Senior Development Officer, Major Gifts

Overview of AJWS

American Jewish World Service (AJWS) is the leading Jewish organization working to fight poverty and pursue justice in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. By supporting hundreds of social change organizations in 14 countries, we respond to the most pressing issues of our time—from disasters, genocide and hunger, to the persecution of women and minorities worldwide. With Jewish values and a global reach, AJWS is making a difference in millions of lives and bringing a more just and equitable world closer for all.

Overview of Team

The Development Division at AJWS is responsible for raising the revenue that supports AJWS’s grantmaking and advocacy. The Division includes the following departments: Institutional Giving, Major Gifts, Development Operations and Donor Engagement. Members of the Division partner closely with the Communications and Marketing, Programs, Finance and Administration and People and Culture teams, as well as the Executive Office and Board of Trustees, instilling a culture of philanthropy across the organization. The Division is responsible for cultivating, stewarding and soliciting donors, building a deep connection and commitment to our work for our supporters.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Director of Major Gifts and serving as a key member of the Development team, the Senior Development Officer, Major Gifts (Strategy) role advances the mission of American Jewish World Service (AJWS) by managing and coordinating various programmatic, administrative, and operational functions that enable successful engagement of individual donors and prospects at the leadership and principal gift level ($100,000 and above, with an emphasis on seven-figure prospects). Specifically, this includes providing sophisticated coordination and support to the Vice President for Development, CEO and their Chief of Staff, and the Director of Major Gifts, relative to major giving strategies, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship that enables fundraising success and meeting/exceeding goals for AJWS’s current $212M campaign. This includes but is not limited to contributing to development of donor engagement strategies; coordinating and prioritizing with the Prospect Development team; preparing meeting briefings for leadership; streamlining communication regarding top prospects with Relationship Managers, Development Operations, and Donor Engagement; coordinating and tracking donor meetings, study tours, calls, and requisite follow-up; liaising with the Executive Office; and maintaining timely and accurate documentation of donor interactions in Salesforce database.

The SDO, MG is a proactive, confident self-starter with strong project management skills, who thrives in a fast-paced environment that values results. They are persistent and driven to succeed in advancing efforts to grow a robust pipeline of major donors for AJWS and in meeting or exceeding goals. Success in this role will require the following qualities:

Self-motivated, self-sufficient, and driven to lead and collaborate with others to achieve
success.
Detail-oriented, analytical, with strong organizational and project management skills.
Strategic, proactive, and forward thinking.
Outgoing, and confident with exceptional communication skills.
Possesses the highest standards of personal and professional integrity.

Job Description

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Partners with Prospect Development Team to assist on top prospect strategies through coordinating prospect research and preparation of executive briefing materials in support of engagement and solicitation efforts. Actively participates in donor strategy sessions.
Ensure data integrity for all CEO, Vice President for Development and Director of Major Gifts donor activity, though promptly and accurate recording in Salesforce.
Coordinates and manages recurring strategy meetings and planning for top major gift donors and prospects.
Liaises and works closely with the Chief of Staff to coordinate and manage bespoke CEO communications with Principal donors/prospects with appropriate context and nuance, as well as accuracy and timeliness, including serving as a key checkpoint for context/quality assurance. This includes all top donor correspondence, scheduling, stewardship, and follow-up activity conducted by the CEO.
With the Donor Engagement team, coordinates the top donors/prospects’ “VIP experience” at key AJWS events, ensuring quality of experience and interactions with CEO, VP of Development, and/or other key individuals, as well as pre- and post-event communications with donors.
Leads management and coordination of meetings, calls, Zoom calls, and bespoke events for top donors, including liaising with other teams/individuals to ensure success.
Supports the Director of Major Gifts in creating, implementing, and overseeing strategies to increase the size and value of the qualified prospect pool at the Major Giving level through collection, maintenance, and analysis of critical and relevant information.
Supports the Development Operations team to implement management reports analyzing and forecasting fundraising activity, particularly for AJWS’s top donors.
Liaises with Prospect Development Team to coordinate and prioritize prospect research and preparation of executive briefing materials in support of engagement and solicitation efforts.
Remains abreast of AJWS programs, activities, publications, communications, and new initiatives to most effectively engage and/or steward donors to greater levels of support.
Other duties may be assigned from time to time. Occasional evening and weekend work required to meet critical deadlines and/or participate in Development events.

Required Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree required, with a minimum of 5 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising.
Experience in fundraising campaign management, prospect management & analytics, and prospect research desirable.
Experience assessing major gift/business opportunities; engaging, cultivating, and stewarding new stakeholders.
Ability to manage confidential information with discretion and tact. Acts with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
Works independently and across teams, with assiduous attention to sharing information with others.
Proficiency in communicating complex issues with diverse audiences and inspiring their engagement and support.
Skilled project manager.
Exceptional writing and presentation skills.
Highly self-motivated, accountable, and able to make decisions independently.
Ability to think strategically and contextually and to anticipate the needs and expectations of manager and executives.
Ability to manage competing priorities and multiple, concurrent tasks, exhibit flexibility, and meet deadlines.
Ability to analyze and present data effectively, make decisions, and align efforts with priorities and opportunities.
Proficiency with Salesforce or similar CRM system is highly desirable.
Proficiency with Microsoft Sharepoint, Excel, Powerpoint, and Zoom highly desirable.
Proficiency with Asana or other project management tool.
Knowledge of relevant prospect research and philanthropic analytical tools beneficial.
Superb verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
Passion for the mission of AJWS and engages stakeholders with that same passion.
Ability to travel locally and nationally as needed, occasionally work after hours and on weekends.

Additional Information:

Salary Range: P3/$77,000-$100,250
This role is full time (40 HRS), Exempt
This is a union position

Location:

Remote – Contiguous US-based
(This role is flexible in nature and can be performed from a home office in the contiguous United States.)

Compensation and Benefits Information

AJWS is committed to a salary framework that aligns with our culture and values. The compensation range reflected is in alignment with our framework and individual pay decisions will vary based on skills and experience while still allowing for growth.
Paid Time Off: 15-22 Federal and religious holidays off each year in addition to generous vacation and sick days;
Full health benefits coverage with minimal contribution by employees;
403(b): 4.75% company match (safe harbor);
Flexible Spending Account and Commuter Benefits;
Workplace flexibility and generous leave policy.

Additional Considerations

Black, Indigenous and People of Color; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Intersex, Trans and Gender non-conforming people; women; people raised poor or working class; and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. We also encourage applications from people of diverse religious, spiritual, and cultural backgrounds.

As an organization committed to promoting social justice around the world, it is essential that we incorporate a diverse, equitable and inclusive lens into all aspects of our work at AJWS. We encourage applicants with a global perspective and a commitment to values around diversity, equity, and inclusion to apply.

Authorization to work in the US is required.

How to Apply

For immediate consideration, apply below. Applications submitted without a resume and personalized cover letter will not be considered. We thank you for your interest in career opportunities with AJWS. Due to high volume, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.