Advancement Specialist

Overview

Black Fox is seeking an Advancement Specialist to supercharge the outreach capacities  of our nonprofit and social impact clients. Working closely with them to engage deeply aligned prospective funders who have been identified by our research team members, you will serve as an extension of our clients’ team, helping them to become known to funding prospects via phone calls, emails and LOI submissions. The Advancement Specialist helps clients implement strategies to get as close to new funding as possible, as soon as possible, creating a path to formal invitations for grant proposals. The role varies from project to project with emphasis on strategic advisory, expert outreach to existing funders and the relationship development of potential new funders uncovered in our research phase. Additionally, as needed for more complex funders, you will create funding roadmaps to help clients visualize action steps they can take toward developing a successful and enduring relationship.

Our clients have powerful missions and visions, and tremendous capacity to have profound impact. Their time is best invested in face-to-face meetings. The objective of the Advancement Specialist is to ensure that they spend their time and resources wisely and advance deeply-aligned relationships.

DELIVERABLES

• Execute regular bi-weekly check-ins with clients to review progress on outreach efforts and the health of the overall engagement and its deliverable progress.
• Effectively coach clients on ways to energize their internal “culture of philanthropy” and strengthen that foundation in ways that attract the kinds of funding they seek.
• Demonstrate effective implementation of relationship building actions as a behind-the-scenes expert on direct outreach strategies for existing, pre-identified funding prospects, and counsel clients on their overall fundraising approach.
• Secure meetings on behalf of clients’ primary fundraiser(s) via video conference, face-to-face, and/or at sector convenings like the Skoll World Forum (varies on a case-by-case basis)
• Secure invitations to submit LOIs and grant proposals.
• In collaboration with our communications team members, provide support for messaging and editing of communications materials as needed and appropriate.
• In collaboration with our research team members, provide support for refreshes to research and work with clients to prioritize and reprioritize their top prospects.
• Monitor progress toward promised deliverables over the arc of the engagement and prepare a final playbook to capture assets, strategies and lessons learned so that clients can take their experience forward post engagement with an understanding of their roadmap for next steps and immediate remaining opportunities.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

We want you to apply if…

• You have a passion for helping to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems
• You drive for results and delight in exceeding expectations.
• You are an out-of-the box thinker who thrives on finding engaging ways to advance relationships.
• You enjoy an outcome-oriented culture that values flexibility and accountability.
• You have experience raising creative funding and dollars from outside of traditional foundations (e.g., bilateral funders, blended capital, corporate philanthropy, venture philanthropy, alternative funding, etc.).
• You have the ability to craft strategic road maps that map to varied funding sources.
• You can comprehensively digest a new organization and quickly turn around to speak intelligently and compellingly about their mission and programming.
• You are organized with strong project management skills—self-motivated and able to self-manage, and have strong collaboration skills.
• You have a strong ability to empathize with a client, assess the funding landscape, think creatively, and uncover new funding sources during the arc of the engagement.
• You have excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• You are willing to come alongside clients in both fundraising strategy creation and execution.
• You build and manage relationships based on impeccable integrity.
• You excel at matching the investment of time with the greatest outcomes and are able to work with clients to help manage expectations and avoid scope creep.
• You are a strong, thoughtful and diplomatic communicator capable of keeping BFP leadership informed about any changes such as additional desires by the client to expand the scope or the timing of contracted deliverables.
• Five or more years of work experience focused upon fundraising and development.
• Grant writing skills a plus.
• Spanish and French competency and or fluency is a plus.
• Bachelor’s degree required; exceptions will be made for the right candidate. Masters Degree a plus.

STRUCTURE

This is a remote contract role. The time commitment is estimated at 50-90 hours per project, and contractors may accept 1-3 projects at a time. Compensation is $55 – $70 per hour, or the project-based equivalent.

TO APPLY

Please complete the Fitzii assessment when prompted to do so, and submit a cover letter and resume.