Senior Development Officer for Institutional Giving

Job Description

The role focuses on institutional fundraising, including foundations, governments, and multilateral funders. It involves strategic planning, proposal writing, donor relations, and collaboration with various internal departments to secure and manage grants effectively. The role holder is responsible for leading and managing Outright International’s portfolio of existing and prospective institutional funders, particularly foundations and governments, and is the organization’s main institutional grant writer. The role holder will also be tasked with expanding the number of institutional funders and be a source of knowledge on trends and new opportunities.

In addition, the role holder will be expected to understand the organization’s needs and to strategically align with institutional funder strategies and grant requirements.

The Senior Development Officer for Institutional Giving reports to the Director of Development.

WHAT WILL MAKE A CANDIDATE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS ROLE?

This role requires a highly skilled professional with extensive experience in institutional fundraising, particularly in government and multilateral contexts, combined with strong communication skills and a passion for LGBTIQ human rights and international affairs.

A successful candidate will combine the experience, knowledge and qualities listed below. They will possess a bachelor’s degree and 7-10 years of relevant experience. They will have a strong record in developing 5-7 figure winning proposals from the US government and other governments and multilateral funders, preferably in the LGBTIQ advocacy field or a related field such as international development.

Knowledge and experience:

• Have knowledge of varied institutional funders including a working knowledge of donor trends and programs.
• Familiarity with knowledge of US government RFP (proposal/reporting) platforms.
• Have a proven track record in preparing successful proposals and experience raising funds from US and other government funders.
• Be experienced in managing the grant capture process, gathering and synthesizing organizational needs to align with donor priorities, and communicating effectively both orally and in writing.
• Be knowledgeable in reporting on grants and/or contribution agreements.
• Experienced in working across teams and have a proven capacity to motivate others while working under pressure and with many different cultures and identities.

Abilities, qualities and characteristics:

• Strong communication skills: The ability to write compelling proposals, reports, and correspondence is crucial. Excellent verbal communication for donor meetings and presentations is also essential.
• Strategic thinking: Developing fundraising strategies, identifying new funding opportunities, and creating engagement plans for donors require strategic planning and lateral thinking abilities.
• Relationship-building skills: Success in this role depends heavily on cultivating and maintaining strong relationships with donors, prospects, and internal stakeholders.
• Attention to detail: Managing deadlines, tracking grants, and ensuring compliance with donor requirements demands meticulous attention to detail.
• Adaptability and resilience: The ability to manage a large and varied portfolio, work under pressure, handle tight deadlines, and adapt to changing situations is critical.
• Project management skills: Coordinating complex proposal development processes and managing multiple projects simultaneously is a key aspect of the role.
• Knowledge of the sector: Familiarity with US and EU donor markets, networks, and trends in the LGBTQ+ or international development sector is valuable.
• Passion for the cause: A genuine commitment to Outright International’s mission helps in effectively communicating its value to potential donors.
• Cultural sensitivity: Outright International is a multi-cultural and multi-identity organization and requires the ability to work with diverse stakeholders and communicate across a diverse team.
• Analytical skills: Understanding and interpreting data for reporting and strategy development is an important aspect of the role.
• Initiative and independence: The ability to work proactively with minimal supervision.
• Demonstrated passion and interest in LGBTQ+ issues, human rights, and international affairs.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Revenue Generation

• Manage and grow institutional giving portfolio
• Develop strategies for donor cultivation and solicitation
• Secure and renew institutional gifts
• Create engagement plans for major institutional donors
• Write grant proposals and reports
• Facilitate meetings with donors and prospects
• Develop concept notes and proposals with program teams

Grants Management

• Collaborate on grant modifications and reporting
• Work with the MEL team for timely metrics data
• Maintain a calendar for proposal and reporting deadlines

Gift Processing and Reconciliation

• Manage institutional giving gift processing
• Create and send acknowledgement letters

Management and Administrative

• Develop annual revenue projections and work plans
• Identify funding opportunities to meet programmatic needs
• Manage external consultants for institutional giving

Eligible candidates must hold prior US work authorization.

About the Organization

Outright International (Outright) is at the forefront of advancing human rights, protections and dignity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ) people around the world. Since its founding in 1990, Outright has been dedicated to empowering the global LGBTIQ movement, responding to violence and injustice against LGBTIQ people, and advocating for LGBTIQ inclusion and equality in collaboration with partners worldwide.

Through its regional, thematic and grantmaking programs, Outright partners with local human rights defenders to embolden and strengthen the global LGBTIQ movement. Outright works with numerous regional human rights monitoring bodies and civil society partners, including the United Nations, where Outright International serves as the secretariat of the UN LGBTI Core Group.

Outright experienced significant growth for its mission in recent years and currently receives funding from the US State Department, USAID, the Dutch government, and the Open Society Foundation, among others. In 2023, the team expanded to 60 staff members in 19 countries and continued its unprecedented growth. “Outright’s impact in an increasingly antagonistic global atmosphere reflects the strength and vitality of the global LGBTIQ community. There is plenty of urgent work to be done, and we will not settle until we achieve equality and justice everywhere” Maria Sjödin, Executive Director.