Job  Board

Position Title: Senior Director of Advancement
Location: Remote (Based in the United States)
Reports to: President
Status: Full-time, Exempt

Position Summary
The Senior Director of Advancement at IllumiNative is a key leadership role responsible for developing and executing comprehensive foundation fundraising strategies. This position involves crafting and managing an annual plan for prospecting, cultivating, and stewarding foundation donors in partnership with the CEO and President’s offices. The Senior Director will lead grant proposals and report writing, conduct prospect research, and ensure accurate tracking of grant deadlines and materials.

A core aspect of this role is meeting annual fundraising goals and demonstrating core competencies such as clear and persuasive communication, attention to detail, organization, and relationship building. The Senior Director will oversee the professional development of the Advancement Team and plan regular funder briefings for existing and potential donors. Collaborating with Executive Leadership, and others, this role plays a direct part in donor communications, advancement strategies, and the planning and evaluation of fundraising campaigns. Additionally, the Senior Director will maintain the integrity of foundation data in the IllumiNative CRM, communicate with stakeholders, and identify future fundraising needs aligned with foundation fundraising strategies.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop an annual plan that is regularly updated to prospect, qualify, cultivate, steward, and retain all foundation donors.
• Direct the completion of all grant proposals (new and renewal) and reports, including collaborating with relevant stakeholders (Programs, Finance, etc.) to gather required data and information  
• Conduct prospect research to identify, cultivate and solicit new grants
• Prepares proposals by determining concept, gathering and formatting information, writing drafts, and obtaining approvals.
• Determines proposal concept by identifying and clarifying opportunities and needs, studying requests for proposals (RFPs), and attending strategy meetings.
• Meets proposal deadline by establishing priorities and target dates for information gathering, writing, review, approval, and transmittal.
• Enters and monitors tracking data.
• Coordinates requirements with contributors and contributes proposal status information to review meetings.
• Gathers proposal information by identifying sources of information, coordinating submissions and collections, and identifying and communicating risks associated with proposals.
• Develops proposal by assembling information including project nature, objectives/outcomes/deliverables, implementation, methods, timetable, staffing, budget, standards of performance, and evaluation.
• Writes, revises, and edits drafts including executive summaries, conclusions, and organization credentials.
• Prepares presentation by evaluating text, graphics, and binding and coordinating printing.
• Maintains quality results by using templates; following proposal-writing standards including readability, consistency, and tone; and maintaining proposal support databases.
• Obtains approvals by reviewing proposals with key providers and project managers.
• Ensure systems are in place to accurately track grant deadlines and store all grant materials 
• Lead the stewardship and renewal strategy for all current grants 
• Establish and maintain personal contact and relationships with grantmaker representatives 
• Meet all grant application and reporting deadlines
• Meet annual fundraising goals
• Demonstrate core competencies: 
  • Clear, concise, and persuasive written and oral communication skills
  • Strong attention to detail
  • Highly organized
  • High level of initiative and follow-through on commitments
• Ability to build relationships and foster trust
• Develop, implement, and manage a system for monthly reconciliations and reporting to Executive Leadership on all fundraising activities and incoming revenue.
• Develop and oversee the professional development of the Associate Director of Foundation Giving.
• Plan regular funder briefings to steward existing donors and to cultivate new foundation donors.
• Create and implement a communications plan with foundation donors to keep them apprised of major accomplishments, updates, etc. from IllumiNative.
• Assist with fundraising for special event sponsorships from foundation partners.
• Collaborate with the Executive Director to set foundation and advancement strategies.  
• Collaborate with Executive Director, Executive Leadership and others to develop and execute plans for all fundraising programs, playing a direct role in donor communications.  
• Oversee the integrity and thoroughness of foundation data in the IllumiNative CRM. 
• Communicate with relevant stakeholders to keep them apprised of organizational and advancement activities.
• Work closely with Executive Leadership and Senior Program Leadership to identify future fundraising needs that can be addressed through foundation fundraising strategies.
• Participate in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of annual giving campaigns and capital campaigns. 

All employees of IllumiNative are required to complete timesheets.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field such as nonprofit management, communications, business administration, or a relevant discipline.
• Master's degree preferred, especially in nonprofit management, philanthropy, or a related field.
• Minimum of 7-10 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, with a focus on foundation giving and major gifts.
• Proven track record of successfully securing grants from foundations, with experience in proposal writing, submission, and reporting.
• Demonstrated experience in developing and executing comprehensive fundraising strategies, including prospect research, cultivation, and stewardship.
• Experience managing a team, providing leadership, mentorship, and professional development opportunities.
• Strong understanding of nonprofit financial management, budgeting, and accounting principles.
• Experience working with CRM systems, preferably Salesforce or similar platforms, for donor management and tracking.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling proposals, reports, and donor communications.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to build and maintain relationships with foundation representatives, donors, and internal stakeholders.
• High level of attention to detail and accuracy, especially in grant writing and reporting.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to develop and implement long-term fundraising plans aligned with organizational goals.
• Proactive and results-oriented mindset, with the ability to meet ambitious fundraising targets and deadlines.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and Google Workspace, with advanced skills in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a remote team environment, demonstrating flexibility, adaptability, and resilience.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, with the ability to foster an inclusive fundraising culture.
• Knowledge of and passion for Indigenous rights, racial and social justice, and issues impacting Native communities is highly desirable.

How to Apply
Please use the JazzHR portal to send a resume, cover letter, and references by May 5, 2024:
https://illuminative.applytojob.com/apply/y7lG4TG6iG/Senior-Director-Of-Advancement

Compensation and Benefits:
Salary range:  $105,000-$120,000
 
Benefits:
Comprehensive benefits package that includes 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance, 3% automatic employer 401k contribution and 3% employer match on 401k contributions, 17 paid holidays, generous paid time off and volunteer time, employer-funded HRA, flexible spending accounts, $200.00 cell phone replacement stipend every 2 years, up to $75.00 monthly cell phone bill reimbursement, and a $75.00 monthly fitness benefit.

Hiring Statement
IllumiNative is committed to attracting, developing, and retaining exceptional people, and to creating a work environment that is dynamic, and rewarding and enables each of us to realize our potential. IllumiNative’s work environment is safe and open to all employees and partners, respecting the full spectrum of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and all other classifications protected by law in the locality and/or state in which you are working.

COVID-19 Policy
To center the safety and well-being of its employees, IllumiNative requires that any employee who is required to conduct in-person activities for their job must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 within four weeks of their start date.  This position may require candidates to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.  Accommodations may be sought and approved in accordance with the law by contacting human resources at hr@illuminatives.org.