing date is December 1, 2025. Please quote “Senior Manager – Grants & Partnership Development” in the subject line of your email. We look forward to connecting with applicants shortlisted for interviews.

KEY RESPONSIBILIITES

Proposal & Program Development - 40%

• Lead the development of high-quality concept notes, proposals, and related partnership materials tailored to the interests and requirements of prospective donors in Canada and internationally
• Coordinate internal proposal development processes, including collaboration with Program Managers and partners on writing, budgeting, editing, and submission
• Support other departments in developing donor-facing content, as needed
• Post-award, ensure smooth handover of the file, including RBM framework and programmatic partnership, to a Program Manager for ongoing management
• As needed and instructed by the Co-Directors, contribute to proposal development for other donors including, but not limited to, Global Affairs Canada, Humanitarian Coalition, or Canadian Foodgrains Bank

Scoping & Strategy Development- 30%

• Lead donor mapping efforts to identify grantmaking nonprofits, private funders, philanthropic foundations, corporate CSR programs, and innovative finance mechanisms that align with CLWR’s values and funding priorities
• Develop and maintain a pipeline of target donors and funding opportunities
• Analyze sector funding trends and eligibility criteria and support Co-Directors to integrate new funding sources into CLWR’s grants acquisition strategy

Relationship Building & Representation - 20%

• Support Co-Directors to cultivate and maintain relationships with prospective donors
• Represent CLWR at donor meetings, sectoral working groups, and networking events.
• As instructed by Co-Directors, collaborate closely with CLWR fundraising colleagues to align donor outreach with organizational stewardship strategies 

Other organizational tasks - 5%

• Contribute to various initiatives as requested by Co-Directors
• Participate in team meetings, learning initiatives, and strategic planning sessions.

You can apply by submitting a single PDF document including a cover letter and resume to [email protected] Closing date is December 1, 2025. Please quote “Senior Manager – Grants & Partnership Development” in the subject line of your email. We look forward to connecting with applicants shortlisted for interviews.