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Job Description

Location: Seattle, Washington - Lake City neighborhood

Full-time employee (40 hours per week; hybrid - 3 days in person, 2 days flexible); Salary $100,000 - $110,000 DOE

Refugee Artisan Initiative partners with refugee and immigrant women to foster an inclusive, prosperous transition to the US through artisan skill training and microbusiness development. 

Founded in 2017, Refugee Artisan Initiative (RAI) has envisioned creating a welcoming global community that values and invests in refugee and immigrant women as they achieve healthy, stable, and fulfilling lives in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.  refugeesarts.org

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

After several years of rapid growth, RAI is seeking to hire a full-time Development Director. Until this point, the Director had been a part-time role. The Development Director will be responsible for raising funds to support a $1.35M operational budget and overseeing a $4.7M capital campaign to support the renovation of a newly acquired 7,500 square foot Maker Space that serves as a Small Batch Manufacturing Facility and Arts + Culture Center. The Development Director will manage a team that includes: a Communications Manager, a Development Associate, and a Capital Campaign Manager (position to be developed and filled).

This position will be responsible for overseeing a strategic and comprehensive approach to fundraising for the organization.  The ideal candidate is a highly motivated, organized, and strategic thinker that wants to work with a growing, high-impact organization. The Development Director reports directly to the Executive Director and works collaboratively with the Board of Trustees, and Operations, Program, and Finance teams to ensure fundraising efforts match organization needs.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

FUNDRAISING STRATEGY 

• Actively work with the Executive Director and Board of Trustees to manage and grow a comprehensive multi-year development strategy to include individuals, corporations, foundation, public sector, and community partnerships

• Identify areas of growth for organization funding

• Continue to build upon and execute Capital Campaign strategy

Individual and Corporate Donors

• Identify, build, and manage a diverse donor pipeline from prospect identification through cultivation, solicitation, and donor management

• Create and execute annual national giving strategies (e.g. Give Big, Giving Tuesday) 

• Create and execute 2 - 3 local giving strategies (e.g. Product and cause-focused campaigns, Membership program).

• In partnership with the communications team, develop an impact-driven messaging framework, and donor-facing marketing materials to support fundraising efforts

• Develop stewardship methods to maximize retention of donors

Foundation and Public Sector Grants

• Identify, build, and manage a diverse foundation and government grant pipeline from identification through cultivation, application, and award management

• In partnership with the operations / program team, develop an outcome-driven messaging framework to support grant-writing efforts

• Support the Executive Director and Board of Trustees to engage with public officials, legislators, and civic leaders to pursue city, county, state and federal allocations and other public funding opportunities

FUNDRAISING MANAGEMENT/ADMINISTRATION

• Work closely with the financial team to ensure budgetary needs are met

• Present monthly to the RAI Board on progress

• Support communications manager with fundraising messaging and materials

• Develop and oversee capital campaign manager role

• Plan and supervise appropriate stewardship of all gifts, including thank you correspondence, events, and listing of donors in publications and websites

• Support training of the RAI team and Board on fundraising policies and best practices

Individual and Corporate Donors

• Manage a detailed and accurate donor database: gift entry, tracking, reporting, and acknowledgment system. 

• Support RAI fundraising events through training, administrative support, and day-of-event oversight (occasional evening/weekend support required)

• Prepare strategy and debriefing materials for meetings with donors and prospects

• Work closely with the Executive Director to interface with donors

Foundation and Public Sector Grants

• Support Development Associate with prospecting, identification, and grant proposal writing

• Respond to requests from public officials and funders

• Oversee grant reporting and timelines

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT 

• Work with RAI Executive Director, the board of trustees, and staff to identify, build, and steward relationships with the community, civic and corporate leaders as an integral part of volunteer and donor development and engagement in RAI activities

• Work with the communications team to utilize social media to increase visibility and promote programs and events

• Ensure fundraising messaging is cohesive between individuals, corporations, foundation, public sector, and community partnerships

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor's degree or Master’s degree in Nonprofit Management, Public Administration or similar, related fields

• 8+ years of professional fundraising experience with events, annual fund, grants, government affairs, and individual gifts with a proven track record of success. Capital campaign experience is a plus

• 3+ years of experience managing staff

• Ability to influence and engage a wide range of donors and volunteers and build long-term relationships

• Strong verbal and written communication and presentation skills 

• Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills

• Must be a self-starter and work independently while also being collaborative and a fantastic team player

• Ability to manage multiple projects at once and prioritize tasks as needed

• Ability to thrive in a changing environment and to remain flexible and adaptive

• Proficient computer skills in CRM/donor databases, Constant Contact, social media platforms, Microsoft Office Suite/Google Docs, and financial systems (Excel, QuickBooks)

• Flexible schedule with the ability to work evenings and weekends as determined by operational needs

• High degree of ownership – able to proactively identify opportunities and propose solutions, willing to roll up sleeves and pitch in on a variety of tasks

• Perform other duties as assigned

Physical Demands 

The physical demands described here represent those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, lift (overhead, waist-level) from the floor and walk up and downstairs. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here represent those an employee may encounter while performing this job's essential functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Currently, this job primarily operates in-person, with the option of working two days per week from home. The position will require virtual technology (we use Google Meet). Upon hire, some in-person training and orientation will be necessary.  The RAI team is small and also supports volunteer-led services. The work environment's noise level varies depending on project production, meetings, and points of service in the community. RAI is housed in a building undergoing construction so adaptability in the work environment is critical. 

RAI values diverse perspectives, life experiences, and differences. We encourage people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, people of all ages, and veterans.

Apply here.