Application Guide

How to Apply for Director of Development

at We Animals

🏢 About We Animals

We Animals is a Canadian nonprofit dedicated to ending animal use across industries like food, fashion, and entertainment. They focus on systemic change through impactful storytelling and advocacy, offering a mission-driven remote work culture where your fundraising efforts directly contribute to animal liberation.

About This Role

As Director of Development, you'll lead and scale We Animals' fundraising program, driving revenue through individual giving, major gifts, grants, and institutional funding. You'll shape strategy while executing day-to-day donor stewardship, campaigns, and CRM oversight, making a tangible impact on the organization's growth and mission.

💡 A Day in the Life

You might start by reviewing donor activity in the CRM, then draft a stewardship email for a major donor. Midday, you could meet with the team to refine a grant proposal, followed by analyzing campaign metrics to optimize the next appeal. The day may end with a virtual donor call or planning a new acquisition strategy.

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who We Animals Is Looking For

  • Proven experience leading fundraising programs with a focus on individual giving, major gifts, grants, and institutional funding, ideally in a nonprofit or animal advocacy context.
  • Comfortable operating at both strategic and executional levels—setting direction while personally delivering campaigns, donor communications, and reporting.
  • Deep understanding of donor retention, stewardship, segmentation, and relationship-based fundraising, with a data-driven approach to optimize donor journeys.
  • Eager to evolve fundraising tactics, test new approaches, and leverage CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) to sustain and scale fundraising efforts.

📝 Tips for Applying to We Animals

1

Tailor your resume to highlight specific fundraising results (e.g., growth in donor retention, major gift closures, grant success) with metrics.

2

In your cover letter, explicitly connect your experience to We Animals' mission of ending animal use, showing genuine passion for the cause.

3

Research their current campaigns and donor communications (e.g., newsletters, social media) to demonstrate you understand their voice and audience.

4

Mention any experience with remote fundraising teams or tools (e.g., Zoom, Slack, CRM) to show you can thrive in a distributed environment.

5

Prepare a one-page summary of how you would approach their fundraising strategy in the first 90 days, referencing their existing programs.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

["Your passion for animal rights and alignment with We Animals' mission to end animal use across all industries.", 'Specific examples of leading fundraising programs that grew revenue through individual giving, major gifts, and grants.', 'Your ability to balance strategic planning with hands-on execution, including donor stewardship and campaign delivery.', 'Your interest in evolving fundraising tactics, such as testing new donor segments or digital campaigns, and your comfort with data analysis.']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Review We Animals' website and recent campaigns (e.g., undercover investigations, reports) to understand their storytelling approach and donor appeal.
  • → Look up their financials (e.g., Charity Navigator, CRA) to see their revenue sources and growth areas.
  • → Read their blog or news section for current initiatives and language used to engage supporters.
  • → Check their social media (Instagram, Twitter) to gauge donor interaction and community tone.
Visit We Animals's Website →

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Walk us through how you would develop and execute a fundraising strategy for a remote nonprofit focused on animal advocacy.
2 Describe a time you successfully retained a major donor or turned around a declining giving program.
3 How do you prioritize between strategic planning and daily fundraising tasks when resources are limited?
4 What metrics do you use to measure donor health and campaign success, and how do you adjust tactics based on data?
5 How would you engage and steward donors who are passionate about animal rights but may have limited capacity to give?
Practice Interview Questions →

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Submitting a generic cover letter that doesn't mention animal rights or We Animals' specific mission.
  • Focusing only on strategic experience without showing willingness to handle day-to-day execution (e.g., CRM data entry, campaign emails).
  • Ignoring the remote nature of the role—failing to mention experience with remote collaboration or self-management.

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to We Animals!

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