AFC Mission Advancement Intern

Position Details

• Reports to: Director of Development 
• Term: May 1, 2027 - April 30, 2028; full-time (37.5 hours/week) 
• Funding: Ministry Partner Development (MPD) 
• Location: Hybrid, with local travel for events and partner meetings; some evenings and weekends required for fundraising and friend-raising events.
• Application Deadline : March 31, 2027

Mission of AFC in Canada

Ambassadors For Christ (AFC) in Canada's mission is to nurture students toward a courageous faith in Jesus that motivates them to live beyond themselves. This is done with an emphasis on fully honouring their Chinese identity and surrounding community.

Role Summary

AFC Mission Advancement Interns are important partners in resourcing AFC's mission. In collaboration with the Director of Development, the Intern coordinates fundraising and friend-raising events, supports grant applications, researches and builds relationships with prospective donors, churches and business partners, and maintains the accuracy of AFC's donor and partner data. Interns receive training, coaching and hands-on experience in nonprofit development, event management, grant writing, donor stewardship, CRM use, and partnership building.

Key Outcomes

• Maintain accurate, current donor and partner records 
• Events delivered on budget, with timely thank-you follow-up
• Grant drafts completed ahead of deadlines
• Maintain a clear, current grant calendar
• A growing, well-researched list of prospective business and church partners with tracked outreach

Key Focus of Interns 

• Spiritual Formation: As an AFC intern, you are mentored, cared for, and nurtured in your walk with God. We know that your ‘doing’ for God, is an overflow of your ‘being’ with God. 
• Missional Formation: You’ll also be equipped and trained to engage in God’s mission. You will be developed in how you think about God’s mission, but also how to practice being on mission in a way that reflects Jesus' love and compassion for the world.
• Professional Development: You will be developed professionally. This internship is an opportunity to learn – it’s not a delay before you enter the ‘real world.’ It’s a stepping stone, to develop your ability to work effectively on a team, and make important contributions to a cause bigger than yourself. 

Key Relationships

• Supervised and mentored by the Director of Development
• As a member of the AFC Development team, Mission Advancement Interns will work closely with the Communications and Field Ministry teams
• Donors, churches, business partners, and event guests (as contacts and audiences)
• Event vendors, venues and volunteers
• Funders and grant-making bodies (via the Director of Development)

Key Responsibilities

1. Spiritual Formation: Grow in ‘Being’ and ‘Doing’ (15%)

Our "doing" is an overflow of our "being." Interns are expected to cultivate their inner world:

• Actively engage in mentorship relationships both within and outside AFC
• Develop and follow ‘rule of life’ (daily, weekly and monthly practices)
• Grow in individual and communal spiritual practices such as Sabbath, spacious silence, lament, scriptural reflection, and discernment
• Grow in expertise related to the scope of the role and commit to AFC's vision and values

2. Coordinate Fundraising and Friend-raising events (20%)

• Plan and coordinate events end to end, including logistics, vendor and venue coordination, run-of-show and day-of execution
• Support event budgeting and track actuals against budget
• Manage invitations, RSVPs, guest lists and volunteer needs
• Complete post-event reporting and thank-you follow-up to attendees and donors in a timely way
• Capture lessons learned so future events improve

3. Support Grants and Funding Research (15%)

• Maintain AFC's grant calendar, tracking deadlines, requirements and reporting dates
• Research prospective funders and opportunities that align with AFC's priorities and eligibility
• Draft first-pass grant applications, pulling together narrative and budget sections for the Director of Development to review before submission
• Gather supporting materials and keep organized records of applications, awards and reports
• Support grant reporting and funder follow-up as directed

4. Steward Donor and Partner Data and Relationships (20%)

• Maintain day-to-day accuracy of AFC's donor and partner database (CRM): enter and update records, verify entries against source data, flag duplicates or gaps, and keep information current as gifts and contact details come in
• Support gift entry, acknowledgment tracking and receipting, following AFC's procedures and applicable charity requirements
• Support donor communications and outreach logistics, including mailing lists, acknowledgment letters, stewardship updates and event invitations
• Prepare simple reports and summaries (e.g. giving trends, event results, partner contact lists) for the Director of Development
• Handle all donor and partner information with discretion and confidentiality

5. Research and Build Partnerships (10%)

• Research and identify prospective business, church and community partners and sponsors whose values and interests align with AFC's mission
• Build and maintain a database of partner prospects and contacts, and track outreach and follow-up
• Support outreach by email, phone and in person, and help prepare partnership materials, proposals, briefing notes and presentations
• Contribute ideas on how data and events can deepen partnership with AFC's donor and church community
• Track basic measures of progress (e.g. outreach made, meetings held, gifts or sponsorships secured) and report them to the Director of Development

6. Ministry Partner Development and care (about 10%)

AFC Mission Advancement Interns are trained, equipped, and coached to build a healthy prayer and financial partnership team, and are expected to:

• Faithfully engage in MPD training
• Implement the training and actively engage in MPD coaching until 100% of the monthly financial target is reached
• Write monthly newsletters to, and connect regularly with, prayer and financial partners
• Build relationships with pastors, youth leaders, and key individuals invested in student ministry

7. Participate in AFC's communal life and organizational capacity (10%)

• Participate fully in regular staff training, prayer gatherings, weekly staff meetings, monthly staff retreats, monthly newsletter writing times, annual staff huddles, celebrations and community life
• Help connect interested students and alumni with opportunities to serve with AFC (e.g. internship, staff, CSJ)

Note: Ministry varies significantly between teams and seasons, so the emphasis of these responsibilities may shift. Please consult your Team Leader about how each applies in your context.

Qualifications and Experience

Spiritual and Personal Development

• A follower of Jesus on a trajectory of growth: spiritually, emotionally, socially 
• A self-starter who takes initiative and can work independently
• A team player who works well in collaboration
• A teachable attitude and willingness to learn
• Adaptable and open to change
• Responsible; follows through on commitments and solves problems

Education and Experience

• Graduation from a post-secondary institution
• Experience in student ministry (ex: as a student leader or volunteer)
• Exposure to AFC ministries an asset

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Growing social maturity (accurate self-perception; able to initiate and cultivate relationships)
• Growing emotional maturity (self-regulates; appropriately transparent; handles stress and pressure)
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to relate cross-culturally and to communicate a call to ministry
• Familiarity with Google Suite, video conferencing and social media platforms, and using technology to communicate with students
• Excellent time management and organization skills
• Able to work in a team with stakeholders across ministry divisions, including AFC leadership, administration, communications, and field ministry teams
• Willingness to learn and grow in personal fundraising and building ministry partner relationships

Communication

• Cantonese and/or Mandarin an asset (or may be required for certain language-specific ministries)

Funding: Ministry Partner Development (MPD)

Ministry Partner Development (MPD) is the faithful act of inviting fellow believers to partner with you in ministry through ongoing financial and prayer support. The financial support is directed to AFC, who will subsequently direct the funds to an individual staff account designated to you. These funds cover the costs of your salary and ministry expenses. AFC in Canada operates in the context of community, and we believe it is an honour and privilege to invite the body of believers into God's mission of renewal among students. AFC is committed to providing training and coaching to support success in MPD.

Terms of Employment 

• The successful candidate is required to affirm and abide by AFC's Statement of Faith and Code of Conduct.
• Candidates who are selected will be required to complete a vulnerable sector check.
• We thank all applicants for their interest; only suitable candidates will be contacted.
• Applicants must be eligible to work in Canada.

How to Apply

Please submit your resume and a brief cover letter outlining your interest and alignment with AFC’s mission to Voir email sur christiancareerscanada.com . Indicate in the subject line: AFC Mission Advancement Intern . Only qualified applicants will be notified. Applications accepted until March 31, 2027 .