Fundraising Copywriter

Position: Fundraising Copywriter
Type of Role: Full time, remote
Reports To: Director, Donor Communications & Creative
Salary Range: $60,000 – $75,000 CAD annually

About The Company

BuildGood is a fundraising growth agency. We help nonprofits change the way they find new donors, retain them longer, and grow lifetime value, building a system that creates moments of generosity from first-time giver to legacy leaver.

Our approach is rooted in understanding why people give. Generosity grows when people feel motivated—when giving supports their identity, creates a sense of connection, and makes supporters feel competent and effective in their giving. We design fundraising systems around building donor motivation and leading first-time donors to become lifelong supporters.

We partner with nonprofits across North America to grow durable revenue, from donor acquisition and direct mail to digital fundraising, retention, and mid-level giving. Our work blends brand and direct response.

We’re a growing, research-informed fundraising agency with a clear point of view and big ambitions—and you can help shape what comes next.

Is this job for you?

Do you love writing? Not the idea of writing, but the actual daily discipline of it? Do you obsess over great copy in the wild, from emails, to ads, to direct mail to books?

Do you believe AI is a multiplier for great writers, not a replacement for them—and are you already using it that way?

Then this job might be for you.

You’ll thrive in this job if:

You’re curious about why people give, and want to use that curiosity to make every piece you writer sharper than the last
You’re okay sitting down, day after day, putting your head down and your fingers to keys to become the very best at your craft and lead more people toward greater generosity
You’re comfortable letting go: of your first draft, of your favourite line, of the version you loved before the client weighed in
You take the work seriously, but not so seriously that feedback feels like a personal attack
You see AI as a force multiplier and a writing assistant to create high-impact tailored copy, not as a shortcut to save time and emotional labour

If you think the key to great fundraising copywriting is to apply principles of persuasion borrowed from commercial direct response, this probably isn’t a fit.

Our copy approach is rooted in the principles of Processing Fluency, Self Determination Theory and Narrative Transportation Theory with the goal of improving the quality of motivation.

Interest and passion for nonprofits and integrated fundraising communications are a must.

This job is not a good fit if:

You think AI can do the heavy lifting and you’re mainly there to clean it up
You want creative freedom without creative constraints–this role operates inside a defined framework, and the craft is in doing excellent work within it
You struggle to separate your ego from your output–here, every draft is a hypothesis, and almost nothing ships unchanged
You’re more interested in finding your voice than serving a donor’s
You’ve never worked in nonprofit fundraising or direct response, and you’re not deeply curious about what makes people give
Feedback feels like criticism, or you need your work to be celebrated before you can move on to the next piece
You want to write in a vacuum–this role requires close collaboration with strategists, and creative decisions are made together, not unilaterally

Some Things You Should Know

This is a fully remote role
Attendance is required at the bi-annual staff retreat (3–4 days)
Attendance and on-site participation are required for the BuildGood Summit (approximately 5 working days, including setup)
BuildGood team members operate with an owner’s mindset and take full accountability for their work
Your creativity in this position works within boundaries—and that’s okay. You won’t always get to write the piece you’d write if given a blank page. You’ll be expected to operate like an expert craftsperson in a specific trade, not an artist. You’ll write within client-approved frameworks, established tones, and a defined point of view of how BuildGood develops copy. Many writers find that constraining. The right person for this role finds it clarifying. There’s real craft in doing excellent work within a set of rules.
The work belongs to all of us, and we’re not precious about it. We celebrate wins together, and we iterate together. You’ll write pieces that get pulled apart, restructured, reworded, and tested—and then maybe pulled apart again. We treat every piece as a hypothesis, not a finished work of art. If that stings, this isn’t the right fit. If that excites you, we should talk.
AI is a tool in the toolkit, not the whole kit. We’re bullish on AI as a multiplying force and collaborator to help us tailor copy for each donor. But we don’t outsource the craft and soul of great copy to a robot. You know how to direct it, constrain it, and push past what it gives you. You can’t be fully dependent on it—and you’d find that dependency limiting anyway.

What We Offer

A workplace that values your need for autonomy, competence and connection
An entrepreneurial culture that places a premium on rigor and accountability
A teamwork environment built on both humour and challenging each other to continuously improve in our craft
Meaningful work that directly influences how organizations grow
Attendance at the Build Good Summit, Canada’s premiere fundraising conference
Work from home/anywhere (fully remote position)
3 weeks vacation (4 weeks after 4 years at BuildGood)
Bi-annual team retreat
Summer Fridays (Fridays off in June, July, and/or August)
Generous professional development budget
Group Retirement Savings Plan (GRSP)
Flexible Spending Account (HSA)
Yearly profit-share based on meeting goals and targets

What you’ll do

The main job: Write donor-relevant copy that drives real fundraising results for a roster of nonprofit clients, across channels, mediums, campaigns, and giving levels. Ads, landing pages, email sequences, postcards, proposals and direct mail appeals. International development. Ocean and land conservation. Children’s hospitals. Homeless shelters. For donors who give $5 and donors who give $500,000.

You’ll also help shape and refine our custom AI writing system, along with being its main user and the person responsible for guiding future refinements.

Generally speaking: You’ll be the voice for causes that matter. Working alongside our Director of Donor Communications and our team of Fundraising Strategists, you’ll craft copy that matches the identity and motivation of donors—and invites them into moments of greater generosity.

Your main responsibilities:

Write copy for direct mail appeals, emails, ads, landing pages, print and digital newsletters, surveys, proposals, gift catalogues and more following the first principles of the BuildGood approach.
Work closely with Fundraising Strategists to develop and honour the right tone of voice for each client and campaign.
Operate and help evolve our AI writing system—not as a shortcut or ghostwriter, but as a creative collaborator that amplifies your thinking and output.
Occasionally interview clients or beneficiaries for stories, following the first principles of the BuildGood approach.
Contribute your knowledge to BuildGood events, online courses, the BuildGood Summit, and other initiatives.
Show up curious: be part of interpreting the results, ask why something worked or didn’t, and apply what you learn.
Take feedback well and be willing to learn from it.

An important note: Since BuildGood is very much a startup, the exact job description might change over time and depending on the season. The main thing is: you will help nonprofits fundraise effectively in one way or another, and you will help improve and grow the business as part of a team effort.

Skills & Experience

2+ years of experience writing copy in the nonprofit, fundraising, or direct-response marketing space
Demonstrated ability to write in a way that motivates donors — across multiple channels (email, direct mail, digital ads, etc.) — to give.
Familiarity or strong interest in Self Determination Theory and Narrative Transportation Theory is ideal
Ability to adapt tone and voice across multiple clients and campaigns
Excellent attention to detail and ability to self-edit
Comfortable working in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
Already using AI in your writing practice
Comfortable following timelines and utilizing project management software (we use Teamwork)

Ways You’ll Work

Operate with a high level of autonomy and ownership — you’re trusted to lead your accounts
Collaborate closely with copywriters, designers, data analysts, and project managers
Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement and public knowledge-sharing
Showing up for clients and colleagues as someone who’s prepared, direct, and genuinely invested
You will report to the Creative Services seat

Requirements

May be a Canadian resident or live outside of Canada as a contractor Must be willing to work during standard business hours in CST timezone Access to your own computer, reliable internet and a phone is essential

The Hiring Process

To Apply

Send an email to [email protected]
Subject Line: Application – Fundraising Copywriter
In the email, briefly share why you want to work with BG, why it’s a good fit, and a link to a song that gets you excited about fundraising
If you have LinkedIn, include a link to your profile
Attach your resume (we’ll read it) and don’t attach a cover letter (we won’t read it)
Fill out this application form

We can’t guarantee that we will get back to every single applicant. If you have not heard from us two weeks after your submission, please assume that you were not included in the final field of applicants.

What To Expect

An initial interview. Selected candidates will be selected for an initial interview to assess fit.
A technical assessment. Selected candidates will participate in a technical assessment over Zoom followed by a short interview.
Follow-up interview. Selected candidates will be contacted for a final interview.

Reference checks. We will complete at least 3 reference checks for the final chosen candidate.