Development Officer For Foundations

Company

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international humanitarian organization that delivers impartial medical care to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from health care in over 70 countries.

We welcome candidates who bring a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences to join us in working toward MSF’s common mission.

Department 

The Development Department is responsible for raising over $500 million annually to support the mission of the organization.

The Foundations team of the Development Department is responsible for developing, managing and growing strategic relationships with foundation donors.

Project

Under the general direction of the Director of Foundations, the Development Officer for Foundations identifies, develops, manages, and grows strategic relationships with foundation donors. This includes developing proposals and funding relationships around priority MSF activities and initiatives, and coordinating closely with appropriate MSF personnel (within MSF-USA, MSF headquarters in Europe, and the field) to identify and secure appropriate funding.

Tasks

• Working with Prospect Researchers, build strategies for current and prospective donor cultivation and solicitation.
• Manage existing foundation relationships, initiate new ones, and re-engage lapsed donors.
• Build appropriate strategies and create the tools needed to initiate and cultivate these relationships. Craft opportunities for restricted and multi-year giving.
• Manage a portfolio comprising 150+ foundation donors utilizing effective and appropriate stewardship techniques: phone calls, mailings (including various forms of written communication) and meetings, documenting all contacts and next steps with donors.
• In coordination with members of the Foundations team, work with other departments: program, communications, finance, and MSF offices overseas, when appropriate, to gather materials and information needed for the development of proposals and reports to donors.
• Relay accurate and appropriate information about our general mission and specific projects to donors in person, in writing, and over the phone/video conferences.
• Initiate, prepare and participate in donor meetings. As appropriate, includes the Executive Director, Development team members, aid workers, and other key staff. Travels within the US for meetings.
• Develop, revise, and submit and process proposals, end of year solicitations, renewal requests and reports including budget and financial reports for final review by the Director of Foundations.
• Plans and implements special events for foundation donors.
• Ensures that all routine foundation information requests are fulfilled.
• Collaborate with corporate fundraising and major and mid-level gift officers on areas of overlap such as corporate foundations, donor advised funds, events, and other areas of cultivation and solicitation as appropriate.
• Responsible for staying abreast of MSF and international news and for building a general overall knowledge of the organization, including regularly reading general MSF publications and attending office presentations and meetings, in order to understand and explain MSF programs and financial information.
• Contributes to the development of the Foundations annual plan, designed to meet priority funding needs and to effectively communicate about MSF field activities and advocacy efforts, and that meet the needs, objectives, and policies of MSF.
• Works with Foundations Associates to represent Foundation team needs to Research & Analytics and Technology, Products, & Services teams to continue to improve departmental systems to track donor information and history and maintain quality control.
• Conducts routine data entry/review/analysis using donor database, keeping database current and accurate.
• Contributes to documenting the business policies and procedures followed by the Foundations team and keeping them updated.

Qualifications 

Required

• 5 years development experience, preferably in Foundations/Corporations, Major Gifts, or with Multilateral/Bilateral funders.
• Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, presentation, and negotiation skills.
• Experience in all aspects of donor cultivation (research, writing, follow-up, and stewardship)
• Proven skills in working productively with donors, foundation staff, and/or board members.
• Ability to analyze and synthesize complex and sensitive material and use it to develop proposals and reports, and to present appropriate, well-informed messages to donors.
• Ability to write a range of correspondence from formal business letters to warm thank you notes.
• Ability to handle a large volume of work under pressure and with deadlines.
• Excellent time management and organizational skills.
• Keen attention to detail with ability to track multiple projects at one time.
• Ability to work with a minimum of supervision.
• Excellent judgment and diplomacy.
• Facility with spreadsheets, budgets and forecasting.
• Strong computer literacy, including ability to use Word, Excel and fundraising databases, and to conduct online research.
• Familiarity with and commitment to the work of MSF or other international organizations

Preferred

• French skills preferred. Spanish a plus.
• Knowledge of international affairs and humanitarian issues.

No phone calls or emails please. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
 

Application Deadline: Open Until Filled.

MSF-USA/Doctors Without Borders is an Equal Opportunity Employer. No employee, or applicant for employment, shall be discriminated against in any term or condition of employment because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by law. We are constantly striving to make our organization anti-racist. Diversity, equity and inclusion are core values. As an employee, you become part of that mission. We expect this same commitment from our staff.