Director of Philanthropy

Position description

The Women’s Funding Network (WFN) is pleased to invite nominations and applications for its Director of Philanthropy position. WFN is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the largest philanthropic alliance in the world dedicated to advancing the essential role of women’s foundations and gender justice funders in the unwavering fight for gender equality and justice. WFN believes that when philanthropy invests in women’s foundations and gender justice funders, it empowers a deeply intersectional movement that fights for policies and standards across lines of race, class, and gender. Their mission as a global alliance is to provide strategies, research, and resources that support the critical agency and influence of women’s foundations and gender justice funders in the movement for equality, justice, and power for all, envisioning a world where just outcomes for all genders, of all races, are regarded as crucial to the creation of dynamic and effective social, political, and economic policies and systems. WFN’s guiding values include relationships, solidarity, integrity, impact, abundance, gratitude, and courage.

WFN is at a pivotal moment in its nearly 40-year history, taking a fresh approach to its mission with a renewed emphasis on creativity, innovation, and strategic growth. We are also living in a time of great uncertainty with a great deal at stake for women, transgender, and nonbinary people everywhere. This is an extraordinary opportunity to be part of an organization that is squarely focused on these communities, and on the issues that affect all of us. With a passionate and growing team of about 8 staff members, a growing community of over 120 women’s funds, foundations, gender equity funders, allies, and individuals spanning 14 countries, and an operating budget of $3 million, WFN now seeks an innovative and collaborative Director of Philanthropy to lead its development department. The Director will be responsible for leading the strategy, development, and execution of annual and long-term development plans to secure funds for general operations, pooled funds, and campaigns. Additionally, the Director will manage the foundation grant portfolio to ensure WFN is meeting deliverables and impact, oversee the growth and expansion of leadership-level donors and work with donors to achieve their philanthropic objectives, launch WFN’s annual giving campaign, and provide leadership in campaign strategy development and execution. The Director will also partner closely with the CEO and team to shape the organization’s direction and revitalize its approach to fundraising. They will be a seasoned fundraiser, strategic thinker, and people connector with an entrepreneurial spirit, and have significant experience in the social justice nonprofit field. This role will report to the President & CEO and have the opportunity to hire their team.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Director of Philanthropy at WFN will have the opportunity to shape the future of the organization by driving strategic growth, fostering donor relationships, and leading innovative fundraising efforts to support the mission of advancing gender equality and justice globally. They will be a highly collaborative, self-motivated, and results-oriented leader and will focus on high-level strategic thinking, team building, and goal setting while also managing day-to-day fundraising tasks and all aspects of development operations. The Director will be a highly skilled written and verbal communicator who effectively inspires donors to support and partner with WFN. Specifically, the Director of Philanthropy will:

Lead Strategy, Development, and Implementation of Development Plans

The Director will be responsible for developing and executing annual and long-term development plans to secure funds for general operations, pooled funds, and campaigns. This comprehensive development plan will include strategies for planned giving, engaging private donors, corporations, foundations, donor-advised funds, and other sources. The Director will execute day-to-day development operations and continuously maintain accurate and timely reporting and communication. They will employ excellent written and verbal communication skills to manage all donor correspondence, including writing and preparation of formal and informal donor reports, grant proposals, solicitation and acknowledgment letters, and responses to donor inquiries. The Director will also manage and maintain the donor database to ensure accurate and up-to-date donor records, information, and correspondence and use strong project management skills.

Manage Foundation Grant Portfolio

The Director will oversee WFN’s foundation grant portfolio, ensuring that the organization meets deliverables and achieves the desired impact. This involves maintaining relationships with foundation donors and ensuring all grant requirements are met.

Oversee Growth and Expansion of Leadership-Level Donors

The Director’s main focus will be maintaining and building relationships with existing donors while simultaneously researching, identifying, and approaching new prospective leadership-level donors. The Director will work closely with these donors to achieve their philanthropic objectives. This will also include reactivating previous major donors and establishing new relationships.

Launch and Lead WFN’s Annual Giving Campaign

The Director will provide leadership in developing and executing WFN’s annual giving campaign. This entails creating compelling campaign strategies that engage and inspire donors.

Engage Volunteers in Fundraising Priorities

The Director will actively engage volunteers in fundraising opportunities, leveraging their support to enhance WFN’s development efforts. This includes coordinating volunteer activities and integrating their contributions into the broader development strategy.

Qualifications

While no one candidate will embody all the qualifications enumerated below, the ideal candidate will possess many of the following professional and personal abilities, attributes, and experiences:

Skills Needed to be Successful as Director of Philanthropy

Passion and Experience

• Lived experience as a person of the global majority and institutionally marginalized gender or another identity that connects you to a personal urgency for material solutions and innovations that respect the dignity and liberation of all people.
• Deep understanding of the need to move systems and structures towards gender and racial equity and justice.
• Ability to translate this expertise into philanthropic strategy and messages.
• Guided by a personal integrity that reflects WFN’s core intersectional feminist values and commitment to our stakeholders.

Project Management and Sound Decision-Making

• Significant experience as a project manager, with attention to detail.
• Highly organized, with interpersonal and tangible skills to motivate others to achieve shared goals on time and on budget.
• Ability to work on various projects simultaneously, requiring strong organizational and time management skills.
• Ability to make well-informed, effective, and timely decisions that are correct and accurate over time; sought out by others for advice and solutions.

Implementation and Team Management

• Experience working closely with senior staff to create and execute ideas.
• Inclined to boldly take on issues and challenges.
• Actively engaged with partners and stakeholders to develop trusting relationships that result in intel and influence to drive successful strategy.
• Comfortable working collaboratively with a remote team and communicating messages without hesitation.
• Self-aware, responsive to feedback, flexible, adaptable, and able to thrive in a dynamic environment.

Stakeholder Focus and Relationship Management

• Dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external stakeholders.
• Acts with stakeholders in mind, establishes & maintains effective relationships, and gains their trust and respect.

Innovation, Creativity, and Presentation Skills

• Generates and applies new and original ideas, creative approaches, methods, and solutions to daily work.
• Effective in a variety of formal presentation settings: one-on-one, small/large groups, with peers, leaders, etc.
• Commands attention and can manage group processes during presentations.

Technology Proficiency

• Proficient in Microsoft Office 365 Suite, print/web publishing, Docusign, Zoom, SalesForce, Adobe, and conferencing software.

Desired Experience

• A minimum of seven or more years of combined experience in a senior fundraising role with a proven track record of securing major and planned gifts and achieving budgeted revenue goals.
• Successful experience making asks for six and seven-figure gifts; successful experience writing grant proposals.
• Experience in the social justice nonprofit field with a focus on gender and racial equality.
• Experience working with high-net-worth individuals, family foundations, and other entities that consistently support organizations with six- to seven-figure gifts.
• Excellent leadership and management abilities; a capacity to lead and guide staff with empathy, positivity, and curiosity.
• Experience working with national teams and state affiliates/members.
• Record of maintaining the highest personal levels of ethical conduct, confidentiality, and integrity.
• Professional, diplomatic demeanor with the ability to represent a global organization and interact and collaborate with colleagues from a range of nationalities and backgrounds, including experience and comfort working with transgender and gender non-conforming people and people with disabilities.
• Impeccable verbal and written communication skills with meticulous attention to detail – grammar nerds with the ability to write eloquently and professionally, driven by excellence and the spirit of service leadership.
• A well-developed capacity to manage in all directions and proactively seek out new strategy opportunities.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Work Location: WFN staff are working remotely. This is a full-time position and will ideally be based on the East Coast; however, candidates based in any continental U.S. location with the ability to travel are encouraged to apply. To support fully remote staff and sustainable work schedules, the candidate must be available to collaborate online between 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. EST, Monday – Friday, and can adjust work weeks to include evening hours for special events or travel. This position requires occasional travel (up to 30%) to various states and cities for funder, member, campaign, and/or staff meetings.

Salary and Benefits: The salary range for this position is $116,000 – $175,000 and commensurate with experience. WFN has a generous benefits package that includes 100% paid health, dental, and vision insurance, long-term disability/FSA, generous paid time off, a flexible work schedule, and a 401k match.

Application instructions

Please be sure to indicate you saw this position on tendersglobal.net