Driven by our mission of “working together to secure the future,” the Atlantic Council promotes constructive leadership and engagement in international affairs based on the Atlantic Community’s central role in meeting global challenges. The Council provides an essential forum for navigating the dramatic economic and political changes defining the twenty-first century in order to adapt, revitalize, and defend the international rules-based order.
The Atlantic Council is seeking a talented, dynamic, and entrepreneurial Director, Strategic Gifts to join the Development team. This role is responsible for fostering robust relationships, spearheading projects and initiatives to achieve revenue goals, and driving strategic partnerships.
The Director, Strategic Giving will support the development and implementation of various projects across funding streams in collaboration with the Vice President, Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships, the Executive Office, and the sixteen programs and centers to advance strategic partnerships and development efforts. Building and nurturing meaningful relationships will be central to this role, ensuring alignment and sustained engagement to achieve organizational revenue goals.
A successful candidate will have experience in fundraising and/or business development in a dynamic team environment. Specific experience working with various funding streams (with a focus on high-net-worth individuals) is preferred. Candidates must have excellent proposal development, project management, and communication skills with a solid understanding of relationship management and effective communications. The ideal candidate will have an interest and experience in international affairs and foreign policy and be able to navigate a fluid, innovative environment with diplomacy and ease.
This is a full-time position based at our Washington, DC headquarters with a hybrid work schedule (as agreed upon with Supervisor). Pay is commensurate with experience, education, and organizational equity, with a salary range of $150,000 – $180,000 per year.
Job Responsibilities:
• Along with the Vice President, Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships, lead in identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding high-net-worth individuals.
• Meet and work to grow organizational revenue goals:
• Individual revenue goal: $3M
• Team revenue goal: $3.5M
• Expand ongoing activities and programming to targeted high-net-worth individual audiences.
• Position leadership to engage and solicit high-net-worth individuals outside of the current Atlantic Council community.
• Lead in project planning, execution, monitoring and evaluation, and renewal of strategic partnerships opportunities with high-net-worth individuals.
• Manage the day-to-day tasks associated with various projects, ensuring leadership is kept abreast and help drive each project forward with key internal and external stakeholders.
• Connect major external funding opportunities with big initiatives/ core business areas within the Atlantic Council, with a focus on cross collaboration.
• Represent the Vice President, Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships and the rest of Development in internal meetings, creating clear briefing materials, notes, and actions.
• Cultivate, communicate, and maintain strong relationships with internal programs and centers.
• Work directly with programs and centers to understand their goals and objectives in various projects and how that vision can be implemented into larger proposals with individual funders.
• Report and inform management on project performance.
• Supervise a team of one fundraising professional overseeing membership programs.
• As a supervisor, partner with the direct report to identify efficiencies in work products, proposals, and their integration into larger projects and initiatives.
• Support the Vice President, Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships with strategy development, performance management, and financial oversight.
• Collaborate with the engagement team to create compelling messaging and materials to promote the association’s initiatives, events, and value propositions.
• Develop and maintain high-quality, accurate, and responsive proposals aligned with Atlantic Council’s research priorities and donor guidelines. Ensure they are approved for submission, compliant with the Council’s policies, and submitted to prospective donors in advance of deadlines.
• Maintain complete records on the assigned relationship, results, and campaign activities using analytical tools.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
Experience and skills expected of the post-holder
• Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of 7-10 years of experience in development, project management, business development, or related fields; international fundraising and/or special events experience preferred.
• Minimum 7 years of experience working in project management.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience managing a team, budgets, and revenue goals.
• Experience working with various funding streams (corporate, foundation, high-net-worth individuals, and the public sector).
• Self-starter and results-oriented individual who can meet tight deadlines and work in fluid, dynamic, and evolving environment.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills. Demonstrated ability to negotiate, interpret and fulfill terms of a partnership agreement.
• Willingness to learn, lead, and act.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including tact, flexibility, professionalism, and discretion.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PPT) required; experience with Salesforce or other CRM preferred.
• Experience using Adobe InDesign and/or Acrobat to edit documents preferred.