Chief Advancement Officer

Evergreen 

Chief Advancement Officer 

The sacred lands upon which Evergreen operates—and the built communities and cities across the country—are the traditional territories, homelands and nunangat of the respective First Nations, Métis Nations and Inuit who are the long-time stewards of these lands. These are occupied lands and subject to inherent rights, covenants, treaties, and self-government agreements to peaceably share and care for the lands and resources across Turtle Island. These regions are still home to diverse Indigenous peoples and we are grateful to have the opportunity to live and work on these lands. 

Evergreen is a national non-profit organization dedicated to transforming the vitality of urban areas through better public spaces. Their mission revolves around cultivating cities that prioritize low carbon emissions, inclusivity, and sustainability at their very core. With nearly 35 years of leadership in urban sustainability, Evergreen has significantly contributed to the improvement of Canadian cities, working with community builders across sectors to solve some of the most pressing issues cities face: climate change, housing affordability, and access to nature and public spaces. 

Evergreen leads transformative change by actively engaging with local communities and rolling up their sleeves to build places from the ground up. Their headquarters—Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto—serves as a flagship site exemplifying sustainable practices, inclusive programming, and the crucial connection between the built and natural environment.  

Through Evergreen’s hands-on efforts and innovative mindset, they continue to be at the forefront of building a better, more sustainable future for all. It is within this context that Evergreen invites nominations and applications for the role of Chief Advancement Officer, a position that will have an indelible impact on the future of the organization. 

The Chief Advancement Officer—reporting directly to the CEO— will undertake the responsibility of overseeing two essential departments: Development (fundraising), and Marketing & Communications. Each of these departments assumes a critical role in not only generating revenue but also effectively communicating Evergreen’s story of impact and innovation. The ideal candidate will demonstrate the capacity to increase revenue generation through a strong network and community connections while adopting a focused approach that aligns marketing and communications with fundraising efforts.  Some areas that align most closely are; active leadership in corporate, foundation, government, or major gift fundraising. along with a deep knowledge of mass fundraising and capital campaigns. 

This role presents an excellent opportunity for an experienced leader who can harness their abilities in community engagement, fundraising, and partnership development to support an organization and a movement dedicated to enhancing public spaces nationwide. The incumbent will be a strategic leader and decision maker who believes in the potential of public spaces and the promise of more environmentally friendly cities. The successful candidate should also be a collaborative leader who recognizes the significance of fostering trust-based relationships within the community and among partners, as well as building and motivating a high-performing team. 

Qualifications 

Among the qualifications being sought in candidates, the incoming leader must have a deep and abiding commitment to advancing reconciliation, equity, diversity, and inclusion in all its forms and must believe, intrinsically, in the importance of leading with curiosity and welcoming ideas that can later be synthesized and turned into possibility. While all candidates are encouraged to apply and, in so doing, share how they see themselves adding value to the Evergreen environment, the following credentials and/or experiences are seen as possible markers of the candidates most likely to realize success in the role: A) post-secondary education or relevant work experience; B) 10+ years in an organizational leadership position with a track record of building large-scale (6 and 7 figures), multi-year funding relationships; C) experience developing dynamic and sustainable fundraising, marketing and advocacy strategies, and; D) a proven collaborator, with a demonstrated ability to work at an executive level with board members, senior volunteers, major donors and partners. 

How to Apply 

Evergreen is committed to creating a place where employees, volunteers, partners and visitors of any background, age, religion, race, gender, gender identity and expression, physical ability or sexual orientation are included; a place where one can be their whole self, and where that whole self feels celebrated. Evergreen believes cities of the present and future are for everyone. Evergreen will continuously strive to be a stronger ally to diverse communities, to do more, and to learn and grow. 

Evergreen is partnering with BIPOC Executive Search to ensure an applicant list that is diverse and is as intersectional as possible. All interested applicants can send their résumé to Melissa Sumnauth by e-mailing msumnauth@bipocsearch.com, or can apply through the BIPOC Executive Search mobile app. 

In accordance with the AODA Act, for applicants living with a disability accommodation will be provided throughout the search process. Should accommodations be required, please make Melissa Sumnauth aware by using the above address.  

The salary for the role of Chief Advancement Officer will be approximately $160,000, depending on experience.   

We thank everyone for their expression of interest—and are truly appreciative of the time individuals put into applying—but with the limitations of time only those selected for an interview will be contacted.