United States of America: Director of Development, Major Gifts

Pathfinder Overview

Pathfinder International is a global leader in sexual and reproductive health. We place reproductive health care at the center of all that we do—believing that it is not only a fundamental human right, but is critical for expanding life opportunities for women, families, communities, and nations, and paving the way for transformations in environmental stewardship, decreases in population pressures, and innovations in poverty reduction. Pathfinder provides women, men, and adolescents with a range of quality health services—from contraception and maternal care to HIV prevention and AIDS care and treatment. Pathfinder strives to strengthen access to family planning, ensure availability of safe abortion services and post-abortion care, advocate for sound reproductive health policies, and, through all of our work, improve the rights and lives of the people we serve.

Program Overview

Pathfinder International has a tremendous network of friends and supporters across the entire United States, and a growing base of international attention and support. Its national and international Board, together with the development officers and a broad and diverse field staff, connect this network through communication, cultivation, travel, volunteerism, and fundraising. The Development Unit is committed to maintaining and growing the philanthropy of individual supporters. This position is responsible for growing the donor base and financial support from major donor and annual fund programs. As an advocate for the mission and programs of Pathfinder, the Director of Development represents the organization among influential public audiences.

Position Purpose

The Director of Development / Major Gifts works with the Vice President of External Relations, President, the Development Committee of the Board of Directors and fundraising staff to design and oversee the major gift program, annual giving, planned giving, donor communications and database management. S/he oversees a staff of six.

The Director of Development will be an accomplished fundraiser with leadership and management experience, the demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team-oriented environment, have professional fundraising experience in a mission-based organization, and a personal commitment to Pathfinder’s mission and goals. S/he will possess a demonstrated track record of conceiving and implementing new fundraising initiatives and significantly growing fundraising revenues. A collaborative style, strong work ethic, and enthusiasm for building bridges between staff, Board, donors and other key stakeholders are essential.

Key Responsibilities

• Provides the strategic vision and collaborative leadership necessary to plan an effective and comprehensive strategic plan for development and annual plans for the major giving program. This will include generating ideas, mobilizing department and organization-wide participation, and producing and evaluating outcomes.
• Implements the development strategic and annual plans which will include working with major donors, direct mail, on-line giving and events. It will also include engaging the Board, President and Senior Staff.
• Ensures the Development Unit has a high performing staff and staffing structure in place to advance the development goals and effectiveness, develop staff’s potential and support career growth opportunities, and ensure ongoing and annual performance management.
• Identifies, evaluates, cultivates and solicits large philanthropic commitments to support Pathfinder’s mission and goals; and carries a portfolio of 50-75 donors.
• The Director is responsible for the Development Unit’s annual budget planning and oversight..
• Leads in creating, planning and coordinating major gift cultivation events, activities, stewardship and meetings.
• Works with the President and Vice President of Resource Development on maximizing the involvement and contribution of Board members.
• Oversees the planning and execution of donor trips.
• Manages the planned giving program and responsible for its growth.
• Collaborates with the Online/New Media staff to enable integrated fundraising efforts on and off line.
• Responsible for tracking performance and forecasting major donor individual giving projections.
• Promotes effective collaboration with the Communications Unit on donor related messages and products.
• Keeps informed of developments in philanthropy and individual giving in particular.
• Supervises 3 Major Gift Officers and works with them to insure their success and professional development.
• Performs other related fundraising duties and special projects as needed.

Basic Requirements

• Appropriate combination of Bachelor’s Degree and significant relevant professional experience required in the areas of major giving, planned giving, direct mail, on-line and special event planning..
• Seven to ten years of professional experience in successful development operations with increasingly responsible positions.
• Proven ability to personally cultivate, solicit, and steward major and institutional donors at six figure levels. The ability to inspire high net worth individuals and major foundations to financial leadership.
• Strong management skills, and a demonstrated ability to recruit, manage, mentor and motivate an effective team. Success in increasing the effectiveness of staff through established objectives, performance standards, quantifiable benchmarks, and coaching.
• Strategic thinker and excellent communicator with the ability to present information, make recommendations and influence positively across various levels of the organization while exercising professionalism and diplomacy to accomplish objectives.
• Very strong interpersonal, networking and cross-cultural skills.
• Ability to exercise sound and timely judgment and maintain confidentiality of sensitive information.
• Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally as needed. Up to 35%
• Integrity and highest ethical standards.
• Ability to establish solid working relationships with donors, volunteers, program management, technical staff, and diverse employees in various other business areas of the organization.
• Experience and/or strong interest and familiarity with the fundamental connection between development and communications both broadly and in the context of on-line engagement.
• A multi-disciplinary thinker with excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to translate Pathfinder’s mission and work to diverse constituencies.
• Ability to budget key aspects of the development plan and regularly track the financial outputs and outcomes of each fundraising strategy.
• Commitment to Pathfinder’s mission, purpose, and values.
• Experience with Raiser’s Edge or similar donor management system.
• Advanced computer skills, especially with MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and Outlook).

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of and/or experience with international reproductive health, family planning, maternal health concepts and trends, and institutions in the field, especially donors.
• Experience living or working in developing countries that aids in the understanding of program context, field realities, and technical needs preferred.
• Experience raising money for international programs.
• Strong financial and accounting acumen.

Pathfinder International is proud to be an Affirmative Action / Equal Opportunity Employer

http://www.pathfinder.org/about-us/join-our-team/