ABOUT THE ROLE
Are you a superb major gifts fundraiser who cares about the dangers to our democracy and loves investigative journalism? CIR seeks a collaborative and outcome-driven Senior Major Gifts Officer to join our development team.
Reporting to the Vice President of Development, this newly created position is a senior frontline fundraiser role that will lead a growing and important East Coast portfolio. This role will also work closely with the CEO and the Development Researcher. You will be part of a dynamic and experienced development team focused on supporting our newly expanded newsroom, which makes it an exciting time to be fundraising for this vibrant news organization. Funds from major donors are a key revenue stream as we continue to build out the organization’s hybrid business model.
We are a distributed team with primary offices in San Francisco, New York, and Washington, DC Due to the nature of this being a donor-facing hybrid role, the Senior Major Gifts Officer must be located near one of the following major areas: New York, Washington, DC, Boston, or Chicago.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Develop and steward an active portfolio of 75-100 major donors and prospects (individuals, select family foundations, and DAF funders) to cultivate, solicit, and close gifts in support of CIR’s organizational priorities.
- Cultivate meaningful donor connections through strategic in-person or virtual meetings (approximately 6-8 personalized encounters monthly).
- Maintain strong relationships with existing major donors that lead to renewed funding and increased support by deepening their engagement.
- Develop and execute strategies for prospecting new or lapsed, with support from the Development Researcher.
- Implement major gift cultivation and stewardship plans, including major gift pipeline growth activities, in coordination with the development team.
- Collaborate with the development team to craft compelling, personalized collateral and proposals to cultivate, solicit, and steward relationships with a focus on multi-year commitments.
- Leverage existing events and lead new initiatives to curate and execute new East Coast in-person events focused on recruiting new prospects and strengthening donor engagement (i.e. panel discussions, cocktail receptions, salons, fireside chats, and other donor-directed initiatives).
- Assist in developing and planning substantive virtual experiences for donors.
- Ensure timely capture of fundraising data in Salesforce, share pertinent information with peers and senior leadership, and maintain impeccable donor records, including email communication, meeting notes, follow-ups, written engagement, solicitation strategies, and giving projections.
- Develop annual revenue projections based on donor and prospect profiles, capacity, and engagement strategies.
- Meet or exceed annual revenue goals.
- Work to support the diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging goals of the organization.
- Other duties as assigned.
REQUIRED SKILLS & COMPETENCIES
- BA/BS or equivalent work experience.
- Minimum 5 to 10 years of relevant frontline fundraising experience and project management experience, with at least 5 years in a major gifts role.
- A track record of identifying, cultivating, soliciting, closing, and maintaining major donor relationships.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, with an ability to build professional relationships with major donors.
- Problem-solver with excellent planning and organizational skills; ability to manage multiple priorities and set and adhere to deadlines; ability to maintain confidentiality.
- Outcome-driven, self-starter, and proactive with the capacity to work both independently and as part of fast-paced collaborative teams.
- Grace under pressure, strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to manage projects with tact, diplomacy, and good humor.
- Experience with Salesforce preferred, along with a general understanding of data systems and web-based CRMs and prospecting tools like iWave.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and G Suite; experience with Asana or other project management software preferred.
- Able to travel and work some evenings.
- An interest or experience in fundraising in a news organization or the areas that Mother Jones /Reveal covers is a big plus.
Salary range: $135,000-$145,000
Our benefits include health, dental, and vision benefits for our employees and their dependents (premiums fully paid by CIR), paid vacation starting at three weeks per year, pretax commuter benefits and an FSA program, a flex-hours program, and a 37.5-hour workweek.
How to apply: Only applications submitted to our careers webpage will be considered for this recruiting round. Unfortunately, due to the high volume of applicants for any given role, there may be delays in responding to every application submitted.
What you’ll need for the application form:
- An updated resume
- A well-thought-out cover letter outlining why you are perfect for this job; how your specific vision for this role can advance CIR’s goals; and how your skills can achieve that vision.
- A two-page (maximum) writing sample that demonstrates your written ability to pitch a major donor.
A Note to Potential Candidates: We recognize that potential candidates with identities that have been historically excluded from the fundraising field may be less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every one of the qualifications as described in the job description. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply.
Equal Employment Opportunity Disclosure: The Center for Investigative Reporting is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, ancestry, marital status, union activity, AIDS/HIV status, on-the-job injuries, or any status otherwise protected under applicable federal, state, or local laws.
We are committed to diversity and building an inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds and ages and we especially encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including women, people of color, LGBTQ people, and people with disabilities.
