Hiring: Director of Fundraising Strategy

Position Title: Director of Fundraising Strategy
Time Commitment: 35 hour work week
Reports To: CEO

Spark Point Fundraising is seeking a Director of Fundraising Strategy to lead the company’s growing strategy consulting practice in partnership with the CEO, shaping it over time into its own vertical. To ensure measured and successful growth, the Director of Fundraising Strategy will set and manage against specific standards and practices for the strategy team, contribute to business development, build, lead and manage the strategy team, and serve as a member of the Spark Point leadership team. This is a new position.

The ideal candidate is someone who knows the ins and outs of nonprofit fundraising strategy and is excited to dig into the inner workings of an organization’s resource development operation to identify ways to get better results, support growth, and achieve long-term sustainability. While we welcome people with various types of experience to apply, it’s important to know that this position will be juggling many different projects for different clients, so some consulting or agency experience OR experience managing a large and complex fundraising team will be an advantage for someone in this role.

The best fit for this role is someone who:

1) Can see the big picture AND the details and is able to anticipate where bumps in the road will be and how to avoid or prevent them.
2) Can translate fundraising strategy into implementation and guide others on how to do so.
3) Can see the connection between strategy, goals, and metrics, and can build a plan that includes all three. This applies to fundraising plans for clients and to internal business planning.
4) Can design and manage campaigns of various types and sizes – from a single year-end fundraising campaign, to a stewardship campaign, to a large, multi-year growth campaign – and everything in between.
5) Enjoys helping people build their skills – both as fundraisers and as professionals – and is eager to serve as a coach both internally with Spark Point staff and externally with clients.
6) Knows how to stay up-to-date on what’s new in the fundraising world, especially as it relates to technology and data, and knows how to separate what is valuable and what is not.
7) Can adapt their behavior to varied roles – coach, supervisor, mentor, team mate, leader, manager –
depending on what aspect of the job they are focused on at a given time.
8) Has an entrepreneurial spirit and is excited about the opportunity to build a team from the ground up, in partnership with Spark Point’s leadership team.

If the above excites you, but seems like a bit of a stretch, don’t worry! Apply anyway. Enthusiasm and desire to succeed count in our hiring process, and we are willing to provide additional professional development support to the right candidate. We are actively recruiting candidates of diverse backgrounds, and BIPOC candidates are encouraged to apply.

Job Responsibilities
The Director of Fundraising Strategy has four primary responsibilities.
1) Client-Facing Service Delivery (50%) – Serve as the lead strategist and client manager on fundraising strategy engagements, including Spark Point’s Spark Time Assessment. Initially, the person in this role will take on client management responsibilities for grant writing clients on an as-needed basis and as a way to learn our client management process.

2) Business Development (10%) – Work with the CEO to design and implement business development and marketing strategies related to the fundraising strategy space. Specifically, the Director of Fundraising Strategy should:

• Cultivate a referral network that supports lead generation for new business
• With the support of the marketing team, seek out and attain opportunities to present at conferences, workshops, and other venues that will build thought leadership in the grant writing field.
• Bring in new business at a rate of at least three clients per year. This number will increase as the company grows.

3) Leading the Fundraising Strategy Team (30%) – While initially this position will not have any direct reports, over time we expect the person in this position to build and lead a team. Every manager at Spark Point completes The Management Center’s Managing to Change the World training, including the person in this position. This aspect of the role will grow as the team grows and will increasingly include:

• Building the team – With knowledge of the company’s needs and priorities, create job descriptions, hiring rubrics, and key performance indicators for members of the strategy team.
• Supervising the team – Conduct goal/KPI setting sessions, quarterly KPI reviews, and semi-annual performance reviews for each team member.
• Optimizing the team – Ensure that all necessary tools, supports, and processes are in place to ensure efficiency and effectiveness among the team.
• Connecting the team – Make space to increase connectedness and collaboration among the team so that they feel supported and engaged in their work.

4) Leadership Team (10%) – Serve on the Spark Point leadership team and engage with this team in strategic conversations and decision-making about the company.

Over time, the division of labor among these different buckets of work will change with the ultimate goal being that the person in this role does considerably less client-facing work and more business strategy and management. This will likely happen over 1-2 years.
Other Responsibilities Include:

• Strategy: Participate in strategic planning meetings for Spark Point, working with the leadership team to shape business development strategies, ensure clients are happy and well managed, and seek out ways to improve efficiency and maximize our impact.
• Organizational Development & Team Strategy: In partnership with the Leadership Team, identify opportunities for organizational development to support strategic goals. This work may include:
  • Identifying, articulating, and refining management and collaboration processes
  • Maintaining a positive and cohesive organizational culture
  • Building and implementing HR processes related to hiring, performance evaluation, and professional development
  • Managing and implementing special projects that support the team and strategic goals, including our antiracism work groups, supporting the development of a diverse team, and others as they arise
• Profitability: Work with CEO to identify and leverage opportunities to increase profit by cutting costs or increasing productivity. As the team grows, profitability will be a leading key performance indicator (KPI) for this position.
• Client Relations: In partnership with the leadership team, ensure an optimal client experience for all strategy clients and retain their contracts for as long as is feasible.
  • Support more junior strategists in navigating challenging aspects of client relations, calling on other members of the leadership team for support when needed.
  • Set and manage toward high standards of client service in the strategy vertical.
  • Build strong client relationships through direct client management, strategic guidance, and thoughtful relationship building
  • Maintain relationships with past clients, soliciting feedback and testimonials through off-boarding processes and scheduling regular touchpoints to keep former clients engaged
• Project Management: In collaboration with the Managing Director, ensure that the project management tools and processes are responsive to and supportive of the needs of fundraising strategy clients and the fundraising strategy team.

Qualifications

• Management – The person in this position will ideally have 2 or more years of experience in a senior management role in the nonprofit or private sector with superior management skills and the ability to manage a team.
• Fundraising – The person in this position will ideally have 7 or more years of experience in fundraising for nonprofits, at least 2 of it in a leadership role with responsibility for developing fundraising strategy.
• Growth and Change – Proven track record of success facilitating progressive organizational change and development within a growing organization. Ability to work within a fast paced, quickly evolving organization and manage multiple complex priorities.
• Client Relations – The person in this position must understand and follow the basic tenets of client relationship management and professional service delivery while upholding the Spark Point Fundraising brand, maximizing revenue, and efficiently managing costs, expectations, and resources.
• Communication – The person in this position must be able to effectively (meaning without ambiguity or animosity) communicate with colleagues, clients, and others in a direct and respectful manner and must prioritize direct communication as the most effective means of conveying meaning. In other words, say what you an and mean what you say.
• Creative Problem Solving – The person in this position must be able to provide creative and helpful solutions to problems with the ultimate goal of achieving the highest possible level of efficiency and using strong analytical, project management, and problem solving skills.
• Ingenuity – The person in this position must have experience with creating, designing, or otherwise coming up with a new idea; creating a plan for executing on the idea; and completing the execution of said plan.
• Compassion – Exceptional interpersonal skills, a high emotional quotient, and an ability to convey information directly and with kindness in both written and verbal communication.
• A Commitment to Ending Racism – Our commitment to equity is not superficial. Spark Point, like many organizations, is on a journey to eliminate racism and white supremacy from its operations. If this resonates with you then you are a good fit for this position.

Compensation and Benefits Package

The salary for this position is $80,000 – $100,000 annually. This role will also be eligible for commissions for bringing in new business.

In addition to financial compensation, Spark Point will offer the following additional benefits:

• Health Insurance – 100% employer-sponsored for the employee
• 401K – 3% of salary plus an additional employer match of up to 3%.
• Paid Time Off – 15 days (increases at the 3- and 5-year marks)
• Holidays – 11 Federal holidays, 3 floating holidays, and the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day
• Professional development – $500 per year to pay for conferences, seminars, or other professional development opportunities
• Equipment – $1,000 allowance for equipment purchases including computer, monitors, keyboard, mouse, etc. An additional $300 is allocated yearly to allow for equipment upgrades.
• Telecom Allowance – $600 per year to cover the cost of phone and internet usage
• Flexibility – Spark Point values work-life balance and flexibility in work environments, so you will be able to work at the times, locations, and pace that work best for you, provided that all deadlines are met, all client meetings proceed appropriately, progress is being made toward KPIs, and you attend any meetings that the CEO requires everyone to attend. Our team is fully remote. Occasional travel may be required for annual staff retreats, conferences, and other opportunities.

To Apply:
Please fill out an application at this link.
You will be prompted to upload the following as a part of the application:

1. Resume – no more than two pages
2. Three professional references
3. An introductory letter – Rather than a traditional cover letter, please answer the following questions with responses that are 3-5 sentences each in length. Please also include your name, contact information, and the date at the top of the document.
   1. What do you value in a colleague and how do you strive to be a good colleague?
   2. What does entrepreneurial mean to you? How do you see yourself as a entrepreneur?
   3. Tell us about your commitment to social justice. What causes are important to you and how do you help advance them?
   4. Boards of Directors often push organizations to chase down every revenue source – corporate,
      foundation, individual, and government. Tell us your thoughts on this approach. Why does it work or not work in your mind?

Spark Point Fundraising is a boutique consulting firm that fights for equity. We work with clients in a variety of critical issue areas that help our neighbors and communities thrive. We provide outsourced foundation relations services and fundraising strategy development (that’s where you come in) to nonprofits that are changing the world.As a team, we are rooted in the values of kindness, compassion, respect, and integrity. We believe in equity. Many of our clients are Black-led organizations serving communities of color. As such, a commitment to racial justice and anti-racism are central to our approach to client service.

Spark Point Fundraising is a woman-owned firm. Our team includes people of different ages, races, and sexual orientations. We are committed to building a team that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve, and we actively encourage people of diverse backgrounds to apply for this position. We recognize that nonprofit fundraising, as a field, is predominantly white, and that many structural barriers limit opportunity for people of color. As a part of our commitment to racial justice, we strongly encourage candidates with skills, talent, and drive to apply, even if your experience does not match the ideal candidate description listed here. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

Spark Point Fundraising LLC provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Spark Point Fundraising LLC also complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in Washington, DC.