This is an exciting opportunity for a talented specialist in major gifts fundraising with 5 years plus of experience in major gifts to support the growth of a dynamic national environmental organisation tackling the greatest current threat to biodiversity - invasive species.

SUMMARY

Position: Philanthropic Gifts and Key Relationships Officer (Major Gifts)

Reports to: Fundraising Director

Basis: Full time or part-time 38-30 hours (5-4 days) per week depending on experience

Location: Sydney, Blue Mountains or Melbourne preferred and other locations in Australia considered.

Duration: Initial two-year contract with likely extension to a permanent role

Salary range: $87,000-95,000 pro rata plus super, depending on skills and experience

Job Description

This is an exciting opportunity for a driven and passionate environmentalist to join Australia’s leading advocacy organisation tackling invasive species.

The Invasive Species Council is about to embark on a ten-year journey of growth as we make the 2020s the decade for biosecurity. To support this growth, ISC is looking for an experienced, talented major gifts professional with 7 years of fundraising under their belt, 5 years specialising in major gifts who is ready to step up and take on more responsibility.

We are looking for a passionate person to lead the development of a growing philanthropy program and coordinate the CEO, Director of Conservation, Major Gifts Working Group and Board members to deliver an inspiring and award-winning major gifts program that will give biodiversity a fighting chance at survival in the midst of an extinction crisis and looming climate change impacts.

You will have a background in major gifts and direct marketing. Cultivating, onboarding and stewarding major donors and bequestors to help meet targets comes naturally to you. You love to give our caring philanthropists' opportunities to help by soliciting gifts after you’ve delivered a pitch you’ve helped to craft and refined for the individual. Importantly, you will need to have a genuine delight for engaging with our generous and supportive network of philanthropists who make our work possible. The team will love your enthusiastic and flexible attitude and your maturity will allow you to happily work autonomously, complete multiple projects at once and contribute positively to our great team culture.

At a personal level you will have a good work ethic, resilience, tenacity and compassion. You will also be comfortable collaborating and know how to set yourself and the organisation up for success, and are bold enough to do it.

Sound like you?

The Senior Philanthropy Officer will build the Invasive Species Councils’ Philanthropy and Bequest programs by applying exceptional direct marketing, project management, relationship building and writing skills. This role also includes writing fundraising materials, writing reports, analysing program success, preparing annual operational planning documents and collaborating and refining the existing three-year philanthropy strategy.

Key Functions

• Leading the Philanthropy program, implementing the three-year philanthropy strategy for growth, operationalising annual plans.
• Managing a portfolio of donors, from acquisition to solicitation to stewardship.
• Planning for and analysing and reporting on the performance of the programs.
• The writing of fundraising and marketing communications, including pitch documents and/or grant applications.

Responsibilities

• Manage and build the philanthropy program: Implement the philanthropy strategy (including opportunities to review and develop the strategy) to achieve growth targets and KPIs.
• Manage the portfolio of 50 + funders and donors and the maintenance of the MD income pipeline ($5,000 plus portfolio).
• Solicit gifts directly and assist/advise the CEO to solicit gifts applying the solicitation formula for success.
• Develop annual operational plans for acquisition and retention and contribute to the future development and refinement of the philanthropy strategy.

• Research, create and maintain donor profiles.
• Write and develop proposals and funding applications and assist the CEO to develop CEO updates.
• Support campaigns team to write grant applications and manage and coordinate content to meet reporting responsibilities.
• Manage the Trust and Foundations calendar.
• Set up and run ISC’s new major gifts working group and facilitate quarterly meetings.
• Develop the integrated Major Donor Direct Marketing Program (digital and mail) with the Snr Fundraising Officer which includes:
  • Adapting direct mail appeals and integrated e-appeals for MD audience.
  • Running the annual report donor care mailing and other donor care for MDs.
  • Event invitations and follow up.
• Coordinate events (F2F and virtual) including RSVPs, guest speakers with the support of marketing staff.
• Develop an exceptional journey for new MD or new MD prospects within the portfolio as well as new or interested bequest prospects.
• Reporting and analysis of MD Program Performance.

Performance Measures

• Successful delivery of major gifts and bequest programs identified in the philanthropy plan.
• KPIs (contact and income) met for individual donors.
• Timely and accurate delivery of programs and tasks.
• CEO’s major donor efforts are well supported.

Key Selection Criteria

Essential

• A minimum of five years’ experience in the major donor/grants area with additional years of fundraising experience in direct marketing (both mail and digital) experience for NGOs, preferably an environment advocacy NGOs.
• Outstanding ability to identify and develop the strongest case for support for a campaign, grant application or individual.
• Demonstrated experience in delivering successful grant making and major donor programs.
• Sound experience managing a portfolio of major donors through their various stages and setting income targets and managing activities and a budget to meet them.
• Experience running small events to engage and educate supporters.
• Coordinating successful direct mail and digital fundraising appeals.
• Demonstrated ability to analyse and report on program performance and to identify alternative approaches to improve program performance, including accurate record keeping.
• Demonstrated ability to develop operational plans, pipelines, and creative briefs.
• Self-motivated, energetic, focused, team player willing to learn, solve problems and share their fundraising knowledge with the team.
• Excellent time management, task management and organisational skills.
• Intermediate skills at Microsoft Word (i.e. mail merge) and Excel programs (i.e. calculations, formulas and basic manipulation of the datasheet). These are essential skills.
• Previous work in the non-profit sector and enthusiasm for protecting our environment.

Desirable

• A marketing or equivalent degree.

Location

Preferred in the vicinity of Sydney, Blue Mountains or Melbourne with other locations to be considered. The Invasive Species Council supports decentralised working arrangements.

About the Invasive Species Council

The Invasive Species Council is a non-government donor-funded organisation that seeks better laws and policies to protect the Australian environment from weeds, feral animals, insects, pathogens and other invaders. Invasive species have been the main driver of environmental loss of Australia’s native animals since colonisation and remain one of the main threats to the future survival of all our unique wildlife on land and sea.

Formed in 2002, the Invasive Species Council is Australia’s only environmental organisation dedicated to strategically tackling this issue and has made numerous interventions that have reduced the environmental impacts from invasive species.

Over recent years we:

• Played a major role in ensuring the establishment the national office of environmental biosecurity.
• Secured $411 million over ten years to eradicate red fire ants from south east Queensland,
• Co-hosted the inaugural 2019 Australian Biosecurity Symposium.
• Jointly conducted ground-breaking research to identify harmful invasive insects that could establish in Australia.
• Led efforts to recognise the national threat from expanding populations of feral deer.
• Driven the Reclaim Kosci campaign that seeks to reverse the protection of feral horses in Kosciuszko National Park.

During the current period of growth we are reviewing our strategic direction. Our 2018-2022 Strategic Plan and other background information can be found on our website: invasives.org.au.

Contact Amber Sprunt on 0437 388 895 for any further information.