Girls Empowerment Network (GEN), founded in 1996, is a statewide organization headquartered in Austin, Texas which ignites the power in girls by teaching them the skills to thrive and believe in their ability to be unstoppable. Since 2015, GEN has been offering programs in the Houston area, and as of 2017, has begun hiring positions to grow our presence in the Houston-metro region. The Director of Philanthropy will work collaboratively with other GEN staff, fundraising committees, board members, volunteers, and others to mobilize resources in the Houston community. This position will play a critical leadership role in the growth of GEN’s Houston presence to reach more girls and the agency’s expansion.
• Identify, solicit, cultivate, and steward major donors and donor prospects, including individuals, corporations, and foundations.
• Write complex documents such as grant applications, proposals, reports, case statements, major gift proposals, technical reports, press releases, and communication materials.
• Strategically mobilize and engage diverse community members to be involved in GEN activities; including volunteers who work directly with girls as well as overseeing the recruitment, training, and retention of volunteers involved in fundraising and administrative duties.
• Manage the overall logistics of small events like donor acknowledgment/cultivation happy hours, community outreach presentations, etc.
• Manage online fundraising and social media campaigns.
• Develop and engage with a Houston fundraising Advisory Board.
• Raise awareness of GEN in the Houston community, including seeking out and speaking publicly about GEN at community events and representing the agency for PR opportunities.
• Supervise and manage staff by provide coaching, feedback, and effective leadership for team to ensure the smooth functioning of all daily activities.
• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in a nonprofit managerial role (or similar field).
• Minimum 3 years of experience in professional fundraising; demonstrating a track record of raising at least $350,000/annually in philanthropic dollars.
• Deep understanding of the Houston philanthropic and corporate communities.
• Personal commitment to the mission and values of the organization.
• High level of integrity, personal motivation, ethics, and cultural sensitivity.
• Experience supervising staff, building a positive team culture, and guiding others toward successful attainment of shared goals.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Computer literacy in general office software programs, including word-processing, spreadsheet, and fundraising or CRM software.
• Ability to work independently, exercise initiative, and accomplish tasks with a high level of autonomy.
• Comfort working on both big picture, strategic activities alongside managing day-to-day tasks and strong attention to detail.
• Ability to work cooperatively, courteously, and effectively with a broad spectrum of people ranging from staff, board members, volunteers, and donors.
• Ability to remain flexible and work with multiple and changing priorities when necessary.
• Entrepreneurial spirit, self-motivation, and excitement about working in a startup phase.
• Able to commit to a traditional M-F 40-hour work week, with periodic evening and weekend availability.
• Has reliable transportation and the ability to travel to Austin approximately once every 1-2 months for agency meetings and trainings.
Director of Philanthropy is a full-time position, available September 2018. Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. Includes full benefits package with employer paid health and dental insurance for employees as well as generous time off.
Please submit a cover letter and resume to [email protected] with the subject line “Director of Philanthropy.”
In addition to briefly describing your background and qualifications, please include responses to the following prompts in your cover letter. Cover letters will factor heavily into who is selected for interviews and letters that do not include this information will not be considered. Please limit your response to a maximum of 2 pages, single spaced:
1. GEN’s mission is to ignite the power in girls by teaching them skills to thrive and believe in their ability to be unstoppable. What resonates most with you about this mission?
2. What would you say has been the most important experience or accomplishment you’ve had as a professional fundraiser?
3. What do you see as the unique strengths that distinguish you as a professional?
4. What is the most important element you are looking for in your next job, and why?
Please name your resume Lastname_Firstname_resume and your cover letter Lastname_Firstname_letter, for example: Jones_Jessica_resume and Jones_Jessica_letter
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Speaking and hearing ability sufficient to communicate effectively by phone or in person at normal volumes.
• Vision adequate to read correspondence, computer screen, forms, etc.
Comments
This description is intended to describe the essential job functions, the general supplemental functions and the essential requirements for the performance of this job. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and requirements.
About Girls Empowerment Network
Founded in 1996, Girls Empowerment Network’s mission is to ignite the power in girls by teaching them the skills to thrive and believe in their ability to become unstoppable. Girls are at risk of not reaching their potential, especially if adolescence affects them too adversely. When girls learn and practice skills with GEN, their self-efficacy increases. When they increase their self-efficacy, they strengthen their internal belief in their power. When they feel powerful, they can be unstoppable. Our vision is to help 50,000 girls ignite their power by 2020.