Senior Campaign Director

Job Summary

2018 will mark Special Olympics 50th Anniversary, and in celebration the movement is launching a $100MM fundraising campaign to end the discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities.  This campaign is intended for five years, contingent on funding.  

Position Summary: Special Olympics International seeks a full time Senior Campaign Director, to implement and lead campaign fundraising efforts targeting high net worth individuals and serve as a critical member of the staff campaign team. In this position, the Senior Campaign Director will be responsible for all aspects of cultivating and soliciting new relationships with individuals who have the potential to make significant ($50,000+) gifts to the campaign and will be responsible for meeting campaign fundraising targets and benchmarks. Key to this position will be working collaboratively with SOI leadership and the leadership of our affiliated Programs throughout the United States to identify, prioritize, research and deepen relationships with potential donors.

Primary Responsibilities:

In partnership with the VP, Strategic Gifts develop and execute Campaign solicitation strategies to promote the acquisition of new major donors in support of the movement and the campaign fundraising goals.

Research and identify potential high net worth prospects from a variety of sources (direct response donation data, existing relationships and knowledge held at the local level, etc.) to identify a prioritized prospect pool of individuals capable of making a significant gift to the Special Olympics movement.

Develop close working relationships with Program leadership in those states where opportunities exist to develop collaborative strategies to deepen relationships with potential donors.

Play a lead role in creating opportunities to more deeply engage / educate potential donors in the work of Special Olympics and the campaign goals and objectives. Conduct regular outreach, in cooperation with Program leadership, in the form of phone calls, meetings, invitations to local events and competitions, etc.

Provide regular reporting on outreach efforts to assigned donors / prospects to continually monitor progress, adjust plans, and capitalize on new stewardship/cultivation opportunities.

Make a minimum of 15 substantive contacts per month with an emphasis on quality personal visits. (e.g. significant moves that advance a relationship).

Qualification Requirements

B.A./B.S. degree

7+ years of experience as a frontline fundraiser with proven track record in securing gifts of $50k+, managing capital campaigns, and knowledge of fundraising in national philanthropic communities.

Demonstrated ability to think strategically about relationships with donors / prospects, and to communicate organizational mission in ways that are exciting and enticing to donors.

Superior communication and interpersonal skills. Ability to forge strong working relationships with Program staff and work collaboratively with that staff to pursue gifts that follow the donor’s lead and support the mission.

Demonstrated ability to understand and clearly articulate programmatic areas of the organization – both at the Program level and the headquarters level -- and to synthesize these concisely and persuasively (orally and in writing).

Demonstrated ability to multi-task, prioritize and thrive in a fast-paced environment.

Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with board members, leadership, across departments and with counterparts in the movement around the country to effectively cultivate donors / prospects.

An exceptionally high level of comfort in reaching out to colleagues and prospects alike to establish contact and develop relationships.

Computer fluency in MS Office and SalesForce and knowledgeable about the role technology and electronic communication play in fundraising.

Self-motivated, flexible and adaptable with a sense of humor and positive attitude

Experience working in an affiliated non-profit structure, or similarly structured organization, is a strong plus.

Other:

Frequent travel required.

Note: Position is contingent on campaign funding.

Special Olympics, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse staff committed to working in a multicultural environment. Applications from women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and covered veterans are welcomed and encouraged.

Employment with Special Olympics is ‘at-will.’