As the professional focused on developing sustainable support for the Foundation, the Endowment Director will report to and work with the Chief Advancement Officer. Succeeding in this environment will require taking a hands-on approach to connecting with a broad array of donors, using traditional development methods, while implementing the infrastructure required for supporting a sustained long-term endowment.
The Endowment Director can be based in Wikimedia Foundation’s headquarters in San Francisco or work remotely. The Wikimedia Foundation has had its main fundraising success inside the United States; however, this is an international organization serving an internationally distributed audience. A strong international perspective with personal experience in cross-cultural communication is extremely important in this position.
- Develop and implement a fundraising plan to build an endowment primarily through major gifts and planned giving.
- Recruit and partner with a board of directors to provide governance for the endowment fund.
- Strengthen the Wikimedia brand and actively broaden and deepen support for the Wikimedia Endowment among all current and prospective donors nationally and internationally;
- Retain, recruit and manage a team of development professionals and consultants; establish work plans, performance objectives, and goals for each team member and regularly review performance; provide professional development and training required to cultivate staff skills and professionalism;
- Ensure successful adherence to grant agreements;
- Undertake direct individual donor solicitations as appropriate, engaging the Executive Director, other Foundation staff, members of the Board or other community members when necessary;
- Aggressively implement a structured program for fostering strong, long-term relationships with targeted individual donors; organize events that boost individual fundraising efforts; strengthen the stewardship and donor recognition program for individual donors, with the objective of establishing a life-long relationship with major donors;
- Develop a proactive funder communications and accountability program that regularly educates our funders about the organization’s progress, in addition to complying with each donor’s reporting requirements; Manage prospecting efforts to identify and secure new endowment funders;
- Collaborate with the senior leadership of the Foundation in the preparation of annual operating plans and budgets.
- Fully paid medical, dental and vision coverage for employees and their eligible families (yes, fully paid premiums!)
- The Wellness Program provides reimbursement for mind, body and soul activities such as fitness memberships, massages, cooking classes and much more
- The 401(k) retirement plan offers matched contributions at 4% of annual salary
- Flexible and generous time off - vacation, sick and volunteer days, plus 19 paid holidays - including the last week of the year.
- Family friendly! 100% paid new parent leave for seven weeks plus an additional five weeks for pregnancy, flexible options to phase back in after the leave, fully equipped lactation room.
- For those emergency moments - long and short term disability, life insurance (2x salary) and an employee assistance program
- Pre-tax savings plans for health care, child care, elder care, public transportation and parking expenses
- Telecommuting and flexible work schedules available
- Appropriate fuel for thinking and coding (aka, a pantry full of treats) and monthly massages to help staff relax
- Great colleagues - diverse staff and contractors speaking dozens of languages from around the world, fantastic intellectual discourse, mission-driven and intensely passionate people