Director of Philanthropy and Development

Position description

Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) seeks a dynamic Director of Philanthropy and Development to join our mission driven national team. The ideal candidate will effectively integrate and execute philanthropic goals in the annual operating plan of the organization, collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to identify funding priorities and develop effective strategies to secure the resources to support PSR’s mission.

About Physicians for Social Responsibility

PSR is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that mobilizes health professionals and public health advocates to advance environmental justice, climate solutions, and a nuclear-free world. PSR’s national team works remotely, with a central office in Washington, DC, and in partnership with twenty-two state and local PSR chapters across the United States. In all we do, PSR aspires to be credible, compassionate, visionary, and bold.

Founded in 1961, PSR has throughout its history provided a strong health-focused voice against the development and use of nuclear weapons, and advocating for nuclear weapons abolition and for health and justice for communities most impacted by nuclear weapons development, testing, and use. PSR is a co-founder and U.S. affiliate of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), and as the U.S. affiliate of this global network, PSR shared in the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize. PSR is also a partner organization in the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017.

In the 1990s, PSR joined the growing movement to address another existential threat: climate change. Since then, the organization has addressed a range of issues related to a just transition from fossil fuels to clean, safe, truly renewable energy. Current areas of focus include opposing fracked gas and the false promise of hydrogen and carbon capture, promoting equitable building decarbonization, and confronting fossil fuel corporate disinformation. We mobilize health professionals as partners in solidarity with frontline communities and environmental justice leaders, advocating for local, state, and federal policies and protections.

About the Position

The Director of Philanthropy and Development is responsible for leadership of the organization’s overall fundraising strategy, and for establishing and achieving annual philanthropy goals and objectives in accordance with the organization’s mission. The Director of Philanthropy and Development will work closely with the Executive Director, the Board of Directors, and national staff to create development plans and lead the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of current and prospective donors, both individual and institutional. The Director of Philanthropy and Development will increase contributed income, high-impact partnerships, community awareness, and powerful connections with both PSR’s existing stakeholders and emerging audiences. As the leader of our development and philanthropic initiatives, the Director of Philanthropy and Development must be able to conceptualize, plan, and implement a programmatic approach to building relationships and securing philanthropic support — including setting ambitious goals, developing strategies for prospects, prioritizing activities, asking for gifts, and coordinating the involvement, as needed, of staff, board members and other volunteers.

The Director of Philanthropy and Development is expected to value change management and to have the experience and passion to lead new and expanded initiatives in several areas identified in recent organizational strategic planning, such as:

• Expanded collaboration with state and local chapters, including coordinated membership and donor recruitment and stewardship, training and capacity building for chapter fundraising, and collaborative grants.
• Enhanced engagement of the PSR National Board of Directors and Advisory Council in fundraising.
• A community-centric fundraising approach that aligns with PSR’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice, including deepening of mutually beneficial partnerships with organizations representing the communities most impacted by climate change and nuclear weapons.
• A PSR 65th Anniversary campaign to expand planned giving and grow the PSR endowment.
• Creative strategies for engaging young health professionals as members and donors, including through online and social media platforms.

Areas of Responsibility

Leadership and Strategy:

• Lead PSR’s initiatives to drive fundraising success and achieve organizational goals.
• Develop and implement comprehensive development strategies, including major gifts, annual giving, end of year campaigns, individual giving, and corporate giving.
• Work closely with the Executive Director and Board of Directors to set and execute development objectives aligned with the organization’s mission and strategic plan.
• Research, identify, and help realize new funding opportunities, including grants and corporate sponsorships, through extensive collaboration with the Executive Director and program staff.
• Assess and analyze the effectiveness of fundraising campaigns and adjust strategies accordingly.
• Collaborate with and oversee development responsibilities of fellow staff, board volunteers, and fundraising contractors.

Donor Relations and Major Gifts:

• Cultivate and steward relationships with major donors, prospects, and key stakeholders including individuals as well as corporate donors and foundations.
• Oversee the identification, solicitation, and stewardship of major gifts, ensuring personalized engagement and communication.
• Develop and execute strategies for growing the major gifts portfolio, including setting goals and tracking progress.
• Develop and implement communication plans to nurture existing donor relationships.
• Identify and approach potential corporate partners for sponsorship and collaboration opportunities.

Development Operations:

• Acknowledge and thank donors in a timely and meaningful manner.
• Maintain and update donor records in the CRM, ensuring accurate tracking of donations and engagement activities.
• Analyze donor data to inform fundraising strategies and improve donor retention.
• Prepare regular reports on fundraising progress, trends, and outcomes for leadership and board meetings.

Special Events and Campaigns:

• Plan and implement special events such as PSR’s annual fundraising event.
• Plan, develop, and implement PSR’s donation solicitation campaigns via direct mail and online appeals to increase donor acquisition and retention.

All PSR staff are expected to participate in our ongoing work to improve diversity, equity, inclusion and justice within our organization and in the fields in which we work.

Skills and Experience

Essential:

• A minimum of seven years of professional experience in non-profit development and philanthropy, preferably 501(c)(3).
• Experience in implementing and managing comprehensive development strategies and fundraising campaigns.
• Experience with managing annual giving and legacy giving.
• Efficient in building, cultivating, and stewarding individual donor relationships, including with foundations and other grant-awarding organizations.
• Strong communication, writing, and editing skills to ensure connectivity to the mission and appropriate style and usage.
• Strategic, analytical approach combined with a strong work ethic and interpersonal professionalism.
• Passion for and understanding of the organization’s mission.
• Superior interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively with various constituencies, including immediate team members, chapter leaders, donors, foundation staff, and board members, with an ability to build capacity in peers.
• Demonstrates ability to work with individuals with diverse backgrounds, interests, and skills.
• Ability to oversee numerous projects and deadlines in a fast-paced environment with competing deadlines and take initiative in managing several projects with the utmost attention to detail.
• Stellar organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to clearly communicate objectives, tasks, and timelines.
• Strong affinity to diversity, equity, and inclusion work and practices.
• Solution-oriented critical thinker with strong problem-solving skills and a positive can-do attitude.
• Ability to work well independently and in a collaborative team environment.

Strongly Preferred:

• Major gift fundraising experience.
• Grant writing experience.
• Direct mail experience, including via both USPS and email.
• Experience in CRM and donor databases.
• Experience with planned giving.

Preferred:

• Senior level management experience.
• Budget management experience.
• Knowledge of key academic, business, foundation, and/or community leaders in the areas in which we work (health, environmental justice, climate change, and nuclear disarmament).
• Experience in event planning.
• Experience cultivating younger donors.
• Experience/knowledge of latest practices regarding online giving.
• Experience with a federated organization, coordinating national fundraising efforts with local and state affiliates.

Terms

PSR is a blended work culture where everyone, regardless of work type or location, feels connected to their teammates, our culture and our mission.

• This position is based in the United States. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.
• This is a remote/work-from-home role. Occasional travel is required to attend organizational functions, such as board meetings, staff retreats, and our annual fundraising event in Washington, DC.
• This is a full-time position with occasional evening and weekend hours required.
• Reports to the Executive Director.
• Pay transparency: Compensation offered will depend on several factors including but not limited to: geographic location, work experience, education, and skill level. The base pay range for this role in major urban areas (e.g. Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Boston, and Washington, DC, etc.) is $105,000 – $120,000; the base pay range for this role in all other areas is $90,000 – $105,000.

Benefits

PSR believes taking care of our people aligns with our commitment to social responsibility and is committed to creating a workplace that supports our staff to do their best work and develop professionally. While regulations differ from place to place, we strive to have parity of benefits across regions. The following benefits are offered:

• Health, dental and vision insurance premiums covered in full for employee, spouse, and eligible dependents.
• Life and long-term disability insurance premiums covered for employee.
• 403b tax-advantaged retirement savings plan.
• Paid time off includes holidays, vacation, sick leave, and personal time.
• Up to 40 hours paid time off each year to use toward volunteering.
• Laptop computer and accessories.
• Internet and telephone subsidy.
• Commitment to supporting professional development.
• PSR promotes and supports a healthy work/life balance for its employees, including flexible work schedules and a hybrid work model.
• Coaching and management support with regular 1:1 meetings.
• Performance reviews and feedback to support you and the team, helping all to reflect and grow.

Flexible Work Environment

Please note that all PSR National staff are generally working remotely, but all staff are expected to attend occasional meetings, such as for staff retreats, meetings of the Board of Directors, and our annual fundraising event in Washington, DC.

Public Health Awareness

PSR requires that any employee who is required to conduct in-person activities for their job must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Accommodations may be sought and approved in accordance with applicable laws by contacting human resources at [email protected].

How to Apply

Please submit:

1. 1. A cover letter directly describing your qualifications relevant to the areas of responsibility, skills and experience outlined above;
   2. Resume;
   3. A minimum of three references (name, title, organization, phone, and email). Please note that references will not be contacted without prior approval from the applicant.

NOTE: Applications will not be considered complete and will not be reviewed until all of the items requested above have been submitted.

Electronic submissions are required via this link.

No telephone inquiries, please.

Job open until filled. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. To ensure optimal consideration, applications should be submitted no later than December 2, 2024. Applications will continue to be accepted and reviewed after this date until the position is filled.

PSR is deeply committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and justice, and believes social change happens when people with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and identities come together with a common purpose.

To that end, PSR is committed to employment practices that ensure employees and applicants for employment are provided with equal opportunities without regard to, and prohibits discrimination based on race (including traits that are historically associated with race, such as hair texture and hairstyles), color, national or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, related medical conditions, or reproductive health decisions), age, religion, creed, disability, medical condition, military or veteran status, marital status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

PSR encourages candidates from all backgrounds to apply for open positions. If you require reasonable accommodation(s) to participate in the application or interview process, please contact [email protected].

Application instructions

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