United States of America: Senior Director, Major Giving & Fundraising Events

The Senior Director of Major Giving & Fundraising Events is a new leadership role in USA Philanthropy division of GPP at the International Rescue Committee. We are looking for an experienced, dynamic, and creative fundraiser with stellar listening skills and a proven track record of closing six and seven figure gifts. The Senior Director is responsible for soliciting gifts, building and sustaining a pipeline of highly committed donors able to make six and seven figure gifts to sustain the International Rescue Committee’s critical mission. The successful candidate will manage a portfolio of major gift prospects through the complete donor life cycle (qualification, cultivation, solicitation/negotiation and stewardship). S/he/they will also lead four teams: three regionally focused teams of major gift professionals who will handle portfolios of their own, and a team of event fundraisers who are responsible for annual the Rescue Dinner.

The Senior Director is responsible for developing and implementing fundraising and organizational strategies that will support USA Philanthropy’s goal of eventually exceeding $100MM annually in philanthropic cash revenue for IRC. The Senior Director has responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Major Giving and Fundraising Events teams, comprised of fundraising professionals and support staff who raise funds from individuals and family foundations.

A highly motivated self-starter who is goal oriented, the Senior Director is a member of USA Philanthropy’s Leadership Team. The Senior Director collaborates closely with the Senior Directors of Principal & Planned Giving and Philanthropic Services and their programs/teams to achieve divisional fundraising and engagement goals. The Senior Director will lead prospect engagement opportunities, strategies and solicitations at highest levels through a collaborative team approach with the President & CEO, the Vice President of USA Philanthropy, and with heads of IRC program units to ensure the success of the Major Giving & Fundraising Events team. The Senior Director will serve as a valued source of fundraising expertise and guidance to the entire USA Philanthropy and wider GPP teams.

Major Responsibilities:

60% - Fundraise

• Serve as a Major Giving Officer for IRC by managing and meeting priorities and goals that coincide with IRC and GPP wide strategic plans
• Develop and implement donor solicitation plans that are longitudinal and potentially complex in nature, by focusing on a portfolio of approximately 75 highly rated individuals and family foundations with the capacity to make high six- to seven-figure gifts
• In collaboration with Philanthropic Services, create or enhance fundraising programs in innovative and exciting ways
• Initiate, develop and coordinate delivery of proposals that directly support IRC’s fundraising priorities based on its strategic plan and major initiatives
• Deliver compelling and timely stewardship requirements to donors to optimize donor retention and renewals
• Secure dollar commitments at a level established during goal setting, and set the pace for ever increasing dollar goals
• Achieve goals and metrics related to donor visits, solicitations, gifts and pledges closed and other critical KPIs
• Identify inflection points when IRC leaders are best used in donor cultivation and solicitation strategies to maximize donor support for priority funding areas and provide training and coaching for IRC leaders in this endeavor as needed
• Lead and/or advise on the benchmarking, design and implementation of campaigns as needed
• Identify constituents who may be off the IRC radar who could support IRC with major gifts while acting as fundraiser/strategist/advisor to the President & CEO, Vice President for USA Philanthropy, and other leaders
• Suggest courses of actions, such as communications, meetings, and next steps for/between/on behalf of leadership and high-level prospects and donors who support the fundraising efforts
• Collaboratively facilitate strategy discussions and prepare visit briefings for leadership prospects in the Salesforce database
• Promote and exercise teamwork and donor-centered fundraising principles when developing strategies for Major Giving prospects and donors
• Work with the Stewardship team to personalize and prepare proposals for gift solicitations
• Complete call reports in a timely manner to document substantive donor interactions

40%-Departmental Management

• In partnership with the VP for USA Philanthropy, develop an annual strategic plan for the major gifts program that identifies specific annual goals (in support of the overall GPP plan) and a timeline for tracking achievement. Lead, manage, and mentor staff to ensure that they each hit goals
• Develop goals, plans, and performance measures, and monitor activity and progress toward those goals
• Represent the VP of USA Philanthropy at meetings, community events and on committees/task forces, as assigned
• Ensure that fundraising, gift acceptance and other divisional and organizational policies and procedures are faithfully implemented by staff
• Communicate effectively with others with a positive attitude - a sense of humor is essential
• Work with team and across departments and divisions to develop materials and research to adequately support the successful solicitation of major gifts
• Serve as a valued source of fundraising expertise and guidance within the division, particularly in the structuring of cultivation, solicitation and stewardship strategies for individual prospects and donors capable of gifts of $100,000 or more over a three to five year period
• Help manage, together with the VP for USA Philanthropy, the work of key volunteers as they assist in the cultivation and solicitation of major gift prospects
• Work with the Senior Director of Philanthropic Services to create and refine prospect lists, with an eye to appropriate portfolio balance that ensures robust qualification of new prospective donors for all team members
• Manage unit’s budget

Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree required. Advanced degrees and/or related certifications highly desired.

Work Experience: Minimum 10 years of direct experience in management and frontline fundraising experience in not-for-profit organizations, with proven success in face-to-face asks for substantial, six- and seven-figure philanthropic gifts.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

Minimum:

• Work successfully in a complex, fast-paced organization serving multiple stakeholders
• Demonstrated leadership abilities in working with volunteers and staff
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work well within a team environment
• Discretion in dealing with confidential information and demonstrated a willingness to uphold high ethical standards
• Experience recruiting, managing, and retaining fundraising teams
• Exceptional interpersonal communications skills and the ability to write persuasively and effectively for varied audiences
• Building consensus and handling sensitive matters with tact, discretion, and humanity
• Budget management
• Attention to detail
• Experience using databases required; technology expertise is important

Working Environment: Standard office work environment. Successful candidate must be available to work evenings and weekends as required, and maintain a domestic and international travel schedule, including travel with leadership and donors.

https://rescue.csod.com/ats/careersite/jobdetails.aspx?site=1&c=rescue&id=4677