Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has exciting opportunities in our New York office for individuals who are passionate and dedicated to our mission of providing emergency medical aid to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from health care.
The Medical Unit in MSF New York is part of the Medical Department of Operational Center – Paris (OCP) and provides technical support for: Tropical Medicine, Infectious Diseases (including antibiotic resistance (ABR), medical article writing and publication and special projects, such as the Febrile Illness Diagnostic Program (FIDP).
Our dynamic Development Department is responsible for raising over $370 million annually in funds in order to meet the financial needs of our organization which allows MSF to carry out its mission effectively and efficiently.
In the Development Department, the Major Gifts team of the Development Department is responsible for raising nearly $95 million from major donors.
Project
Under the direction of the Director of Major Gifts, the Major Gifts Officer identifies, develops, manages, and grows strategic relationships with existing and potential MSF major donors. This includes cultivation, stewardship and solicitation plans for a portfolio of 200+ individuals with the goal of securing funding for MSF-USA. S/he engages donors directly through personalized communications and outreach that deepens their relationship with the organization. S/he will work in close collaboration with seven team members who comprise the Major Gifts unit at MSF-USA.
Tasks
- Essential Functions and Responsibilities:
- Major Donor Relationship Management (85%)
Creates and implements cultivation and solicitation plans for major donors on a case-by-case basis. using multiple touch points including personal meetings, email, telephone, targeted mailings, invitations to MSF events, and/or to donor parties and other cultivation activities.
Manages existing private major donors, re-engages lapsed donors, and initiates new relationships. Responsibilities include building appropriate strategies and creating the tools needed to initiate and cultivate these relationships.
Conducts follow up from donor meetings on a timely basis ensuring that information received is entered into the database, donor debrief record and discussed with key team members. Also ensures that any donor requests from the meeting are followed up within one week of the meeting.
Informs current and potential contributors about MSF programs and needs; solicits individuals to contribute via donations and/or planned giving and to make multi-year commitments.
Identifies donors that could be helpful in making introductions to new prospects for funding and/or in other areas that could assist MSF.
Contributes to the development of the Major Gifts strategic and annual plan designed to meet priority funding needs and to effectively communicate about MSF field activities and advocacy efforts.
Under the direction of the Director of Major Gifts and in coordination with members of the Major Gifts team, works with other departments including Program, Communications, Finance, and the Operational Centers, when appropriate, to obtain materials and information needed for the accurate communication of information to donors.
Initiates and participates in donor meetings and, as appropriate, includes the Executive Director, Board of Directors, Development team members, MSF aid workers, and other key staff.
Determines annual projections of the major donors in his/her portfolio.
Schedules and coordinates selected major donor events including receptions, house parties, in-house presentations, and conducts appropriate follow-up (donor requests, information collected, next steps, etc.). Works closely with senior staff to develop appropriate content for major donor events and to identify and schedule MSF representatives.
Develops presentation materials for donor meetings, as assigned.
Makes every effort to ensure that the privacy of the donors is respected.
Responsible for staying abreast of MSF and international news and for building a general overall knowledge of the organization, including regularly reading general MSF publications and attending office presentations and flash meetings, in order to understand and explain MSF programs and financial information.
Ensures that information received from major donors is kept current and accurate in database.
- Department Administration (15%)
Contributes to documenting the business policies and procedures followed by the Major Gifts team.
Attends regularly scheduled staff meetings, Program updates and office-wide debates to participate in information sharing across all departments and stay informed on important MSF topics so as to be able to contribute to the organization’s ongoing development.
- Fiscal Responsibility
Contributes to the generation of revenue by supporting the Major Gifts Annual Plan, Is responsible for maintaining the privacy of donors’ personal and financial data.
- Extent of Public Contact
Regularly represents MSF programs and policies to key funders and prospects. Within the MSF movement, interacts with all levels of staff and field volunteers and Board members to stay abreast of MSF issues.
- Physical Demands
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within the context of a moderately noisy office with many interruptions. To travel to the field (usually in the developing world), the employee must attest to physical fitness to endure physically difficult, high stress situations which may include the necessity to walk long distances, carry a backpack or other equipment of up to 50 pounds, to ride long distances over very poor road conditions, to eat a limited diet and/or to reside in potentially uncomfortable housing or tents.
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Working Conditions, Travel and Environment
The duties of the job require regular attendance 5 days/week for a minimum of 35 hours. Must be available to work before 9:00 am, after 5:00 pm or on weekends, as required.
Must be able to travel as required for standard domestic and international business travel (donor meetings; off-site events; conferences). May be asked to travel to MSF field projects. While performing the duties of this job in the field, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high security and/or very basic living conditions and outside weather conditions, as well as to infectious diseases.
Requirements
- Minimum 5 years of Development experience, preferably in the areas of Major Gifts
- Bachelor’s degree,
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Excellent interpersonal, presentation, and negotiation skills.
- Knowledge and interest in international affairs and humanitarian issues.
- Experience in all aspects of donor cultivation (research, writing, follow-up, and stewardship)
- Ability to analyze and synthesize complex and sensitive material, and to present appropriate, well-informed messages to donors.
- Ability to write a range of correspondence from formal business letters to donor focused thank you notes.
- Ability to handle a large volume of work under pressure and with deadlines.
- Excellent time management and organizational skills.
- Keen attention to detail with ability to track multiple projects at one time.
- Ability to work with a minimum of supervision.
- Excellent judgment and diplomacy.
- Facility with spreadsheets, budgets and forecasting.
- Strong computer literacy including proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and experience working with fundraising databases.
- Familiarity with and commitment to the work of MSF
- Experience working in North American philanthropic environment strongly preferred
Type
HQ
Pay Class
Exempt
Contract Type
Open Ended Contract
Additional Information
Starting salary mid 70s to high 70s (commensurate with experience).
Desired Hiring Date
October 1, 2018
Working Time %
100,00
How to Apply
To apply, send letter of interest/cover letter and resume to: [email protected],
ATTN: “Major Gifts Officer” position.
Submissions without cover letter will not be reviewed. No phone calls please.
Application Deadline: August 31, 2018