Overview

Reports to: Chief Development Officer

Classification: Full-time

Location: New York, NY

Start Date: Immediate

Organization Overview:

Women’s World Banking is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding economic opportunities for women by giving them access to the financial tools and resources they need to build secure livelihoods. Through our innovative programs and partnerships, we strive to create a world where all women have the financial independence to thrive and lead. 

Position Overview and Context:

By embodying an entrepreneurial spirit and leveraging expertise in philanthropy and relationship-building, the Director of Individual Giving and Partnerships (the “Director”) will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Women’s World Banking, driving sustainable growth, and unlocking new opportunities for transformative impact. We seek an experienced major gifts officer who thrives on building and maintaining relationships with individuals in support of a meaningful cause.

In this role, the Director will oversee Individual Giving strategy and implementation to cultivate philanthropic support from individual donors. The Director will pioneer a leadership and major gift program and oversee the annual fund effort, with one direct report.

Women’s World Banking’s current individual giving efforts predominantly involve steadfast support from a select group of loyal advocates, including board members and board alumni. In 2023, the organization made a significant, multi-year investment in establishing an annual giving program and has subsequently grown the number of individual donors by 233% (from 160 to 525).

The acquisition of new donors has laid the foundation for the expansion of our leadership and major gifts program. In parallel, there has also been significant effort to build the philanthropic culture with Board members, who are now more actively engaged and ready to be leveraged to support our development efforts. While the Director will be tasked with building a new leadership and major gifts program and continuing to expand the annual fund program, the foundation for initial growth is firmly in place. 

Our long-term aspiration is to grow giving from individuals to 10% of our organizational revenue, at minimum, over the next ten years. Understanding that there is untapped potential that needs to be further validated, the target for the Director will be to increase support from individuals within the first three years to $750,000 – $1,000,000 annually. 

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Planning & Innovative Program Development

  • Contribute to the development of long-term fundraising strategies and annual revenue targets, providing insights and recommendations to the Chief Development Officer to inform organizational decision-making.
  • Spearhead the creation and implementation of a pioneering leadership and major gifts program, identifying opportunities for strategic growth and impact.
  • Oversee the annual fund program in collaboration with one direct report, colleagues in Development Operations and Brand Marketing & Communications and our annual fund consultants.

Partnership Cultivation and Portfolio Management

  • Forge and cultivate relationships with individuals aligned with our organizational mission, leveraging existing networks while actively expanding outreach to new potential partners.
  • Oversee all aspects of the donor lifecycle including identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship.
  • Develop personalized engagement plans for each donor, ensuring regular communication, meaningful interactions, and tailored acknowledgement of their support.
  • Utilize donor management systems to track and analyze donor interactions, preferences, and giving history, maximizing donor retention.

Volunteer Leadership Engagement: Develop and implement strategies to effectively engage and empower volunteers in support of individual giving initiatives, leveraging their diverse skills, networks, and passion in order to broaden outreach, cultivate relationships and enhance donor stewardship efforts. 

Events Strategy Execution: Collaborate with the development team to plan and execute events that provide meaningful opportunities for donor cultivation and stewardship, while also effectively showcasing Women’s World Banking’s mission and impact.

Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilize data analytics and donor research tools to identify, prioritize, and qualify prospects, continuously refining and adapting strategies based on performance

metrics and donor feedback to maximize fundraising effectiveness. 

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree in a related field.
  • Minimum of ten years of experience in front-line fundraising, with a proven track record of soliciting and closing major gifts.
  • Previous experience as a Director of Development, Major Gift Officer or equivalent.
  • Demonstrated experience in building and managing a major gift portfolio.
  • Strong understanding of fundraising principles and best practices.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively engage and inspire donors and volunteer leaders.
  • Proven ability to collaborate with executive and volunteer leadership and other stakeholders to achieve fundraising goals.
  • Strong people manager with leadership and mentorship skills, including ability to support direct report in workload management and professional development.
  • Strategic thinker with the ability to develop and execute fundraising strategies and initiatives.
  • Highly organized with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
  • Proficiency in CRM databases and fundraising software (Salesforce, preferred).
  • Commitment to the mission and values of Women’s World Banking.

Within the first 75 days:

  • Develop a solid understanding of Women’s World Banking’s strategy, the context in which
  • we operate and key programmatic areas.
  • Familiarize yourself with the individual giving strategy, program and your donor portfolio.
  • Begin to formulate longer-term strategic thinking.
  • Build a strong working relationship with the Development team, the President’s
  • office, your direct report, as well as across functional teams.
  • Get trained on and fully integrate the use of Women’s World Banking systems and
  • policies into your day-to-day activities.