Philanthropy Officer

Our Mission: We coach and support students from low socioeconomic backgrounds to prepare for and graduate from college as transformational leaders in order to forge a just and equitable society.

College Success Foundation believes in respecting, upholding, and reflecting diversity and is committed to becoming an anti-racist organization. By leading with equity, and utilizing an anti-racist lens in our work, we center diversity, equity, and inclusion in everything we do. We believe students win when we have a high-performing culture that is committed to eliminating barriers to student achievement. Our passion is fostering educational equity, making college accessible and affordable to underserved students from low–income families.

POSITION SUMMARY: The Philanthropy Officer is responsible for securing major gifts, leading the annual giving campaign, collaborating with marketing to execute the annual campaign, and developing new donor engagement activities to support the College Success Foundation (CSF) programs and operations. This role emphasizes the importance of social equity and inclusiveness, actively promoting antiracism in all outreach and engagement efforts.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITES

The items listed in this section are the primary duties and responsibilities for this job and do not represent an exhaustive list. Our organization is dynamic and therefore duties may change based on business necessity; however, any new duties will remain within the scope of the job.

• Maintain a portfolio of donors and prospects who have the capacity to make major donations, fostering relationships that prioritize inclusivity and diversity in giving.
• Develop and execute the annual giving campaign strategy, ensuring that all messaging is reflective of CSF's commitment to social justice and antiracism.
• Partner with the marketing team to coordinate messaging, outreach, and promotional efforts for the annual campaign, ensuring that communications resonate with a diverse audience and reflect the values of equity.
• Develop and implement innovative donor engagement activities aimed at cultivating new relationships and deepening existing ones, focusing on inclusivity and community involvement.
• Collaboration with the Director of Philanthropy and Associate Director of Philanthropy to maintain an active pipeline of potential major donors and assist in increasing overall donation to CSF, emphasizing the importance of diverse funding sources and fostering relationships that advance our commitment to racial and educational equity in supporting equitable access to education.
• Represent CSF at both business and social networking events with the community to expand CSF's potential donor base, prioritizing engagement with underrepresented groups.
• Conduct a minimum of 7 face-to-face meetings each month with prospective donors to discuss their philanthropic interests, employing an antiracist lens to tailor discussion that align with both CSF mission and the donor values.
• Arrange meetings between donors and CSF leadership as appropriate to secure gift commitments.
• Maintain accurate records of all secured gifts and donor contact in Salesforce, producing activity reports as needed while ensuring data reflects a commitment to transparency.
• Engage donors and prospects through various activities, such as visits to CSF program sites, meeting CSF executive/board members, and attendance at special events, with the goal of bringing them closer to CSF's mission of equity in education and support.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience

The items listed below are the minimum requirements for the job and are relevant to this position. The organization values both work experience and education and realizes that individuals take different paths to acquire knowledge.

Any equivalent combination of education and experience that provides the necessary qualifications to successfully perform the duties of the position will be considered.

• Minimum five (5) years of relevant experience in fundraising for higher education, youth development and/or college and career completion.
• Bachelor's degree.

Knowledge and Skills

• Demonstrated track record in fundraising with the ability to secure gifts, showcasing an understanding of major gifts fundraising strategies and techniques.
• Ability to cultivate and expand a growing portfolio of donors within the first 18 months, displaying a proactive approach to relationship building and donor engagement.
• Excellent interpersonal abilities to effectively interact with diverse groups, including donors, students, colleagues, and the community, fostering positive relationships and communication.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills. Ability to multi-task and work well under pressure in a fast-paced environment while developing effective strategies to overcome challenges.
• A passion for prospecting and developing new organizational relationships, demonstrating an innovative approach to identifying and engaging potential donors.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills that are effective in conveying information and ideas clearly to a variety of audiences.
• Ability to work independently and proactively, taking initiative to drive fundraising efforts without continuous supervision.
• Skills in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Pivot tables, Power BI, PowerPoint and Outlook), as well as knowledge of collaborative online meeting tools such as Teams.
• Skills in statistical software (e.g. SPSS or STATA).
• An established commitment to work collaboratively and harmoniously with CSF staff, colleagues and stakeholders.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, respecting individual differences, and serving diverse populations. 
• Ability to travel locally up to 50% of the time and have access to reliable transportation.

Professional Certifications and Licenses

• N/A

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the primary duties and responsibilities of this job. The College Success Foundation is committed to fostering an organizational culture that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. Therefore, if a reasonable accommodation is required to fully participate in the interview process or to perform the primary duties and responsibilities of this role, please contact Human Resources.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to:

• Operate office equipment such as a computer, servers, network devices, and other hardware components.
• Communicate information and ideas to create understanding and exchange accurate information.
• Sitting or standing for extended periods of time.
• Frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
• Perceive, inspect, and assess data at close range.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• This position requires Washington state residents if assigned in a Washington based location. If this position is assigned in a District of Columbia based location the resident must reside in the District of Columbia.
• Job may allow for hybrid work arrangements.
• Uses collaborative software for communicating with others and attending virtual meetings.
• Frequent travel, is required, including occasional evening and weekend events.
• Reliable transportation is required.

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT

The position may change based upon the needs of the program and/or organizational needs and available funding. In compliance with federal and state regulations, College Success Foundation maintains a drug free environment and all successful applicants must pass a drug screen prior to hire.

The statements contained herein reflect general details as necessary to describe the principal functions of this job, the level of knowledge and skill typically required, and the scope of responsibility but should not be considered an all-inclusive listing of work requirements. Individuals may perform other duties as assigned, including work in other functional areas to cover absences or relief, to equalize peak work periods, or otherwise to balance the workload.