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
The External Relations Office raises private philanthropic support from corporations, foundations and individuals. The foundation support, together with public grants, for the most part provides critical program dollars for specific programs around the world. Individual philanthropy is increasingly important in providing seed and discretionary support for these programs, gap funding, and in supporting core organizational services.
Position Purpose
The Major Gifts Officer plays an important role in strengthening the major gifts program for Pathfinder International. S/he works with Board Members and volunteer leadership to identify potential philanthropists, primarily on the $10,000+ gift level. The Major Gifts Officer plans and executes strategies for donors and prospects that are at various stages of their relationship with Pathfinder including cultivation, solicitation and stewardship activities. Extensive travel throughout the United States will be required to accomplish these goals.
Key Responsibilities
- Prepare and implement a strategic plan for the cultivation and solicitation of an assigned portfolio of up to 200 Major Donor prospects.
- Achieve annual revenue goals and assist in meeting departmental goals. Build on an existing set of relationships as well as increase the number and quality of Major Donor prospects through research, donor database management, prospect tracking, networking and cultivation.
- Allocate and prioritize time and travel resources for greatest return on investment.
· Conduct visits and other high-level interactions with prospects, documenting actions as appropriate.
· Prepare reports, briefings materials, correspondence, proposals, and related documents for solicitation of major gift prospects.
· Ensure annual solicitations of all prospects and donors, and manage the process so solicitations are closed on schedule and acknowledged accordingly.
- Maintain complete and timely records of contacts with donors and prospects.
· Participate actively in prospect review meetings; collaborate with Development Director, Gift Officer(s) and other team members for cultivation and solicitation strategies.
- Engage and support Pathfinder’s President and senior staff in fundraising. Recommend timing for visits, and prepare background reports, strategies, scripts, talking points, and manage briefing sessions. Accompany on visits as appropriate, debrief and manage follow-up activity.
- Identify, recruit and support volunteers for cultivation and fundraising events. Plan donor events, including identifying local donors and friends of Pathfinder.
- Build relationships with programmatic and External Relations staff to acquire the information needed to solicit gifts and build donor relationships effectively. Working in partnership with the Major Gift team, determine investment opportunities for donors who wish to restrict their gift to a specific program area.
- Collaborate with the Major Gift team, providing direction for the timely and accurate completion of routine tasks and projects such as event planning, gift acknowledgements, mailings, and database coding of gifts.
· Collaborate with External Relations staff to leverage the talent, potential, and the diverse skill set of each member of the group.
- Provide writing and editing on relevant fundraising articles and major gift/planned giving materials as needed.
- Perform other job related duties as requested.
Basic Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree.
- A minimum of five to seven years of progressively responsible cause-related fundraising experience, with at least three years of demonstrated success with major donors.
- Proven track record in cultivating, soliciting and closing five and six figure gifts (or more) from individuals. Consistent in meeting annual fundraising goals.
- Broad knowledge of the principles of fundraising and the ability to participate in all aspects of the gift cycle including: discovering and qualifying prospects and donors; initiating contact and tracking outreach; developing creative and effective solicitation strategies; moving prospects and donors in an appropriate and timely fashion toward solicitation; effective solicitation and gift closure; stewardship.
- Demonstrated writing skills and experience preparing major gift proposals.
- Demonstrated ability to effectively represent an organization to internal and external audiences through the use of excellent presentation, interpersonal, writing and general communication skills.
- Experience working with volunteer fundraising committees and individuals.
- Ability to interface effectively with executive staff and board members.
- Exceptional relationship-building, analytic, planning, organizational and motivational skills.
- Commitment to goal attainment and a high degree of initiative, ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, demonstrated ability to plan and implement successful cultivation events.
- Highly self-motivated, and ability to work creatively, flexibly, and with considerable independence from a distance.
- An understanding and belief that fundraising is a team sport.
- Thrives in a fast paced, highly complex, intellectually stimulating and diverse multicultural environment.
- Flexibility and willingness to attend weekend/evening meetings and undertake regional, national and international travel up to 40% of the time is required.
- Absolute confidentiality, professionalism and discretion required in managing sensitive information and relationships.
- Strong commitment to the mission and purpose of Pathfinder International is essential.
- Innovative nature, a positive outlook, an extraordinary work ethic, and a sense of humor are critical.
- Comprehensive proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, Database and Internet Skills/Competencies, and the ability to utilize donor management/ prospect tracking software and internet sources to support fundraising activities.
- Excellent communication skills.
- A valid Driver’s license.
Preferred Qualifications
· Knowledge of tax laws that impact charitable giving, personal assets and estates.
· Experience with Raiser’s Edge fundraising software.
· Prior cause-related fundraising experience in an international development organization.
EmoticonEmoticon