Development & Fundraising advisor

Save to Favorites

ASCENDtials requires the support of a Development & Fundraising advisor to bring in Funds, Strategy, and Overseeing Fundraising Activities.

The main responsibilities include a combination of overseeing and leading the overall operations of an organization's fundraising department and bringing in funds for the organization through constant networking.

• In charge of developing strategies to help the organization raise money to facilitate the short-term and long-term financial needs of the organization. This often involves soliciting donations and sponsorship opportunities, as well as holding special events.

• Establishing ongoing partnerships with sponsors: To initiate these partnerships, the director will usually prepare a sponsorship proposal or package that outlines the exposure that an organization will receive in exchange for sponsorship. The larger the financial contribution, the more exposure the organization receives.

• Stay in touch with existing patrons to foster an ongoing relationship and to seek out new patrons through existing contacts. The Development & Fundraising Director acts as the first point of contact with the partner or patron.

• In addition to generating short-term cash flow for an organization, they also need to plan ahead and form strategic plans for an organization’s financial future.

• Report regularly to upper-management to review how much money is being brought in and to set goals for future fundraising.

• Setting and Achieving Targets: Help an organization determine what money it is likely to raise during the year. This helps the board decide what activities it can pursue, contributions it can make, staff it can hire and how much it will have to run the administrative operations of the organization. They must project annual revenues, including the timing of donations, sales, registration fees and grants to help the organization manage its cash flow. Accountability metrics are critical to long-term financial sustainability.

• Planning Fundraisers: Once they know their revenue goals, they must take steps to achieve them. This means planning the development department’s activities. These can include direct mail solicitations, online pledge initiatives, sales of advertising and sponsorships, auctions, sales of goods, soliciting the donations of goods and services, and running events with registration fees and on-site revenue generation.

• Cultivating Loyal Donors: Creating and maintaining a database of potential, current and past donors that can produce customized lists for different activities.

• Launching Marketing Campaigns: Keeping a positive public image. This means maintaining ongoing public relations activities not only about fundraising events and activities, but about the overall organization and its mission, as well.

Preferred Qualifications

• Requires a Bachelor’s degree
• Deep knowledge of fundraising activities
• 3+ years of managerial experience