Third Way is seeking a strategic and resourceful Senior Director of Individual Giving to build a robust individual giving programme.
About Third Way
Third Way is a national think tank that was founded back in 2005 to champion modern center-left ideas. Our work is grounded in the mainstream American values of opportunity, freedom, and security.
We are proud of the organization that we have built and continue to seek out talent who contributes to our ambitious mission. We are deeply committed to promoting a culture of results and respect where every employee has opportunities to contribute, develop, and grow professionally.
Brief description of the role
It is an exciting time to be joining Third Way as the organisation scales its programming and impact in support of promoting moderate power. This role is ideal for a development professional who has experience in and a passion for political advocacy. As Third Way prepares for the 2024 election, its Development and External Affairs Department is seeking a strategic and resourceful Senior Director of Individual Giving to build a robust individual giving programme.
The Senior Director will be tasked with building a pipeline of new 5- to 6-figure prospects while partnering with executive leadership and the Board to cultivate and steward individual giving donors. Reporting to the Senior Vice President of Development and External Affairs, and working cross-functionally with program leads, they will focus on strategically expanding the organization’s individual giving efforts with a goal of significantly increasing the base of annual gifts. They will lead and manage a growing individual giving team, which includes a Prospect Research Advisor, and eventually Major Gift Officer(s).
Key roles and responsibilities
As the Senior Director of Individual Giving, a typical day might include:
- Developing and implementing individual giving strategy, operations, and systems.
- Leading and collaborating on the strategic development and management of fundraising campaigns.
- Creating and driving all aspects of moves management as it relates to individual giving at Third Way, in particular, cultivating new prospects and developing an ongoing donor cultivation plan.
- Collaborating with Third Way’s development leads to align efforts across program and general operating fundraising goals.
- Serving as a thought partner on Third Way’s individual giving initiatives in each of the program areas, and working with program staff to develop individualized donor strategies, supporting the overall efforts of the individual giving team (e.g., provide portfolio development support, strategic counsel, and help with donor communications).
- Serving as a key leader in the Development and External Affairs Department and successfully balancing a schedule that includes meeting with potential and current funders with some required travel.
- Securing major gifts at the 5 to 6-figure level and making direct, face-to-face solicitations; Identifying and qualifying prospects with the goal of managing an existing portfolio of 100-150 donors and prospects.
- Building mid-level donor engagement opportunities, with average gift sizes of $50K+.
- Leading and managing the development of written donor communications, specifically creating and updating information to regularly send to donors and prospects.
- Managing a growing individual giving team, including a Prospect Research Advisor and, eventually, Major Gift Officer(s).
- Supporting the SVP, Development and External Affairs in Board engagement, including with the identification and engagement of current and future donors.
- Supporting senior leadership in developing and executing strategies to increase the level of funding over time for Third Way.
- Developing fundraising processes to diversify funding streams, with a focus on multi-year gifts.
- Setting goals and key performance indicators and tracking and reporting progress toward those goals using specific metrics.
- Tracking and cultivating individual donors and prospects across the organization within our donor database.
- Acknowledging major donors through public and private recognition.
- Engaging all Third Way staff through responsive and transparent communication and mentorship to ultimately build a culture of philanthropy.
- Performing other duties as assigned.
Experience and skills
This might be the job for you, if you have:
- A minimum of 10-12 years of relevant work experience, including at least 5 years of frontline fundraising and working with individual donors.
- Demonstrated success managing a 5- to 6-figure portfolio of individual donors.
- Demonstrated work experience and donor contacts in mission-aligned areas.
- Demonstrated entrepreneurial ability to develop alliances and coordinate shared interests of all parties.
- Experience managing fundraising campaigns.
- The ability to use data and CRM systems to set fundraising strategy and priorities, measure outcomes, and drive superior performance.
- A holistic understanding of how Washington operates, major policy debates, and their impact on the policy community, the press, and other stakeholders.
- Knowledge of various progressive philanthropic and political sectors including climate and energy, economy, education, health Care, national security, politics, and social policy.
- Excellent problem-solving skills designed to meet the challenges of the organization.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills, with considerable experience in writing and presenting information to a variety of audiences.
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Strong analytical skills.
- Strong interpersonal, mediation, and facilitation skills.
- The ability to prioritize and multitask in a fast-paced environment.
- The ability to work both independently and as a member of a team.
- Familiarity with 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) regulations
- The ability to work additional hours as needed to meet deadlines and manage workflow.
- An interest in supporting the mission of Third Way and a commitment to promoting modern center-left ideas.
In the Third Way culture, we are looking for:
- Self-starters: People who see and seize opportunities, take risks, learn from failure, and will bring a sustained passion for our mission.
- Collaborators: People who work in teams-sharing ideas, brainstorming, co-authoring products, and advancing its shared priorities.
- Creators: People who foster divergent thinking; that aren’t afraid to take on the orthodoxies of the left or the right. Team members come up with original insights, find unique ways to look at data, and challenge their preconceptions.
- Results-oriented: People who function with an organizational commitment to clear objectives, ambitious timelines, accountability for results, and a focus on impact.
- Respectful: People who embrace the diverse perspectives of everyone and foster the values of diversity, equity, and inclusiveness at all times.