Foundation Giving Officer

Organization Overview:

State Voices is a national network – built from the states up – that helps grassroots organizations win civic engagement victories and build long-term political power. Since 2008, we’ve been employing the principles of collective impact, building the capacity of partners with data analysis and shared resources, and strengthening our democracy by amplifying the voices of marginalized communities.

State Voices sustains a dynamic ecosystem of 24 state tables and organizations in every state, comprising over 1,200 partner organizations. We provide the organizations in our network with the data, tools, and support they need to help create a healthy and thriving democracy through a racial equity lens. We advance this work through three national programs: Civic Engagement (voter education, registration and turnout, issue advocacy and constituency engagement), Civic Access (voting rights and election administration), and Civic Representation (census and redistricting).

It’s our collective duty to end the systemic, relentless disenfranchisement targeting Black, Indigenous, Latinx, AAPI, and all communities of color, young adults, LGBTQ people, women, low-income, and all oppressed people. That’s why State Voices works year-round to create a more accessible, inclusive, and representative democracy.

Position Overview:

State Voices seeks a highly motivated and relationship-oriented Foundation Giving Officer. Serving as the primary contact for a portfolio of approximately 60 current foundation funders, the Foundation Giving Officer will manage deep relationships, solicit annual and multi-year contributions, and partner with State Voices program leads to proactively steward funders on State Voices’ work and successes.

On average the State Voices budget is expected to be $25 million, which more than half is from a portfolio of primarily foundation funders as well as individual/family donors. State Voices seeks a skilled and strategic fundraising professional with a deep commitment to social justice to deepen State Voices’ relationships with foundation funders within a rapidly expanding team.

The Foundation Giving Officer will: identify, research, and engage foundation supporters through cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies; solicit major contributions directly and in concert with the Chief Development Officer (CDO), Director of Development, program directors, and state table directors as needed; facilitate the submission of high-quality proposals, reports, and other funder communications; secure increased, renewal, and multi-year gifts from an existing portfolio of funders; and support the Director of Development in executing year-round cultivation and stewardship strategies. A collaborative leader in the Development department, they will contribute positively towards the team’s efficacy, operations, and culture.

Primary Functions:

The responsibilities of the Foundation Giving Officer will include:

• Manage a portfolio of 60-80 existing and prospective foundation funders through a variety of personalized approaches, ensure the highest level of donor care and stewardship, and create opportunities to engage new foundation funders.
• As needed and with support from the Chief Development Officer and Director of Development, manage fundraising for special projects and state-specific work during times of transition. Inform and implement cultivation and stewardship activities for specific portfolios/projects supported based on the needed scope of engagement.
• Create prospect strategies to identify, research, and evaluate new sources of potential funding in line with State Voices’ needs and priorities.
• Liaise with program, development, and finance staff to share grant requirements and reporting expectations; ensure strong and compelling funder proposals, reports, and other requirements are met in a timely fashion; adhere to a grants calendar that facilitates timely planning and submission of donor proposals and reports.
• Advise the Chief Development Officer on fundraising cultivation and stewardship strategies including the annual report, presentations, interim updates, webinars. Provides leadership and guidance on strategic, long-term funder communications.
• Weekly check-ins with the Chief Development Officer to review work plans and develop solutions to ensure programmatic success.
• Fully utilize EveryAction CRM in accordance with Development Department procedures to track funder engagement, gift and contact information, and moves management steps.
• Keep abreast of foundation fundraising best practices and trends. Seek out and participate in external events and networking opportunities.
• Offer mentorship and learning opportunities to Development Manager and additional junior department members.
• Participate in State Voices national staff activities, including staff and network retreats, convenings, check-in calls, and other all-staff activities as requested.
• Other related duties as they arise or are assigned.

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will possess many or all of the following qualifications:

• A minimum of 5 years of frontline fundraising experience, with a confirmed track record of strategically identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding prospective and current four- and five-figure foundation funders.
• Strong writing and editing skills; ability to translate complex ideas and strategies into clear, concise, and compelling narratives to engage funders and prospects. Experience with grant writing and reporting preferred.
• Genuine interpersonal skills and ability to develop deep relationships with funders, colleagues, and team members.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills; proven ability to prioritize and meet tight deadlines.
• Experience with collaborative prospecting processes and eagerness to improve efficacy.
• Eagerness for travel for in-person prospecting, cultivation, stewardship, and solicitation purposes and ability to do so between 10-20% when travel is able to safely resume.
• A clear understanding of the relationship between confidential organization information and building donor trust through transparency and accountability.
• Strong communication skills, including written, verbal, and oral.
• Willingness to lead on a specific set of work within a rapidly-growing team.
• Experience and ease with donor CRM databases, nonprofit 501c3 compliance, donor privacy policies, and maintaining development-related files.
• Demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity and track record of success working with communities of color, women, low-income people, LGBTQIA individuals, and other historically marginalized communities.
• Demonstrated ability to bring strategic thinking skills, problem-solving abilities, and a systems-oriented work style.
• Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team.

Term of Employment: This is a full-time, exempt position.

Compensation: The salary range for this position is $80,000-$95,000, commensurate with experience, and includes a generous benefits package.

Location: Remote, residing in the following state: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington DC, Wisconsin.

To Apply: Please use our application portal to submit your cover letter, resume, and references. Resumes will be accepted until the position is filled; however, preference will be given to resumes received by November 15, 2024. No calls please.

Reports To: Chief Development Officer

State Voices is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified individuals are encouraged to apply without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, sexual orientation, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as established under law.