As the professional focused on developing sustainable support for the Foundation, the Endowment Director will report to and work with the Chief Advancement Officer. Succeeding in this environment will require taking a hands-on approach to connecting with a broad array of donors and using traditional development methods, while implementing the infrastructure required for supporting a sustained long-term endowment.
This person must be process oriented, yet have a dealmaker’s creativity and speed. A deep passion for the mission will align this development role with the urgency and creativity of the Wikimedia Foundation’s culture.
The Endowment Director will be based in Wikimedia Foundation’s headquarters in San Francisco. The Wikimedia Foundation has had its main fundraising success inside the United States; however, this is an international organization serving an internationally distributed audience. A strong international perspective with personal experience in cross-cultural communication is extremely important in this position.
Description
Develop and implement a fundraising plan to build an endowment through major gifts and planned giving.
Recruit and manage a board of advisors to provide governance for the endowment fund.
Strengthen the Wikimedia brand and actively broaden and deepen support for the Wikimedia Foundation among all current and prospective donors nationally and internationally;
Retain, recruit and manage a team of development professionals and consultants; establish work plans, performance objectives, and goals for each team member and regularly review performance; provide professional development and training required to cultivate staff skills and professionalism;
Ensure successful adherence to grant agreements;
Undertake direct individual donor solicitations as appropriate, engaging the Executive Director, other Foundation staff, members of the Board or other community members when necessary;
Aggressively implement a structured program for fostering strong, long-term relationships with targeted individual donors; organize events that boost individual fundraising efforts; strengthen the stewardship and donor recognition program for individual donors, with the objective of establishing a life-long, relationships with major donors;
Develop a proactive funder communications and accountability program that regularly educates our funders about the organization’s progress, in addition to complying with each donor’s reporting requirements; Manage prospecting efforts to identify and secure new endowment funders;
Collaborate with the senior leadership of the Foundation in the preparation of annual operating plans and budgets, incorporating fundraising projections into the budget of the organization.
Candidates Should Have The Following Type Of Experience And Qualifications
A record of personal success in raising money from individual major donors and through planned gifts; experience building relationships through mission-supporting ventures; comfort and experience in a technology-driven environment;
Experience with institutional grantmaking and/or advising major donors; a deep understanding of planned giving; a comfort with major donors and a respect for and understanding of their goals and objectives;
Broad-based knowledge of various development campaign activities including: planned giving, event planning and management, direct solicitations, and leveraging fundraising databases;
A track record as an exceptional communicator, in writing as well as verbally; adept at writing solicitation letters, donor correspondence, and other kinds of material for publication; experience preparing and making effective presentations to diverse groups large and small;
A college degree.
Personal characteristics
The Successful Candidate Should Be
A mission-driven individual with an understanding of, belief in and commitment to the open source movement, net neutrality, the benefits of the free exchange of information; a passion for communicating how these principles are important in the development of civil societies; an ability to communicate that passion without losing focus;
An independent and open-minded individual who values and appreciates diversity, input and collaboration from various constituencies; has the ability to make unpopular decisions when necessary;
A charismatic communicator, both in writing and speaking, and particularly able to recognize the alignment of a donor’s interests with the value of Wikimedia Foundation programs, communities, services and events; ability to be the public face of fundraising;
A good listener and strategist; comfortable receiving input from many sources, and able to act on information to develop increased support;
A strong manager who will advocate for the development team and its needs. A skilled teacher who can help staff to improve their skills;
A hard worker with a high energy level; a “doer” with a willingness to work hands-on in developing and executing a variety of development and advancement activities;
A person who is emotionally mature and self-reliant;
A person who has an ability to tolerate a high degree of ambiguity, and to negotiate with people having sharply defined opinions while maintaining positive, respectful relationships;
A person who has a sense of humor.
About the Wikimedia Foundation
The Wikimedia Foundation is the non-profit organization that operates Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wikipedia and the other projects operated by the Wikimedia Foundation receive more than 431 million unique visitors per month, making them the 5th most popular web property worldwide. Available in more than 287 languages, Wikipedia contains more than 32 million articles contributed by a global volunteer community of more than 100,000 people. Based in San Francisco, California, the Wikimedia Foundation is an audited, 501(c)(3) charity that is funded primarily through donations and grants. The Wikimedia Foundation was created in 2003 to manage the operation of Wikipedia and its sister projects. It currently employs over 208 staff members. Wikimedia is supported by local chapter organizations in 40 countries or regions.
The Wikimedia Foundation offers competitive benefits including fully paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and their eligible families (yes, fully paid premiums!). The Wellness Program provides reimbursement for mind, body and soul activities such as fitness memberships, massages, cooking classes, and much more. The 401(k) retirement plan offers matched contributions at 4% of annual salary.
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