Major Gifts Officer

The Opportunity

For over 25 years, AIDA has protected the right to a healthy environment by using the power of the law to fight for justice and ensure a sustainable future for Latin America and the Caribbean.AIDA works to address the climate, pollution crisis, and biodiversity loss crises we face. We advocate for the protection of human rights in the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy economies.

For this, AIDA seeks to hire the new role of Major Gifts Officer to build this new capability by designing and implementing a strategy to increase annual and multi-year revenue from individuals and family offices, principally through major gifts.

This is an exciting opportunity to build out a major gifts program at a growing organization, and you will play an important role in strengthening our fundraising efforts. We are looking for a self-starter with strong interpersonal skills who is able to work both collaboratively and independently. The position requires exemplary organizational skills and attention to detail. The vast majority of our fundraising work is done in English, so exceptional English language skills are required.

In recent years, AIDA’s fundraising efforts have been led by a small, collaborative team that has helped more than triple the organizational budget in the span of four years. This position will work directly with the Development Director to lead AIDA’s major gifts program, developing and implementing strategies for the prospecting, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of donors potentially capable of major gifts. The successful candidate must be able to build constructive and effective relationships with the Development team and administrative and program staff.

About AIDA

The Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA) is a pioneering organization of Latin American experts who provide free legal and scientific support to protect the environment and communities in the Americas. We work in the context of climate change to achieve environmental and climate justice, as well as to improve environmental governance in the hemisphere.

We are driven by our mission to strengthen the capacity of people to guarantee their individual and collective right to a healthy environment. To achieve this, we select emblematic cases and projects where the strategic use of international law and scientific argumentation can set key precedents. We test new approaches, taking the application of laws and treaties beyond their common scope. We identify and disseminate information about best practices, and scientific and technical standards for achieving environmental protection.

We work hand in hand with individuals, communities, national and regional organizations, government entities, academia, and international agencies. We are a learning organization. We take risks intelligently, without fear of failure. We are socially and environmentally responsible, acting with integrity and consistency with our values.

The Mandate

The Major Gifts Officer will be a leader with passion for the mission of environmental and human rights protection. Reporting to the Development Director, the Major Gifts Officer will be a valued thought partner to our growing Development department—complementing a new hire of a Deputy Development Director who will support institutional fundraising—with the opportunity for growth and potential for future management responsibility. The Major Gifts Officer will lead AIDA’s major gifts program, developing and implementing strategies for the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of donors potentially capable of major gifts. The successful candidate must be able to build constructive and effective relationships with the Development, Communications, Finance, and Program teams to develop relevant fundraising collateral.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and grow an active portfolio of 50+ donors, and develop and implement moves management strategies for qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Build relationships with prospective and existing donors via personal or video conferencing visits, phone calls, ongoing written contact, and events.
• Develop individualized stewardship plans for key donors that demonstrate appreciation, recognition, and engagement.
• Acquire and maintain a strong knowledge of AIDA’s work to educate and inform prospective and existing donors.
• Provide program information to donors and prospects and draft personalized correspondence and acknowledgments.
• Assist in identification and qualification of new prospects and donors.
• Provide timely briefing memos and detailed contact reports for meetings and other contacts with donors. Record interactions with donors in the donor database.
• Promote team cohesion and a positive workplace culture by participating in department, office, and organization wide meetings, trainings, and skills sharing.
• Assist with related duties, including but not limited to logistics for donor cultivation events, virtual meetings and small gatherings.
• Maintain and regularly update donor databases, working with the fundraising team to ensure necessary information is current.
• Collaborate with the Communications team to develop tailored fundraising products and reports and ensure proper maintenance of relevant email segmentation lists.

Qualifications

Essential qualities include:

• Demonstrated ability to design and implement fundraising initiatives including prospecting, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.
• Capacity for absorbing and synthesizing complex program information in English and/or Spanish and translating it into a compelling case for donors.
• Ability to skillfully prioritize and manage a robust portfolio and juggle multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Aptitude to determine an individual’s interest, capacity, and inclination to help AIDA meet its goals, and act appropriately to tie those interests with AIDA’s work.
• Well-developed written and oral communication, negotiation, and organizational skills.
• Ability to accurately assess situations with informal or incomplete information and make good decisions based on analysis, experience, and judgment.
• Working knowledge of current trends in charitable giving, particularly in the areas of major gifts and planned giving.
• Comfort working independently and as a team member with initiative and flexibility.
• Awareness and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds and orientations.
• Sense of humor is desired.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
• Experience with donor databases (such as Salesforce or Everyaction) and wealth screening (such as DonorSearch).
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills in English; proficiency in Spanish.
• Willingness and ability to travel, primarily within the United States.

Professional experience must include:

• College degree and 5+ years of major gift or similar experience preferred, with extensive experience in direct donor solicitation and donor relations, including securing five- and six-figure major gifts.
• Proven experience building and/or leading a major gifts portfolio
• Experience using effective interpersonal skills, listening, diplomacy, and tact to build strong relationships with donors, volunteers, and all levels of staff.