Regional Director, Pacific Northwest

Position Summary

Birthright Israel Foundation (BRIF) seeks a proven, goal-oriented, dynamic, and inspiring development professional to serve as Regional Director of Pacific Northwest. This hybrid position will be based in the San Francisco Bay Area and will primarily focus on fundraising for BRIF in the Bay Area market, although the Regional Director will also engage with donors in surrounding areas of Northern California, Oregon, and Washington State. The position requires a candidate with superior relationship skills and demonstrated success in building organizational capacity and increasing revenue. In addition, they must have an authentic passion for the mission of Birthright Israel, a track record as an effective major gifts fundraiser, and be an articulate communicator of BRIF's case for support. This driven self-starter will manage and grow the Bay Area/Pacific Northwest Region's annual campaign.

Candidates should have an entrepreneurial approach and thrive in a fast-paced environment. Candidates should also have the capacity to develop and execute fundraising strategies that include identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding individuals, foundations, alumni, and parents of Birthright Israel alumni in the Pacific Northwest.

The Regional Director, Pacific Northwest will report to and work in partnership with the VP, Western Region to design a major gifts strategy aimed at increasing dollars and donors in the regional area. This position will be a part of a 3-person Western Region operation that raised over $6 million in 2023. The Regional Director is expected to grow the campaign by upgrading donors and building relationships with new donors, focusing on those donors with five- and six-figure capacity.

Organizational Overview

Birthright Israel began with a bold idea in 1999 — to offer young Jewish adults a life-changing trip to Israel to build their Jewish identity and, by doing so, transform the Jewish future. In turn, The Birthright Israel Foundation was founded to raise the necessary funds in the United States to support this critical mission and to ensure that all young Jews have an opportunity to visit their ancestral homeland and forge a connection to their heritage that can last a lifetime. Since its founding, Birthright Israel has sent over 850,000 young adults on this transformational trip. Our work has become even more important in a post-October 7th world.

Reports To

VP, Western Region
Fundraising/Development

Compensation

$125,000-$150,000

FLSA: Exempt

Opportunities & Challenges

This position is a unique and compelling opportunity to play a leadership role in resource development for what many view as the most successful engagement program in Jewish life and Israel.

With a current national campaign raising over $80 million from 30,000 donors, BRIF's base of support has grown in recent years. However, meeting the growing needs of young Jewish adults who want to take a Birthright Israel trip will require broadening and upgrading the base of support from alumni, their parents, and supporters of Birthright Israel's mission.

Key Responsibilities

Build and manage a fundraising portfolio of ~100 donors and prospects at the $10,000+ level with the expectation of eventually cultivating and soliciting five-to-seven-figure prospects. This includes:

Working with the BRIF's national office to develop a pipeline of new prospects.

Initiating contact and meeting with existing and potential donors.

Using moves management to track interactions and create strategies on prospects to pursue.

Developing and implementing engagement and cultivation strategies.

Soliciting gifts of $5,000+ from current and prospective donors.

Soliciting legacy gifts from donors.

Work with the VP, Western Region to identify and qualify prospects and build appropriate strategies to capture individual giving and legacy giving.

Cultivate new leadership ambassador council members in the Bay Area and identify volunteer partners in other Pacific Northwest cities identified as crucial for regional fundraising.

Work with colleagues in other regions to assist with closing gifts related to donors based in multiple locations throughout the year.

Increase the number of donors and dollars raised in the region year-over-year.

Plan and attend events strategically designed to cultivate new prospective donors and steward existing ones.

Utilize the organization's database (Salesforce) to build a pipeline of prospects as well as maintain accurate records of donor interactions, individuals' programmatic interests, giving trends, and donor engagement and solicitation strategies.

Qualifications & Skills

Bachelor's degree required.

5+ years of significant fundraising or related for-profit resource development experience.

Experience and comfort working with high-level donors and philanthropists.

Familiarity with the Bay Area and surrounding Jewish philanthropic communities in the Pacific Northwest.

Deep understanding of major gift fundraising principles and moves management.

Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

Strong self-confidence and high energy, along with a positive and proactive approach.

A passion for Jewish engagement and the mission of Birthright Israel.

Self-starter with the ability to work alone and in a team.

Keen understanding of donor needs and requirements.

Collaborative work style and ability to influence people across, within, and outside the Birthright Israel organization.

Solid organizational skills and attention to detail.

Proficiency working with business technology and donor database systems; Salesforce experience is a plus.

Willingness to travel as needed to donor meetings, events, and BRIF summits.

Physical Demands

Regularly required to speak clearly and hear the spoken word well.

Regularly required to physically operate routine office equipment such as telephones, computers, and mobile devices.

Regularly required to utilize near vision ability to read data and documents, including spreadsheets and reports, in printed form and on computer screens.

Work Environment

Noise level is consistent with levels usually present in an office environment.

Hazards present are consistent with those common to an office environment.