Director of Advancement

Position: Director of Advancement 

Status: Full Time, Non-Exempt 

Reports to: Executive Director 

Location: Remote with travel requirements 

Women First International Fund is a dynamic, growing organization that is dedicated to investing in women creating change across the globe. We are looking for the right person to lead our fundraising team as our Director of Advancement. 

These are the qualities we are looking for:

You thrive in an environment of support, trust and freedom. The Women First team is small, decentralized and supports each other as human beings FIRST. This creates a dynamic, powerful environment to be the leader you are truly meant to be and work in a way that works for you and your life.  An out of the box thinker who is ready to LEAD. You are an entrepreneur at heart and find creative solutions to any challenge. Whether you have non-profit or private sector experience- you are born to LEAD. You have a vision for what is possible with your team and you trailblaze the way forward.  Thrives (and has delivered results) in relational fundraising or sales: You may have a background in business development or consultative sales – and know that engaging 1x1 with people is the work you were born to do! You are a person who loves sharing stories about women out there changing the world and are not afraid of presenting opportunities for investment. A high altitude, action-oriented strategist – rather than being too focused on all the details, you create brilliant strategies at a high level while also creating the action plans to ensure the big stuff happens. You are both brilliant and methodical and you never let process slow you down. You take the time to celebrate. Life is short. We have all collectively had a tough couple of years - you know how important it is to celebrate wins and focus on the positive.

 Key perks of working at Women First International Fund include:

Women First offers a PTO policy of 27 days (which includes vacation, sick leave, and personnel time) for the first 5 years. 13 paid holidays  100% medical coverage  Women First operates in a virtual office space

Overview: 

Women First’s grant making model is designed to strategically support small and emerging organizations working towards economic empowerment for women, girls, and trans* people in their own communities. Women First focuses on promoting economic empowerment as one path to achieving women’s equality in the global south, specifically East Africa and South Asia. Our deep commitment to our grantee partners goes beyond funding and includes hosting learning sessions, creating peer networking opportunities, and sharing expertise. 

We are seeking a Director of Advancement as a leadership position to join our small team (6 current employees) at an exciting point in our evolution as a fundraising team. This position will be primarily responsible for oversight of fundraising, communications, and external partnerships to raise revenue and expand our influence. This role is primarily focused on sales – that is, getting out and talking to prospects about the impact of Women First and generating results from those conversations. 

Job Description: 

The Director of Advancement is responsible for advancing Women First’s investment strategy by crafting and guiding the organization’s giving strategy, including strategic outreach, cultivation, solicitation, and development of relationships with corporate, institutional, private and family foundation funders. The Director will also be responsible for creating a portfolio of major and leadership level donors and securing an honoree and major corporate sponsorship for an annual gala. 

In addition, they will play a critical role in advancing our mission through strategic and day-to-day responsibility for coalition-building, strategic partnerships, and will have oversight of all communication efforts. 

Position Responsibilities: 

Development 

Maintain up-to-date knowledge of the philanthropic landscape to pursue opportunistic partnerships as they relate to giving trends and charitable contributions.  Manage in partnership with the Executive Director the hiring of a development manager and the staff management and team building role.  Manage, in partnership with the Executive Director and staff, the strategic participation of Board Members in cultivating and stewarding strong relationships with funding sources and identify and initiate new opportunities to expand our foundation, corporate, and individual donor base.  Oversee an up-to-date calendar and work plans for all fund development efforts, including future grant proposals and reports, mailings, marketing activity, and events.  Own relationship management and strategy for all prospects including research and strategy, predisposition planning, visit strategy and planning, making asks, managing follow up activities and engaging other members of the team as needed  Participate in – and seek out – opportunities to learn about the projects and communities served by Women First.  Expand, build, and provide strategic leadership for our Major Gifts Program in collaboration with the development team.  Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of major donors and major donor prospects, with the capacity to make four and five figure gifts.  Ensure that all major donors receive appropriate, consistent engagement/acknowledgment and an accounting of the impact that their gift has on grantee partners on a consistent basis.  Support the efforts of Board Members and other donor-ambassadors engaged in peer-to-peer cultivation and solicitations.  With support of staff, plan and execute a minimum of 6-8 small to medium donor online or in-person cultivation events per year. This includes cultivating hosts, managing external speakers and topics, invitation creation and dissemination, onsite event management, and follow up.  Create a more formal and informed process for planned giving options for donors to give to Women First. Work to grow and steward donors, who have made or plan to make bequest, legacy, or estate gifts to the Women First. 

Marketing/Communications 

Manage in partnership with the Executive Director the hiring of a marketing and communication consultant/firm/individual and the staff management and team building role.  Conceive and develop efficient and intuitive marketing strategies.  Manage the ongoing marketing strategy with Development Team to support fundraising  Develop and execute communications campaigns (social media strategy) and manage ongoing content with the team.  Assist in communication of strategies or messages from senior leadership  Assist in writing copy for diverse marketing distributions (brochures, press releases, website material) 

Philanthropic Collaboration and Strategic Partnerships 

Lead point of contact on potential strategic partnerships to increase investment and engagement in Women First’s mission.  Set strategies for increasing Women First’s visibility to identify and cultivate strategic partnerships that will have a significant impact on Women First’s objective to promote and advocate for economic empowerment of women in East Africa and South Asia.  Collaborate closely with staff to ensure outreach, partnership, and outcomes alignment across roles.  Represent Women First along with the Executive Director, as appropriate, at all levels of engagement with external stakeholders, including strategic meetings, conferences and convenings, speaking engagements, and other opportunities. 

Required Skills: 

Willingness and ability to travel to meet with major donors within the US, some international travel may be required.  Strong communicator with experience developing and executing an organization-wide strategy for excellence in external relations, engaging external partners, and partnering with organizational leadership.  Demonstrated successful skill and effectiveness in relationship building and solicitation of individual major donors.  Demonstrated ability to ask for and close gifts, grants, and investments of five and six figures.  Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage and build relationships with people from a wide diversity of backgrounds and cultures.  Demonstrated ability to manage a team, including developing annual plans and budgets.  Demonstrated ability to supervise, develop, and engage staff, with a strong commitment to collaboration.  A commitment to international women’s empowerment and a strong desire to support economic justice as a path to achieve women’s equity in the global south.  Flexible and comfortable in a fast-paced environment, with excellent follow through.  Strong organization skills, decision-making, and delegation skills. 

Strongly Preferred: 

Fluency in a language in addition to English, a plus  Proficiency with Salesforce software, a plus  Familiarity with prospect research tools 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities; Education and Experience: 

Minimum of 10-15 years professional experience in non-profit fundraising or external relations with experience in major gifts or business development or consultative sales  International experience and knowledge a plus 

Women First International Fund is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, disability, age, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or any other status protected by law. Women, people of color, and LGBTQI candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. 

Application Instructions: 

Applicant should submit a current CV and cover letter to rlicata@womenfirstfund.org