Major Gifts Manager

Job Description

ABOUT INTERNEWS:

The ways that media and information shape our world is the issue of our time, and Internews is uniquely positioned to play a significant role in how this influence affects the lives of millions of people around the world.

We are a social-impact organization dedicated to building healthy, trusted and relevant media and information systems in countries and communities where they struggle to exist. We envision a world where everyone, everywhere can access, create and exchange the news and information they need to shape their communities and the world.

In our 35-year history, we have bolstered the capacity of tens of thousands of media entrepreneurs, journalists and digital activists in over 120 countries.

Internews has headquarters offices in Washington, DC, London, UK and Arcata, CA, and regional support offices in Bangkok, Nairobi and Vilnius. We have country program offices in 30 additional countries. Our 2020 annual budget is approximately $90 million. Approximately 90% of Internews’ revenue comes from US & European public/government support with 10% coming from private foundations, corporate giving and individual gifts.

We are seeking a dynamic candidate who brings experience in major gifts fundraising, donor relations, and marketing. The ideal person for this job thrives on expanding networks and advocating for mission-driven programs and has a proven track record of working collaboratively and effectively with staff, Board members, donors, volunteers and a diverse group of community constituents.

Internews is a very diverse organization globally. We value the perspectives that result from the inclusivity of different voices, and the foundation of our work is to support free and open communications between people of all backgrounds. We are an organization of dynamic, mission-driven people who are passionate about our core values and about supporting positive change in the world. We pride ourselves on our commitment to innovation and flexibility. We are an EEO employer and strongly encourage people from all backgrounds to apply for any of our open positions.

GENERAL FUNCTION:

The Major Gifts Manager supports the Vice President of External Affairs in Internews’ efforts to identify, cultivate, and steward individual donors and other general support funders. The Major Gifts Manager is responsible for managing and executing strategies for growing unrestricted revenue from Internews’ major donor program, both by identifying new major donors and increasing commitments from existing major donors. This will be done by implementing a major donor cultivation and upgrade program and personally managing a portfolio of major donor prospects. The Major Gifts Manager will collaborate with the President & CEO, vice presidents, and board members in the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major donors, as appropriate. While the primary role of the Major Gifts Manager is managing the major gifts portfolio, this position will also support cultivation, solicitation, and/or stewardship activities for other donor/prospect audiences, as needed.

Internews’ major gifts program currently raises approximately $250,000 per year; our goal is to increase that to $1 million per year over the next several years.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following; other duties may be assigned:

Planning and Strategy

• Support the strategic development for augmenting Internews’ existing major gifts program, including identification of major donors, strategies for stewarding and engaging major donors, and activities to maximize retention and increase gift size.
• Support the development of annual department plans and goals and execute plans to meet stated goals.

Prospect Identification, Cultivation, Solicitation and Stewardship

• Understand and expertly articulate Internews’ mission, vision, and funding priorities to donors and prospects.
• Manage and grow a portfolio of major donors and prospects, including qualifying high-capacity donors on an ongoing basis, forging strong one-to-one relationships, and developing tailored engagement strategies for upgrading key donors and prospects.
• Leverage board and senior leadership in engaging major donors by offering sound strategy, staffing calls and meetings with prospects, and performing follow-up.
• Travel frequently to meet with donors and prospects, documenting information gathered and conducting timely follow-up and regular relationship maintenance.
• Collaborate with Development & Communications staff to develop or refine presentations, funding requests, reports, impact updates and other donor materials.
• Support cultivation, solicitation, and/or stewardship activities for other donor/prospect audiences, as needed.
• Maintain donor interactions in Internews’ Salesforce donor database, major giving activity and results.
• Keep abreast of relevant industry trends and best practices and share knowledge with others.
• Other duties supporting overall Development activities as requested.

Fundraising Events

• Develop, support, and/or execute cultivation or fundraising events, when necessary.
• Build on a growing events schedule with a new Internews sub-brand, FilmAid. In 2019, Internews hosted a successful fundraising event in NYC, with plans to expand such events to LA in 2020.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Internews is seeking a candidate who has:

• Bachelor’s degree
• Understanding of and demonstrated commitment to upholding Internews’ Core Values
• Proven experience cultivating major donors within a nonprofit setting and a track record of securing five figure+ gifts
• Strong oral communication and interpersonal skills, with a proven aptitude for forging strong relationships with major donors
• Experience working collaboratively and effectively with staff, Board members, donors, volunteers and a diverse group of community constituents
• Demonstrated success and effectiveness in identifying, qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, closing, and stewarding prospects and donors of $1,000 and more
• Proven aptitude for writing compelling funding requests, reports, and other donor stewardship communications
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail with the ability to independently manage time, multiple projects and competing priorities
• Ability to travel to meet with donors
• Ability to demonstrate discretion and hold sensitive and personal information about donors in confidence
• Tech savvy, must be comfortable in managing donor database software, preferably Salesforce
• Self-starter and a team player
• Creative thinking with a positive, can-do attitude under pressure
• Enthusiasm for the power of media and information technologies a big plus

About the Organization

Internews works to ensure access to trusted, quality information that empowers people to have a voice in their future and to live healthy, secure, and rewarding lives. We envision a world where everyone can communicate freely with anyone, anywhere, and exchange the news and information they need to shape their communities and the world.

For close to 35 years and in more than 100 countries, we have worked with our local partners to build hundreds of sustainable organizations, strengthened the capacity of thousands of media professionals, human rights activists, and information entrepreneurs, and reached millions of people with quality, local information, improving lives and building lasting change. Our decentralized and entrepreneurial model gives us the local flexibility to find the best solutions and the nimbleness required to work in a rapidly changing, uncertain and complex world. On issues ranging from health and the environment to conflict and governance, Internews has developed approaches that harness the power of media and information to create positive change.