As a member of our collaborative team, the Senior Philanthropy Officer (SPO) will oversee legacy and major gift programs, creating and maintaining relationships with our most significant individual and business partners, while identifying and communicating with prospective supporters. The Senior Philanthropy Officer will help develop strategic directions for impact at a post-founder organization with ambitious goals for growth in the next three to four years.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

This is a fully remote position, reporting primarily to the Director of Advocacy and Development. The SPO will work collaboratively with members of Cornucopia’s leadership team to build processes for outreach and engagement. Raising financial support for Cornucopia, the Officer will solicit gifts ranging from $1,000 – $50,000 or more.

In addition to the cultivation and stewardship of major donors, the SPO will be responsible for identifying legacy intentions and promoting and gaining legacy gifts, while also stewarding donors who have already included Cornucopia in their estate plans. Candidate must demonstrate outstanding professionalism and discretion, strong self-motivation and proactivity, attention to detail, and good judgment. Excellent writing and oral communication skills, as well as people skills, are essential.

To achieve Cornucopia’s goals for in-person visits, the Senior Philanthropy Officer will make six to 15 trips within the US per year, plus more visits in their own geographic region.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Create and execute a strategic major gifts plan, grow and manage a major gifts portfolio, and perform major gifts administrative tasks to ensure meaningful relationships with supporters, current and future, who have the biggest impact on our ability to execute our mission
  • Personally engage individual donors through face-to-face visits, presentations, and written proposals, partnering with board members, community members, program staff, and/or executive staff as appropriate
  • Cultivate, solicit, and steward Cornucopia’s most significant supporters and prospects
  • Maintain appropriate electronic documentation on a timely basis, including engagement activities, proposal tracking, contact reports, donor strategies, and forecasting using Raiser’s Edge NXT to assure accurate, timely, and consistent communication with partners
  • Build and carry an active portfolio of 100 – 150 donors and prospective donors
  • Use moves management principles for ongoing cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship
  • Inform and educate partners about various programs that will address their philanthropic goals
  • Identify opportunities to deepen engagement with existing supporters
  • Identify new prospective partners (businesses and individuals) and funding sources, determine interest alignment and capacity, and cultivate relationships
  • Engage in goal setting and strategic planning to improve fund development program
  • Deepen relationships with longtime supporters and secure gifts ranging from $1,000 – $50,000+
  • Effectively communicate and collaborate with leadership team and program staff to develop funding strategies and reach campaign goals
  • Compose creative, persuasive funding proposals and other materials in collaboration with members of the Development and Communications team(s)
  • Successfully and consistently deliver funding proposals to prospective and current donors, providing program reports and updates showing the impact of their contributions
  • Identify, cultivate, and solicit prospects for bequests and other planned gifts
  • Plan and conduct outreach program for planned gifts through direct mail, newsletters, advertisements, and the website
  • Prepare gift annuity contracts and acknowledgments
  • Coordinate the administration of planned gifts
  • Develop and maintain knowledge of federal, state, and local tax and legal issues related to charitable giving
  • Co-create and participate in donor events
  • Maintain deep knowledge of Cornucopia programs and activities
  • Secure testimonials for use in direct mail, web pages, and other marketing materials; and
  • Attend Cornucopia events, as requested, and perform other duties and responsibilities, as assigned by the Director of Advocacy and Development
  • Travel is required

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
Any combination of formal education, paid work experience, unpaid/volunteer experience, and life experience will be considered to meet all or most of the following needs:

  • Energy and passion for Cornucopia’s mission and values
  • Familiarity with the organic marketplace
  • General knowledge of the principles of fundraising
  • Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects
  • Strong organizational and communication skills
  • Strong interpersonal skills with a positive attitude and energy
  • Minimum of 2 years relevant experience
  • Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills
  • Strong initiative, perseverance, and resilience
  • Personable and flexible
  • Strong capacity to manage time and competing priorities; able to meet timelines/deadlines
  • Comfortable and effective working in a small, busy organization
  • Demonstrated ability to build meaningful professional relationships to meet specific goals
  • Ability to think strategically and creatively, with strong project management skills
  • Ability to use discretion to maintain integrity and professionalism
  • Able to work independently without close oversight; self-motivated and flexible with the ability to plan, prepare, pivot, execute, and follow up
  • Exhibit qualities valued in a collaborative work environment characterized by a growth mindset
  • Demonstrated ability to work successfully with and respect the confidentiality of information pertaining to a wide variety of constituents including donors, board members, volunteers, and colleagues
  • Proficiency with the Microsoft Office Suite: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook
  • Demonstrated self-awareness, cultural competency and inclusivity, and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across diverse cultures and backgrounds
  • A valid driver’s license and ability to drive
  • Willingness to travel out of state with regularity

PREFERRED

  • Proven record of building relationships with major gift donors in a non-profit setting
  • A proven history of meeting fundraising or sales goals
  • Experience with Raiser’s Edge NXT and/or other CRM software
  • Strong knowledge of tax, financial, and estate planning issues

Lived experience and/or structured education in public relations, communications, marketing, or a similar field could be beneficial in this role.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

$65,000 – $75,000 annually, based on experience, 3 weeks vacation, 10 holidays, 12 sick days, and QSEHRA healthcare reimbursement.

TIME COMMITMENT

40 hours/week – generally Monday through Friday during business hours, but job duties may occasionally require evening or weekend hours. Travel required. Start date: Late August.

WORK CULTURE

Your humanity is respected at Cornucopia; we believe that one’s work should contribute to a well-rounded life but should not define it. We encourage personal work plans that allow staff to use all of their vacation and wellness time, including mental health days, as needed. We value having a diversity of life experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives on our team. We are eager for applications from people with non-traditional backgrounds.

TO APPLY

Please fill out this questionnaire:
Senior Philanthropy Officer Application – Round 1

Complete instructions can be found on Cornucopia’s employment page.