Director of Fundraising Strategy, Consulting Firm
- Employer
- Spark Point Fundraising
- Location
- District of Columbia, United States
- Salary
- $80,000.00 - $100,000.00
- Closing date
- Oct 20, 2022
View more
- Position Type
- Fundraising, Annual Fund, Capital Campaigns, Corporate and Foundation Relations, Donor Relations, Major Gifts, Planned Giving, Other Fundraising
- Fields
- Academic Centers, Advocacy, Animal Protection, Arts, Community Development, Education, Environment, Health, International, Legal Services, Museum, Other Fields, Social Services
- Employment Type
- Full Time
Time Commitment: 35 hour work week
Reports To: CEO
Location: Fully Remote
Spark Point Fundraising is seeking a Director of Fundraising Strategy to lead the company’s growing strategy consulting practice in partnership with the CEO, shaping it over time into its own vertical. To ensure measured and successful growth, the Director of Fundraising Strategy will set and manage against specific standards and practices for the strategy team, contribute to business development, build, lead and manage the strategy team, and serve as a member of the Spark Point leadership team. This is a new position.
The ideal candidate is someone who knows the ins and outs of nonprofit fundraising strategy and is excited to dig into the inner workings of an organization’s resource development operation to identify ways to get better results, support growth, and achieve long-term sustainability. While we welcome people with various types of experience to apply, it’s important to know that this position will be juggling many different projects for different clients, so some consulting or agency experience OR experience managing a large and complex fundraising team will be an advantage for someone in this role.
The best fit for this role is someone who:
-
Can see the big picture AND the
details and is able to anticipate where bumps in the road will be
and how to avoid or prevent them.
Can translate fundraising strategy
into implementation and guide others on how to do so.
Can see the connection between
strategy, goals, and metrics, and can build a plan that includes
all three. This applies to fundraising plans for clients and to
internal business planning.
Can design and manage campaigns of
various types and sizes - from a single year-end fundraising
campaign, to a stewardship campaign, to a large, multi-year growth
campaign - and everything in between.
Enjoys helping people build their
skills - both as fundraisers and as professionals - and is eager to
serve as a coach both internally with Spark Point staff and
externally with clients.
Knows how to stay up-to-date on
what’s new in the fundraising world, especially as it relates to
technology and data, and knows how to separate what is valuable and
what is not.
Can adapt their behavior to varied
roles - coach, supervisor, mentor, team mate, leader, manager -
depending on what aspect of the job they are focused on at a given
time.
Has an entrepreneurial spirit and is
excited about the opportunity to build a team from the ground up,
in partnership with Spark Point’s leadership team.
If the above excites you, but seems like a bit of a stretch, don’t worry! Apply anyway. Enthusiasm and desire to succeed count in our hiring process, and we are willing to provide additional professional development support to the right candidate. We are actively recruiting candidates of diverse backgrounds, and BIPOC candidates are encouraged to apply.
Job Responsibilities
The Director of Fundraising Strategy has four primary responsibilities.
-
Client-Facing Service
Delivery (50%) - Serve as the lead strategist and
client manager on fundraising strategy engagements, including Spark
Point’s Spark Time Assessment. Initially, the person in
this role will take on client management responsibilities for grant
writing clients on an as-needed basis and as a way to learn our
client management process.
Business Development
(10%) - Work with the CEO to design and implement business
development and marketing strategies related to the fundraising
strategy space. Specifically, the Director of Fundraising Strategy
should:
-
Cultivate a referral network that
supports lead generation for new business
With the support of the marketing
team, seek out and attain opportunities to present at conferences,
workshops, and other venues that will build thought leadership in
the grant writing field.
Bring in new business at a rate of at
least three clients per year. This number will increase as the
company grows.
-
Building the team -
With knowledge of the company’s needs and priorities, create job
descriptions, hiring rubrics, and key performance indicators for
members of the strategy team.
Supervising the team
- Conduct goal/KPI setting sessions, quarterly KPI reviews, and
semi-annual performance reviews for each team member.
Optimizing the team
- Ensure that all necessary tools, supports, and processes are in
place to ensure efficiency and effectiveness among the team.
Connecting the team
- Make space to increase connectedness and collaboration among the
team so that they feel supported and engaged in their work.
Over time, the division of labor among these different buckets of work will change with the ultimate goal being that the person in this role does considerably less client-facing work and more business strategy and management. This will likely happen over 1-2 years.
Other Responsibilities Include:
-
Strategy:
Participate in strategic planning meetings for Spark Point, working
with the leadership team to shape business development strategies,
ensure clients are happy and well managed, and seek out ways to
improve efficiency and maximize our impact.
Organizational Development
& Team Strategy: In partnership with the Leadership
Team, identify opportunities for organizational development to
support strategic goals. This work may include:
-
Identifying, articulating, and
refining management and collaboration processes
Maintaining a positive and cohesive
organizational culture
Building and implementing HR
processes related to hiring, performance evaluation, and
professional development
Managing and implementing special
projects that support the team and strategic goals, including our
antiracism work groups, supporting the development of a diverse
team, and others as they arise
- Profitability: Work with CEO to identify and leverage opportunities to increase profit by cutting costs or increasing productivity. As the team grows, profitability will be a leading key performance indicator (KPI) for this position.
-
Client Relations: In
partnership with the leadership team, ensure an optimal client
experience for all strategy clients and retain their contracts for
as long as is feasible,
-
Support more junior strategists in
navigating challenging aspects of client relations, calling on
other members of the leadership team for support when
needed.
Set and manage toward high standards
of client service in the strategy vertical
Build strong client relationships
through direct client management, strategic guidance, and
thoughtful relationship building
Maintain relationships with past
clients, soliciting feedback and testimonials through off-boarding
processes and scheduling regular touchpoints to keep former clients
engaged
Qualifications
-
Management – The
person in this position will ideally have 2 or more years of
experience in a senior management role in the nonprofit or private
sector with superior management skills and the ability to manage a
team.
- Fundraising – The person in this position will ideally have 7 or more years of experience in fundraising for nonprofits, at least 2 of it in a leadership role with responsibility for developing fundraising strategy.
- Growth and Change - Proven track record of success facilitating progressive organizational change and development within a growing organization. Ability to work within a fast paced, quickly evolving organization and manage multiple complex priorities.
-
Client Relations –
The person in this position must understand and follow the basic
tenets of client relationship management and professional service
delivery while upholding the Spark Point Fundraising brand,
maximizing revenue, and efficiently managing costs, expectations,
and resources.
Communication – The
person in this position must be able to effectively (meaning
without ambiguity or animosity) communicate with colleagues,
clients, and others in a direct and respectful manner and must
prioritize direct communication as the most effective means of
conveying meaning. In other words, say what you mean and mean what
you say.
Creative Problem
Solving – The person in this position must be able to
provide creative and helpful solutions to problems with the
ultimate goal of achieving the highest possible level of efficiency
and using strong analytical, project management, and problem
solving skills.
Ingenuity – The
person in this position must have experience with creating,
designing, or otherwise coming up with a new idea; creating a plan
for executing on the idea;, and completing the execution of said
plan.
Compassion -
Exceptional interpersonal skills, a high emotional quotient, and an
ability to convey information directly and with kindness in both
written and verbal communication.
A Commitment to Ending
Racism – Our commitment to equity is not superficial.
Spark Point, like many organizations, is on a journey to eliminate
racism and white supremacy from its operations. If this resonates
with you then you are a good fit for this position.
Compensation and Benefits Package
The salary for this position is $80,000 - $100,000 annually. This role will also be eligible for commissions for bringing in new business.
In addition to financial compensation, Spark Point will offer the following additional benefits:
-
Health Insurance -
100% employer-sponsored for the employee
401K – 3% of salary
plus an additional employer match of up to 3%.
Paid Time Off - 15
days (increases at the 3- and 5-year marks)
Holidays - 11
Federal holidays, 3 floating holidays, and the week between
Christmas and New Year’s Day
Professional
development - $500 per year to pay for conferences,
seminars, or other professional development opportunities
Equipment - $1,000
allowance for equipment purchases including computer, monitors,
keyboard, mouse, etc. An additional $300 is allocated yearly to
allow for equipment upgrades.
Telecom Allowance -
$600 per year to cover the cost of phone and internet usage
Flexibility – Spark
Point values work-life balance and flexibility in work
environments, so you will be able to work at the times, locations,
and pace that work best for you, provided that all deadlines are
met, all client meetings proceed appropriately, progress is being
made toward KPIs, and you attend any meetings that the CEO requires
everyone to attend. Our team is fully remote. Occasional travel
may be required for annual staff retreats, conferences, and other
opportunities.
Spark Point Fundraising is a boutique consulting firm that fights for equity. We work with clients in a variety of critical issue areas that help our neighbors and communities thrive. We provide outsourced foundation relations services and fundraising strategy development (that’s where you come in) to nonprofits that are changing the world. As a team, we are rooted in the values of kindness, compassion, respect, and integrity. We believe in equity. Many of our clients are Black-led organizations serving communities of color. As such, a commitment to racial justice and anti-racism are central to our approach to client service.
Spark Point Fundraising is a woman-owned firm. Our team includes people of different ages, races, and sexual orientations. We are committed to building a team that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve, and we actively encourage people of diverse backgrounds to apply for this position. We recognize that nonprofit fundraising, as a field, is predominantly white, and that many structural barriers limit opportunity for people of color. As a part of our commitment to racial justice, we strongly encourage candidates with skills, talent, and drive to apply, even if your experience does not match the ideal candidate description listed here. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.
Spark Point Fundraising LLC provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Spark Point Fundraising LLC also complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in Washington, DC.
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