The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.
Job Overview
The External Relations (ER) department is comprised of three main but complementary functional areas: Private fundraising, Communications, and Advocacy. The main objective of the department is to enable this organization of more than 15,000 staff to have the resources needed to continue serving 18 million people worldwide in places affected by war and disaster. The Philanthropy unit, part of the ER department, leads on the organization’s work with High-Net-Worth Individuals. Positioned within the USA Philanthropy department, the Major Giving West team has a goal of improving private individual support for the IRC by engaging, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding significant, multi-year commitments from high-net-worth individual supporters based in the western United States (west of the Mississippi River).
The Director, Major Giving West will lead the IRC’s Major Giving program in the western region by managing a portfolio of donors, prospective donors, and suspects with wealth capacity ratings of at least $500K and up to $2.5M. They will also lead a team of ~8 fundraisers.
The Director will craft and implement fundraising strategies for her/his/their portfolio and will mentor and guide the team to optimize the size and impact of gifts to IRC. They will encourage fundraisers to function as relationship managers, using donor-centric fundraising practices, and deploying IRC leaders throughout donor life cycle to qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward five and six-figure gifts.
The Director serves a critical role in helping to develop and implement strategies that are informed by bold revenue targets. She/he/they will be expected to understand the needs and performance of donors and prospects, communicate and collaborate superbly with colleagues, think strategically, and offer creative solutions to continually grow and improve donor relationships.
Major Responsibilities
Fundraising
- Manage a small portfolio of Major Giving capacity donors, prospects, and suspects that results in retaining donors and realizing ever-increasing size gifts at the six and seven figure level.
- Craft and implement fundraising strategies for Major Giving portfolio to optimize the size and impact of gifts to IRC.
- Travel and meet with a portfolio of donors and prospects across the Western US region.
- Achieve goals and metrics related to donor visits, solicitations, gifts and pledges closed, and other critical key performance indicators.
Team Management
- Supervise a team of front-line fundraisers, inspiring, motivating and challenging them through active mentorship and fostering an environment that supports new ideas and innovative approaches to donor relationship management.
- Provide multifaceted and effective thought leadership for the team's efforts towards increased financial revenue and other modes of private sector engagement that support impactful delivery of the IRC's mission.
- Partner with the Senior Director to develop a strategic plan, including setting annual goals and key outcomes for the team and developing standards, tools, and procedures for a best-in-class approach to donor engagement and fundraising.
- Mentor fundraisers and guide their professional growth at IRC and within the fundraising profession, including building skills on prospect strategy.
- Lead the direct and indirect management of the entirety of the MG West team, comprised of 8 individuals.
Candidate Requirements:
- 10+ years of non-profit fundraising experience and expertise in high-net-worth individual fundraising.
- Demonstrated history of being an empowering and supportive manager to front-line fundraisers.
Preferred Experience & Skills:
- Consistent track record of securing 6 and 7+ figure gifts from a complex portfolio of donors and prospects, including qualifying prospects and upgrading donors.
- Experience leading and directly supervising frontline fundraisers.
- Ability to lead, empower, and develop a hard-working and complex team.
- Consistent record of developing blended and multi-year funding opportunities.
- Outstanding communication skills, including writing, listening, verbal presentation, and speaking.
- Ability to develop creative and multifaceted donor strategy often carried out in partnership with program staff or senior leadership.
- Adaptable to change in a fast-paced work environment while keeping donor priorities at the center of strategy and relationship building.
- Ability to sensitively collaborate across teams internally, regardless of distance, and garner support for and implement initiatives effectively.
- Ability to identify, build, and implement processes vital to supporting effective donor relationships.
- Ability to analyze and interpret financial data.
- Ability to navigate CRM systems.
- Dedication to fundraising for international development, humanitarian, human rights, gender and racial equality, social justice, and US immigrant communities.
Working Environment:
Requires remote/flex-time work.
Compensation:
Posted pay ranges apply to US-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.
US Benefits:
The IRC offers a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. All US employees are eligible for sick time, a 403b retirement savings plan: up to 4.5% immediately vested matching contribution, plus an 3-7% additional IRC contribution, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support in times of crisis and mental health struggles.
In addition, full-time employees are eligible for 10 US paid holidays, 20-25 paid time off days, disability & life insurance, medical, dental, and vision insurance (employee contribution starting at $135, $7, and $5 per month respectively) and FSA for healthcare, childcare, and commuter costs. Part-time employees are eligible for a proportionate amount of paid time off. These additional benefits apply to employees who work at least 6 months within a 12 month time period.
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Standard of Professional Conduct:
The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.
Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion:
The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.
