The Hong Kong Director of Development (DOD) leads a comprehensive, development program that is focused on securing significant philanthropic gifts from individuals, corporations, and foundations to support The Nature Conservancy’s priorities in Asia Pacific and across the organization. S/he must be a proven leader, a successful major and principal gifts fundraiser with demonstrated skill in designing and executing complex donor strategies with experience in program management. The DOD oversees all principal and major gifts functions, which includes managing multi-year fundraising campaigns, planned giving, major- and principal-gift fundraising, donor prospecting and research, and stewardship. The DOD recruits, develops, and inspires a staff of high-performing philanthropy professionals, works closely with the Director of Philanthropy for the Asia Pacific Region and the Asia Pacific Council, a volunteer leadership entity focused on conservation in the region.
The DOD will build the fundraising program located in Hong Kong and will focus on generating gifts for both Hong Kong and other business units in the region. To that end, the DOD must be motivated to learn and able to work in collaboration with conservation experts, philanthropy staff organization-wide, donors and volunteers across a dispersed and complex organization to integrate philanthropy with sophisticated conservation and policy initiatives.
Reporting to the Director of Philanthropy for the Asia Pacific region, the DOD will lead a comprehensive principal and major gifts program, including continuation of the $220M Asia Pacific: Our World Campaign in alignment with the Conservancy's Shared Conservation Agenda. The Director will build on existing fundraising activities to create and implement strategies for the cultivation and solicitation of a portfolio of principal and major gift prospects, including individual, foundation and corporate donors. The Director will be responsible for cultivating a solid working relationship with the regional teams and the Asia Pacific Council.
The Director of Development is charged with:
- Managing a 2-person philanthropy team, which encompasses major and principal gift functions, planned giving, loyal donors, philanthropy operations and support.
- Leading Hong Kong-based philanthropy efforts to fundraise more than $5.0 million annually in outright private gifts and pledges in support of The Nature Conservancy’s Asia Pacific overall $26M annual fundraising goal.
- Completing a 5-year, $220M comprehensive campaign for the region and global priorities.
- Working closely with the Director of Philanthropy/Asia Pacific Region as well as other in-region fundraisers, the Asia Pacific Council, and regional senior leadership.
- Serving on the Philanthropy Management Team to develop fundraising goals for the region, for which the DOD is accountable, and contributing to the overall strategy and direction of the Chapter.
- Leading, inspiring, and managing the Hong Kong-based Philanthropy Team to build relationships and achieve funding objectives:
- Sets and meets fundraising objectives, evaluates results, and develops effective strategies as needed.
- Recruits, develops, coaches and retains high-performing philanthropy staff and nurtures effective team collaboration.
- Actively fostering a deep collaboration in Hong Kong, with the Asia-Pacific region, with the Worldwide Office and other Conservancy programs, and with trustees and donors to achieve Conservancy goals.
- Successfully and strategically managing a select portfolio of approximately 50 accounts aimed at securing 6-7 figure gifts; orchestrating the work of staff and leadership to maximize these key relationships for the long term.
The DOD plays a leadership role in motivating and working with the Hong Kong-based fundraising staff and volunteer leaders in collaborative fundraising efforts, including major and principal gift donor strategy development, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship. The DOD understands and complies with all Conservancy gift-related policies and procedures and ensures ethical compliance, as defined by the Association for Fundraising Professionals.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND SCOPE
Level of Position: The DOD is a senior position in the Asia Pacific region with significant strategic, management and financial responsibilities.
- Lead, supervise, inspire and develop a team of 2-3 administrative, professional, and volunteer staff, with responsibility including recruitment, retaining, training, professional development, establishing clear direction, and inspiring “stretch” objectives.
- Implement strategic decisions that may affect public image, impact multiple programs, and bind the organization financially or legally.
Within the scope of the position, the DOD will:
- Conceive, design and direct high-level and interdepartmental projects, coordinating the work of other professionals, managing budget, and ensuring program accountability.
- Build and lead strategic initiatives and goals through collaboration with senior-level stakeholders to enhance overall performance in accordance with short and long-term objectives.
- Direct or participate in negotiations for complex, high profile or sensitive agreements.
- Ensure functional program meets commitments and is managed for ethical compliance with TNC policies and procedures, financial standards, and legal requirements.
- Exercise leadership in strategic and tactical manners, work with fellow leaders to establish and evaluate policies and/or long-term programs.
- Help to coordinate the financial management and planning for the program; set budget and fundraising objectives, analyze and report results, and take corrective actions.
- Maintain confidentiality of frequently sensitive information.
- Understand and passionately support the program and organization’s conservation mission and be able to clearly articulate the organization’s goals, strategies and outcomes.
Work Environment and Schedule
- Travel as needed (up to 40%), occasionally on short notice and including international destinations. May require working extended and/or varied work hours, including on weekends.
- Participating in philanthropy team meetings that are sometimes conducted outside of Hong Kong.
- Work is generally performed in a professional office environment and involves only infrequent exposure to disagreeable elements and minor physical exertion and/or strain.
- Fluency in English is required.
- Experience building and maintaining long-term relationships with high net worth constituents such as individual major donors, private foundations and corporations.
- Track record of cultivating and closing major or planned gifts of $1,000,000 or more.
- Experience working with trustees and/or volunteer committees to drive philanthropic efforts.
- Experience building and successfully executing fundraising plans for a program or an organization.
- Management experience of a large multidisciplinary department, including planning and delivering budgetary responsibilities.
- Experience conceiving and implementing strategic initiatives.
- Experience working in a large organization with a matrix management structure.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated; fluency in Mandarin and Cantonese is desirable.
- Master’s degree and 12+ years related experience, including 5+ years working at a senior level preferred.
- Experience recruiting, training and engaging board members and other volunteer leaders and ensuring that they are well prepared to engage in effective fundraising efforts.
- Effectively communicate via presentations, conversations, and documents.
- Expert knowledge of current and evolving trends in charitable giving, particularly in the areas of campaigns, major and deferred gifts.
- Experience overseeing a philanthropic campaign with an overall goal greater than $10 million.
- Experience fundraising for multiple strategies or programs that are deployed at a local, regional and global scale.
- Expert understanding of best practices in non-profit management.
- Experience in managing a geographically dispersed team.