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Career Opening

Senior Development Officer

Employment Status: Full-Time

Department: Development

Reports to: Vice President of Advancement

Salary: $80,000 – $90,000, depending on qualifications and experience + benefits

How to Apply: Send resume and cover letter to: humanresources@wfmn.org

FLSA Status: Exempt

Supervises: N/A

Location: Hybrid work environment. Office less than 25%. Expectation that meetings with donors and related stakeholders will occupy the majority of work time, ensuring COVID-19 precautions and guidance is followed. As a community foundation, raising funds from community members is central to the Foundation’s fundraising strategies. As such, the incumbent to this position should reside within the state of Minnesota.

Summary

Under supervision of the Vice President of Advancement, the Senior Development Officer is responsible for:

  1. managing robust portfolio to meet fundraising goals
  2. significantly growing and expanding the
    Foundation’s portfolio of leadership-level donors and working with donors to achieve their philanthropic
    objectives
  3. providing leadership in campaign strategy development and execution
  4. engaging
    volunteers in fundraising priorities.

Primary Responsibilities

Manage robust portfolio of major donors

  • Develop and implement strategies for each prospect, including ways to increase involvement of donors and prospects in the activities of the Foundation. Use multiple strategies, including leadership annual giving, current and planned giving to develop a mutually beneficial philanthropic relationship with donors. Develop a portfolio of approximately 100-125 actively managed prospects.
  • Develop and coordinate proposals for major gifts within the portfolio and in collaboration on shared prospects with Advancement team members. Execute moves/actions steps on behalf of and in collaboration with the Advancement team.
  • Complete and file timely reports. Maintain accurate and relevant records within RaisersEdge. Provide regular progress reports on the prospect cultivation and solicitation, and promptly complete and file thorough reports of all contacts in RaisersEdge.
  • Ensure the appropriate stewardship process is in place and executed for all donors within assigned portfolio and, in collaboration, with Advancement team, implement strategy for engagement.

Grow the major gift program through building a portfolio of diverse donors giving at the leadership level.

  • Develop and execute strategies to bring in new donors to broaden and diversify the donor base.
  • Help expand WFMN network to include individuals of diverse background, donors of color, men, and next generation donors.
  • Develop and execute strategies to upgrade current donors including the board of trustees.
  • Work with prospective donors and their advisors in determining philanthropic objectives including annual gifts, planned gifts, donor advised funds.
  • Develop and sustain a major gift prospect list for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
  • Conduct personal calls and write proposals to targeted donors.
  • Develop and execute cultivation lunch (activator network) strategy.

Provide leadership in campaign strategy development and execution

  • Actively involved in overall campaign management and organization including pipelines, prospect tracking, strategy, task assignment, maintenance of timelines and campaign budget
  • Support feasibility study process and engage volunteers
  • Establish solicitation priorities, develop, and execute targeted cultivation plans/solicitation strategies for a range of prospects
  • Champion a portion of the campaign and develop campaign strategy, pyramid, and pipeline to achieve goal.

Secondary Responsibilities

  • Participate as an active member of the Foundation staff by working collaboratively with other staff members; and by communicating openly and honestly with staff and volunteers.
  • Attend Women’s Foundation of Minnesota events, as required and/or as requested by the Vice President of Advancement.
  • Perform all other projects and tasks as assigned by the Vice President of Advancement.

Job Specifications

Desired Education and Experience

  • Four-year college degree; a graduate degree is preferred.
  • Five or more year’s successful experience in fundraising, with a proven track record of securing major and planned gifts.
  • Experience diversifying donor bases by utilizing current donor base as well as creating and implementing strategies to cultivate new donors.
  • Experience with donor management software.
  • Demonstrated success in meeting annual fund goals, grant writing, sponsorships, and special events.
  • Knowledge of the Twin Cities philanthropic community.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

  • Demonstrates initiative and a solution-focused attitude while positively contributing to our team work environment.
  • Strong knowledge of principles, ethics, and practices of effective fundraising. Knowledge of current tax law and planned giving vehicles.
  • Able to develop and implement marketing plans and processes for planned giving and major gifts programs.
  • Proven ability to work effectively with board members, attorneys, investment bankers and trust officers, donors and volunteers.
  • Quantitative ability to analyze and manage fundraising financials.
  • Excellent verbal communication, interpersonal and relationship-building skills to effectively work with a variety of people and personalities. Able to communicate clearly in person and in writing.
  • Able to present, inform, and motivate individuals and groups of people regarding the Foundation’s mission and philanthropy.
  • Goal-oriented, persistent, and persuasive in the contact, follow-through and completion of acquiring donor gifts.
  • Able to work unsupervised, make routine decisions and solve problems independently, effectively and creatively.
  • Able to plan, prioritize, coordinate, and manage own work. Thorough, organized and detail-oriented approach to work. Applies effective time management skills to meet all deadlines.
  • Works with a proactive, ownership approach to work and operates with a sense of urgency.
  • Strong commitment to work as an effective team member.
  • Understands confidential nature of organization, fundraising, and donor information and maintains confidences.
  • Sense of humor.
  • Passion for the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota’s mission

Physical Requirements Necessary to Perform This Job

  • Hear and speak in order to use telephone and communicate with people both in and out of the office environment.
  • Sit at desk for extended periods, as well as move around office area repeatedly throughout the day.
  • Apply manual dexterity for computer keyboarding and office equipment use.
  • Visual ability to review detailed reports and information.
  • Physical ability to move around office area repeatedly throughout the day.
  • Flexible work hours requiring work in excess of 40 hours/week when necessary.
  • Must have reliable transportation to periodically visit off-site locations.
  • Able to perform limited overnight travel.

Tools and Equipment Used

  • Incumbent must be able to use multi-line telephone, calculator, copy machines, facsimile machines,
    computers, postage machine, and other office equipment.
  • Able to become proficient in MS Office Suite of software as well as fundraising, publishing, and
    research applications.
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