Associate Director of U.S. Philanthropy

Inspire philanthropists, advocates, and influencers in our pursuit to transform the food system and change the world

The Good Food Institute (GFI) is a nonprofit think tank working to make the global food system better for the planet, people, and animals. Alongside scientists, businesses, and policymakers, GFI’s teams focus on making plant-based, fermentation-enabled, and cultivated meat delicious, affordable, and accessible. Powered by philanthropy, GFI is an international network of organizations advancing alternative proteins as an essential solution needed to meet the world’s climate, global health, food security, and biodiversity goals.

How You Will Make a Difference

In this role, you will have the opportunity to build upon a legacy of success and will drive strategy in growing GFI’s prospect portfolio in the Midwest and Southeast. Taking inspiration from and in partnership with colleagues working on the front lines in the alternative protein movement as scientists, advocates, and policy professionals, you will secure the essential funds that power our work to transform animal agriculture, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve natural resources, and prevent animal suffering on a massive scale. You will work in collaboration with colleagues to think strategically, provide leadership and mentorship to frontline fundraisers, and play an essential role in growing GFI’s individual giving portfolio. The Associate Director of U.S. Philanthropy will be responsible for:

• Managing all aspects of GFI’s U.S. Midwest and Southeast major gift portfolios. (50% of role)
  • Identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding new and existing donors.
  • Connecting and collaborating with donors, prospects, and connectors throughout the region to facilitate major and principal-level gifts.
  • Securing unrestricted and restricted philanthropic contributions to GFI at the major and principal gift levels.
  • Demonstrating and modeling healthy portfolio management skills designed to enhance and strengthen the donor pipeline.
  • Developing and executing creative strategies to expand our major donor base, ensuring that we have a robust prospect pipeline.
• Serving as deputy to the Director of U.S. Philanthropy, assisting with strategic oversight to the U.S. Philanthropy team and assistance and backup coverage as needed. (20% of role)
  • Applying specific focus to the key areas of prospect identification, qualification, portfolio assignment, and early cultivation.
• Directly managing the Leadership Giving Officer, including but not limited to training, development, and performance management. (15% of role)
• Performing other duties, guided by industry best practices, such as the following (15% of role):
  • Attending and hosting industry-specific events and conferences focused on prospect identification and relationship development.
  • Crafting and presenting creative funding proposals, identifying new and unique opportunities for fundraising growth, and preparing compelling personalized progress reports in consort with our writing and stewardship colleagues.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Who We’re Looking For

An ideal candidate for the Associate Director of U.S. Philanthropy position will have experience that reflects the following:

• A minimum of eight years of previous development experience including five years in a major gifts officer capacity with a minimum of two years of demonstrated experience successfully closing principal-level ($1M+) gifts.
• A proven track record of creatively cultivating relationships with individuals, donor advisors, and families with major gift ($100,000+) potential, successful solicitation, and closing major gifts.
• Demonstrated ability to successfully identify, cultivate, and solicit both cold and warm prospects while building the foundations for longstanding relationships between donor and organization.
• Experience working independently as well as managing and/or mentoring fellow Development team members.
• Experience with a CRM database (GFI uses Salesforce).
• Extensive philanthropic experience within the U.S. Midwest and Southeast during at least the most recent three years, including the development and maintenance of established philanthropic relationships in the area.
• A willingness and ability to travel regularly throughout the U.S. Midwest and Southeast and occasionally major metropolitan areas in Canada, with frequent evening and weekend work (flexible scheduling available to accommodate for off-hours responsibilities).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Exceptional attention to detail, organizational skills, and ability to work effectively under the pressure of deadlines.
• A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and to building an inclusive workplace where everyone feels like they belong.
• Comfort working remotely and in a rapidly growing and evolving organization.
• Strong support for GFI’s philosophy and mission; demonstrated interest in plant-based & other alt proteins, public health, environmentalism, climate change, animal protection, or hunger relief.
• A commitment to GFI’s values: believe change is possible, do the most good we can, share knowledge freely, act on evidence, and invite everyone to the table.

We want the best people and we don’t want biases holding us back. We use a third-party anonymizing tool to redact personal information from submitted applications — including name, location, contact details, and several other factors — to reduce bias and increase fairness in our process. We strongly encourage people of every race, color, orientation, age, gender, origin, and ability to apply. Since we value a diverse workplace, we prioritize an inclusive climate absent of discrimination and harassment during the application process and after you join the team.

Research indicates that men tend to apply for jobs when they meet just 60% of the criteria, while women and people from other marginalized groups only apply if they are a 100% match. If you are passionate about GFI’s mission and think you have what it takes to be successful in this role even if you don’t check all the boxes, please apply. We’d appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

The Fine Print

• Terms of employment: Full-time, exempt
• Reports to: Leah MacRaild, Director of U.S. Philanthropy
• Direct reports: Kelsey Favret, Leadership Giving Officer
• Location: Remote; United States
• Travel: Up to two weeks per year for organization retreats (reasonable accommodations for and exemptions from organization retreats considered on a case-by-case basis) and 5-10 short trips for donor-specific visits per year.
• Benefits: Working from home, full medical coverage, optional dental and vision packages, a 401(k) plan with employer match, flexible holiday and vacation plans, lifestyle spending account, opportunity for advancement, respectful managers, and supportive colleagues. More information here: https://tinyurl.com/GFIBenefits.
• This is a U.S.-based position: In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.
• Salary: $114,000.12 - $118,560 USD (depending on experience and qualifications)

Important Dates

Application deadline: January 16, 2025

Anticipated start date: March 3, 2025