Summary
Description
Employment Type: Full time – Permanent (37.5 hours per week)
Location: Calgary, Alberta (applicant must reside in Calgary and area)
Starting Salary Range: $69,000 – $76,000 per year. The final compensation for this position will be determined based on individual factors, including education, qualifications, experience, and internal equity.
WHO WE ARE:
Since 1955, Calgary Foundation (“Foundation”) has been nurturing a healthy, vibrant, giving and caring community. As a community foundation made up of 50 staff members and 200+ committee volunteer positions, we facilitate collaborative philanthropy by making powerful connections between donors and community organizations for the long-term benefit of Calgary and area.
The Foundation is committed to equity for all people who face barriers due to any of the factors protected by human rights legislation. The Foundation is committed to Reconciliation in accordance with the recommendations of the 2015 National Truth and Reconciliation Report. Through learning, awareness raising, and skill building, we are committed to maintaining a culture where everyone can flourish. Our equity journey is intentional. Meaningful participation from all team members collaboratively and individually is expected.
OUR VALUES ARE:
Accountability – We are answerable to the community and our stakeholders for our practices and results.
Compassion – We care about people and consider individual and community wellbeing.
Excellence – We aspire to exceptional performance and are committed to best practices.
Inclusiveness – We embrace diverse knowledge, backgrounds and perspectives and encourage collaborative communities.
Integrity – We are trustworthy, honest, reliable and ethical.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR:
Reporting to the Vice President, Governance & Human Resources, you will advance the Vision and Mission of Calgary Foundation by:
Contributing to strengthening and standardizing volunteer engagement across the organization. This newly created position is responsible for leading the full volunteer lifecycle—recruitment support, selection logistics, onboarding, training, engagement, recognition, renewals and transitions/offboarding collaboratively with key staff members and Committee Chairs —so volunteers are well-prepared, equitably recruited, consistently supported, and able to contribute meaningfully to committees and program goals. By building clear processes, tools, and shared standards, the Volunteer Program Associate reduces administrative burden on staff teams, improves consistency in volunteer experience, strengthens volunteer readiness for committee work (including role-specific learning), and supports a proactive approach to terms, succession, and volunteer pathways.
WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING:
This role encompasses organization-wide coordination and continuous improvement of volunteer systems, standards, and practices across committee and program areas. The Volunteer Program Associate is responsible for:
- Creating and maintaining a volunteer program strategy aligned with organizational priorities, and annual volunteer lifecycle plan
- Co-developing and maintaining volunteer resources and a centralized “hub” for documents, training, schedules, and guidance
- Standardizing onboarding and training, including core orientation as well as committee/program-specific readiness supports
- Supporting strategic, equity-informed recruitment practices and timely applicant follow-up
- Central tracking of volunteer rosters, terms, renewals, attendance/engagement indicators, documentation status, and training participation
- Implementing consistent volunteer feedback loops (check-ins, pulse surveys, post-cycle feedback) and structured offboarding insights
- Strengthening volunteer recognition and community-building approaches to improve engagement and retention
PRIMARY OUTPUTS AND ACTIVITIES:
Volunteer Strategy, Life Cycle and Planning:
- Develops and leads a comprehensive volunteer program that identifies, prioritizes, and responds to organizational needs and opportunities—ensuring volunteers are effectively engaged, prepared, and aligned with Calgary Foundation’s priorities.
- Clarify roles and responsibilities across teams and committees for volunteer support, so work is streamlined and efficient without losing personal connection.
- Attend high-impact committee meetings as required to support consistent process and volunteer experience—balanced against feasible workload and agreed priorities.
Recruitment, Succession and Intake Support:
- Develop an equity-informed recruitment strategy that balances open access and targeted outreach for specific skills, lived experience, diverse perspectives, and future leadership pipeline needs.
- Maintain role profiles for key volunteer positions (commitment, meeting schedules, skills, expectations) to improve fit and reduce pressure created by overly flexible placements.
- Design and maintain an end-to-end volunteer lifecycle and opportunity pathways for volunteer growth, and progression.
- Coordinate selection processes (screening candidates, supporting interviews, reference checks where needed, communications), while respecting governance independence requirements (e.g., audit committee recruitment sensitivities).
Onboarding, Training and Readiness:
- Co-develop onboarding processes to leverage shared opportunities and better support role readiness, through both general Calgary Foundation information, as well as support committee/role-specific learning.
- Implement a learning and training framework and a way to track participation/completion to reduce inconsistency.
- Partner with staff and chairs to strengthen mentorship, ongoing learning opportunities and succession planning (formalize what is currently ad hoc).
Systems and Documentation:
- Establish minimum volunteer standards that clarify expectations on participation, documentation (COI/confidentiality/NDAs as applicable), and engagement norms, while allowing reasonable committee-specific flexibility.
- Create and maintain a central Volunteer Hub and document library, including templates, key policies, training assets, and committee-specific resources.
- Develop and maintain processes for volunteer record keeping: term dates, renewals, attendance/engagement indicators, placement history, training status, documentation status.
- Produce periodic dashboards for staff leads and leadership (vacancies, renewal timelines, onboarding pipeline, training completion).
Volunteer Recognition and Continuous Improvement:
- Refresh and deliver a recognition and community-building plan to increase participation and ensure volunteers feel valued (with formats that match volunteer preferences—less speech-heavy, more meaningful experiences).
- Implement feedback mechanisms (pulse surveys, annual check-ins, post-cycle feedback) and report themes to leadership for continuous improvement.
- Engage with learning and sector partners to stay current on emerging volunteerism trends and best practices, integrating this learning into Calgary Foundation’s volunteer program to strengthen standards, systems, and volunteer experience.
- Create consistent offboarding practices, including exit feedback and transition supports, to reduce knowledge loss and strengthen continuity.
WHAT WERE LOOKING FOR IN YOU:
- Post-secondary degree or diploma in a relevant field (e.g., Human Resources, Social Sciences, Nonprofit Management, Community Development, Communications, Project Management) or equivalent experience.
- Proven successful experience (5–7 years) in volunteer management, stakeholder engagement, program coordination, or a related field with complex relationships and multiple workstreams.
- Strong operational skills: systems thinking, scheduling, information management, document control, and process implementation.
- Demonstrated ability to build consistent onboarding and training supports, including role-specific readiness materials and learning pathways.
- Experience applying equity-informed practices to recruitment, engagement, and learning (including supporting bias/equity/reconciliation learning where relevant).
- Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to set clear expectations, follow up effectively, and work with diverse volunteer styles and senior volunteer leaders.
- Comfort working with digital tools and platforms used for volunteer engagement and governance (e.g., SharePoint, volunteer portals, learning hubs, committee portals such as Diligent, Foundant or similar).
- High discretion and professionalism in handling confidential information; strong understanding of governance boundaries and committee-based decision-making.
- Excellent organizational skills to manage multiple priorities, stakeholders, and timelines concurrently, with strong attention to detail.
- Desire to cultivate a learning and growth mindset, contribute to continuous improvement, and identify opportunities to strengthen volunteer experience and consistency across Calgary Foundation.
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE:
- Improved consistency and clarity in volunteer onboarding, documentation, and access to resources across committees/programs.
- Reduced staff administrative burden related to volunteer logistics, tracking, and follow-up.
- Timely recruitment and placement of volunteers, including improved response time for applicants and fewer last-minute vacancies.
- Increased volunteer preparedness and satisfaction (as measured through check-ins/surveys and qualitative feedback).
- Improved completion rates for required/recommended learning and clear visibility into training participation.
- Higher engagement in recognition/community-building opportunities (attendance and feedback).
WHY WORK AT CALGARY FOUNDATION:
You seek a career with purpose. You have a passion to build a healthy and vibrant community where everyone belongs. You thrive with challenging work and value a culture of collaboration, professionalism and mutual respect.
HOW TO APPLY:
Interested candidates are encouraged to submit, via email, a cover letter and resume combined in PDF format, by 4:00pm May 7, 2026 to Tracy Maracle, Vice President, Governance & Human Resources to email: careers@calgaryfoundation.org
In addition to salary, a comprehensive benefits package, participation in a matching RRSP program, and a hybrid work environment are also offered.
We thank all applicants for their interest, but only those selected for an interview will be contacted. For information regarding the Calgary Foundation please visit calgaryfoundation.org.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
- All applicants must be legally entitled to work in Canada at the time of the application.
- If you need accommodation during any stage of the recruitment process, please email tmaracle@calgaryfoundation.org. Information relating to the need for accommodation and accommodation measures will be addressed confidentially.
