Social Venture Partners International

Position description

Social Venture Partners International seeks a creative, entrepreneurial, and collaborative leader to serve as our Director of Development & Philanthropic Partnerships.

This position is primarily remote, but employees must be based in the Pacific Northwest Region, including Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver BC and surrounding vicinities, with the Seattle metro area being the preferred location for staff.

This is a full-time exempt position with an annual salary of $115K plus generous medical, PTO, and other employment-related benefits, including a home office stipend, contribution to FSA for in support of well-being, and a professional development fund.

Please carefully review the details below on what to include with your application and then apply at this link: http://bit.ly/SVPIDevelopmentDirector

About Social Venture Partners International 

Social Venture Partners International (SVPI) is the hub of a global network of engaged philanthropists and social innovators. We connect over 40 affiliate Social Venture Partners (SVP) organizations in 8 countries, creating a combined network of more than 3,500 donor partners. To date, these Partners have invested more than $70 million in collective grants and countless volunteer hours in over 900 nonprofits. SVPI and our affiliates have a mission to foster collaborative solutions to critical social challenges. Together, we envision a world where the people closest to – and most impacted by – problems in our communities have the power and resources to develop and implement solutions. Each SVP affiliate invests in its local community and is connected to the global movement led by SVPI, which provides leadership, vision, and expansion strategies for the network through shared values and pilot projects, and connects and amplifies the collective impact of the SVP network.

SVPI operates as an independent nonprofit with a staff team of 5 and an annual budget of approximately $1.2 million. Affiliates pay dues to SVPI, which make up about 20% of our revenue. The remainder comes from individual contributions from donors in our network, foundation grants, event revenue, and sponsorships.

The Opportunity

SVPI is at a pivotal moment. In 2019, we adopted a new equity and power-sharing focused Theory of Change and have begun the process of converting that commitment into a Practice of Change through a values-centered initiative called Reimagine Giving (reimaginegiving.org).

Led by our CEO, Sudha Nandagopal, our highly-engaged Board of Directors, and our talented team, SVPI and our SVP Affiliates are working together to make philanthropy more collaborative, accountable, and connected to communities. Under Reimagine Giving we are reaffirming our shared values and growing a community of donors and movement leaders around the globe committed to using their collective power for lasting systemic change. In partnership with our strategic partners and Affiliates, we are:

·       Building a platform for philanthropists and exploring the creation of a global fund for movements.

·       Inviting philanthropists around the globe to fund movements for racial, social and economic justice and systemic change in the way that movements most need.

·       Mobilizing engaged philanthropists to work alongside, learn with, and amplify frontline-led efforts transforming communities around the globe.

·       Setting an inspired example of what is possible when those with economic power truly reflect on their places in systems and come together to effect lasting and critical change.

We are energized by this vision and are excited to build the right team to do this community-centered work, learning from and amplifying the work being done by others in our field, our SVP affiliates, and their community partners.

Overview: Director of Development & Philanthropic Partnerships

SVPI seeks a creative, entrepreneurial, and collaborative leader to serve as our Director of Development & Philanthropic Partnerships . We are looking for someone who shares our vision for community-driven philanthropy and enjoys building up fundraising programs, experimenting with new models for revenue generation (digital fundraising, sponsorships, event revenue, earned income etc.), and putting systems in place so a team of volunteer and staff askers can raise major gifts successfully. As you get familiar with the role, you will also be someone who is eager to find ways to partner with affiliate SVP leaders on fundraising opportunities to maximize our collective impact and resources available for our work.

The Director reports directly to the CEO and will be a key leader on our executive team, driving SVPI’s development program, and working alongside the CEO to transition from a traditional donor-centered model fundraising model to a new, movement-aligned model over time. The person in this position will maintain oversight for all fundraising activities for SVPI. They will also work closely with our Director of Communications, Learning & Engagement, to develop compelling communications for our audiences of institutional and individual donors from around the globe whom we are seeking to inspire and influence around shared values.

The current annual fundraising goal of the organization from individual donors, foundations, events and digital fundraising is $1M. This will grow in future years as we step into our updated vision and approach and will be looking to the Director for guidance on the resources and approaches needed to foster smart growth that centers SVPI’s values.

Primary Areas of Responsibility

This work roughly corresponds to the following activities and percentages, though we expect that the leader in this position will help further refine and adapt this to better align with their unique talents and capacity as well as to rapidly changing conditions in philanthropy:

Fundraising Strategy and Leadership 

·       In partnership and collaboration with the CEO and the Director of Communications, Learning & Engagement, the Director will set and drive towards fundraising and revenue generation goals, create and implement a comprehensive plan to achieve those targets, including segmentation of annual and major donors and plans to cultivate, solicit, and engage all donors,

·       Update and lead existing programs for annual giving, event sponsorship, virtual house parties, foundation and corporate giving, individual major giving, and planned gifts; over time, develop new strategies and plans to enhance revenue generation,

·       Serve as a thought partner to CEO and SVPI staff to develop strategies for improving collaborative fund development across the network; develop and implement strategy to raise resources for the Reimagine Fund;

·       Strengthen and manage network relationships in support of collaborative fundraising efforts and shared donor relationships,

·       Supervise consultants/vendors as needed, and when budget allows, attract, hire, and manage development team,

·       Support the implementation of activities funded via a planning grant for Reimagine Giving – specifically related to engaging with frontline leaders and donors to evaluate the feasibility of and best strategies for developing a global Reimagine Fund

• Draft documentation and white papers about individual donor fundraising and donor trends based on what SVP Partners are sharing,

Fundraising & Donor Communications

·       In collaboration with the CEO, actively drive, manage, and track all major gift strategies and activity, ensuring multiple cultivation/solicitation campaigns occur throughout the year,

·       Work in collaboration with CEO and communications staff/consultants to develop a calendar of cultivation communications, and draft materials as needed in partnership with the Director of Communications, Learning & Engagement,

·       Develop pitch decks and cases for support for CEO and Board members to tell the story of SVPI and oversee the production of an annual report,

·       In partnership with consultants or other key staff of SVPI, manage and innovate on digital fundraising,

·       In partnership with the team, build development-related programming that integrates with organizational mission and communications goals while achieving revenue or cultivation objectives such as informational donor town halls, volunteer-driven virtual house parties, membership programs, donor focus groups, partner councils etc.,

·       Manage private and corporate foundations grant research, prospecting and narrative reporting, in partnership with consulting CFO, and engage external grant writers as appropriate; support CEO in preparing for and execution of foundation meetings,

·       Over time, retain a modest portfolio of individual donor prospects and personally cultivate, solicit, and steward that portfolio,

·       Generate case messaging based on organizational messaging and goals; generate proposals and customized request materials; prepare drafts of donor correspondence and assist with development of ancillary materials,

Development Operations & Events

·       Develop and oversee small and large events to support fundraising and philanthropic engagement goals, including sponsorship for learning series

·       Track donor communications in Salesforce and use digital systems to segment and understand donors

·       Oversee prospect discovery, research, donor stewardship, and donor information systems

·       Report fundraising progress to internal and external audiences

Community Engagement and Coaching 

·       Direct and support the CEO, other staff, and key volunteers in setting and achieving fundraising goals, cultivating donors and identifying prospects,

·       Direct and support the identification, training, and involvement of fundraising volunteers, including the Board of Directors and Board Connectors Committee; formally staff the Board Connectors Committee and enlist these key volunteers in organizational activities,

·       Build collegial relationships across the network and, in time, provide fund development coaching and guidance for network

Qualifications

You will enjoy this job if you are a talented nonprofit professional who is excited by the opportunity to grow a development operation that will resource a bold vision to influence the field of philanthropy.

Your Core Competencies 

Fundraising: You have successfully raised funds from individual and institutional donors in a roll-up-your-sleeves environment. You have a working knowledge of fundraising plans, major gift programs, event planning and management, direct solicitations, donor relations, moves management, and volunteer management. You enjoy development strategy and operations as much as you enjoy developing relationships with donors.

Systems and power analysis: You approach your work through a social justice lens and are committed to the need for greater equity and inclusion in the philanthropic sector. You understand that racial equity, organizational change, and working with a woman of color CEO in philanthropy and a diverse staff, require strategy, self-directed ongoing learning, reflection, and exploration of your own historic and societal power, and you have existing practices to help you in this work.

Team Building: You enjoy building and supporting teams of people serving in a variety of roles, engaging volunteers, consultants, staff and others in the fundraising process, coaching them, supporting them, and helping them discover their inner fundraiser and tell their story.

Project Management: You enjoy project managing, setting ambitious goals, and driving people towards those goals. You have successfully managed multiple projects with differing deadlines and complexity from inception to completion.

Communication: You are a skilled communicator, both in writing and verbally, and able to inspire diverse audiences.

Leadership: You have experience successfully managing direct reports, and managing up. You bring an organizational development lens to your work, thinking through how decisions might be implemented structurally and supporting the development of policies and procedures to operationalize new ways of doing work.

Change Management: You can work to support people coming along into a new vision for SVPI and can strategize to create the necessary change for an updated organizational model.

Your Core Attributes 

Strategic: You are a strategic thinker and collaborator, adept at receiving input from many sources, asking thoughtful questions, guiding others through a strategy, and forming a well-organized plan.

Resourceful: You are a resourceful leader who is prepared to meet ambitious goals with the resources and tools at hand. You are able to move through ambiguity, seeking and creating clarity as needed. You have a resolve-to-solve attitude and bring forward ideas proactively.

Flexible: You are flexible and adaptable, excited by the opportunity to work virtually and in a network setting with multiple affiliates or locations. You enjoy a collegial, team environment but can manage your work effectively in a remote setting. You are emotionally mature with a good sense of humor and the flexibility and sensitivity to work with diverse personalities and situations.

Equity and Justice Practitioner: You have personal or professional experience with, understanding of, and the ability to articulate effectively what it means to be part of a historically impacted group and how this relates to philanthropy, power dynamics, and systems change. You are eager to be an agent for change and use your personal power to advance more equitable systems.

Learning Mindset: You are hungry to learn and grow both for your own professional development and in service to understanding the experiences of others. You enjoy a culture of continuous feedback and are willing to share your learning edges.

Community and Network Oriented: You bring a community engagement lens to your work, figuring out many different ways for people to participate and grow their connection to the organization. You are excited to travel and build a global network of support for SVPI.

Hands-on: You are a systems and implementation person who also proactively brings forward new ideas and ways to achieve big goals. You are a hard worker willing to work hands-on in a variety of development activities, taking on administrative tasks when needed alongside other members of the team. You are innovative, self-motivated, working both independently and as a team member.

Global perspective: You understand and are interested in developing a global narrative for our audiences about how philanthropy can be a force for progress and systemic change. You are eager to connect with conversations around the globe and to engage funders outside of the United States.

Requirements 

·       A minimum of 7 years of professional experience, including at least 4 years in fund development; candidates with transferable skills and enthusiasm for the position will be considered,

• Experience with development systems management and data analysis, especially the use of Salesforce,
• Self-supportive with technologies, e.g., MS Office, Survey Monkey, Google Suite,
• Able to travel approximately 15% within and outside of the USA (including some regional/west coast travel with more limited notice; travel often includes long days and evening engagements),
• Successful candidates will need to have a valid passport and proof of eligibility to work in the United States or Canada prior to starting.

Application instructions