Development Officer Wanted
The Methuselah Foundation ( www.mprize.org ) seeks a singularly outstanding Development Officer to secure major donations from the entrepreneurial, technology and venture capital communities in the Bay Area. The mission of the Foundation is to devise new approaches to combating and eventually reversing the diseases and debilities caused by aging. Following two recent substantial financial contributions, the Foundation is poised for significant acceleration in 2007, both in realizing its slate of research projects and in continuing to develop its prize-driven model, the Mprize. Working with the senior management of the Foundation, you will plan, launch and manage a new fund raising program designed to strategically and systematically develop the major gift pipeline. You will have responsibility for increasing annual and periodic, unrestricted or directed support for the Mprize fund and SENS research program ( www.sens.org ) through the solicitation of donations, typically in the range $5,000 - $100,000. The Foundation is a geographically dispersed virtual organization, and so the successful candidate will enjoy considerable operational autonomy, while maintaining effective communication with the Foundation's management team. The successful incumbent will enlarge his/her donor development team as success and growth merit.
Tasks include:
- Assemble and maintain all information relating to current donors and prospects in the Bay Area
- Build and maintain constituent relationships with potential and existing donors
- Develop strategies for the cultivation and solicitation of individual major donors and donor prospects
- Mount and manage donor meetings, events and promotions
- Develop and manage fundraiser volunteers
- Acknowledge donations and develop appropriate follow-up and compliance strategy
- Identify and manage events to attract prospective donors
- Develop strategy and annual plan for major planned giving development
- Co-ordinate activities with Foundation management
- Liaise with, support and leverage Foundation senior staff members on their periodic visits to the Bay Area
- Develop local/regional media contacts
Candidate Requirements:
- Five - ten years demonstrated successful experience and effectiveness in solicitation of major fundraising
- Experience in organizing planned giving systems and campaigns
- Outstanding interpersonal skills
- Excellent research skills
- Superior written and oral persuasive communication skills
- Strong initiative and self-motivation
- Excellent pre-existing network of likely donors and volunteers
- Understands, values and exemplifies "start-up entrepreneurial" mindset
- Team player who understands importance of efficient internal communications
- Well connected, and of excellent reputation and character
- The successful candidate will be offered a paid consultancy contract of six months duration.
Candidates should respond with a covering letter, resume, and 500 word outline describing their perspective on this role to recruitment@mprize.org.