Institutional Philanthropy Officer

Opportunity

The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) is a global legal aid and advocacyorganization working to create a world where refugees and all people seeking safety areempowered to claim their right to freedom of movement and a path to lasting refuge. Withhumility and ambition, IRAP is collaborating with clients, partnering with refugee-led andcommunity-based organizations, providing direct legal services, sharing legal information, andadvocating for systemic change.

IRAP is seeking an institutional philanthropy officer to cultivate and steward relationships in the institutional portfolio, which includes major US and European foundations, mid-sized foundations, family foundations, corporate giving programs, and UN agencies. The Institutional Philanthropy Officer is responsible for the ongoing strategic and responsive stewardship of a group of small to mid-sized funders in this portfolio, including handling all touchpoints such as update calls, reports, and proposals. They will also play a key role in institutional prospect research and will support the fundraising and donor stewardship efforts of the department as a whole. The Institutional Philanthropy Officer will be an integral part of the IRAP team, reporting to IRAP’s Director of Institutional Philanthropy.

The successful candidate in this role will be adept at playing a key role in implementing IRAP’s institutional fundraising strategy, a brilliant writer, an excellent relationship builder, and a whiz at documenting funder moves, management, and grants in Salesforce.

• Institutional Donors

• Manage a portfolio of institutional donors, potentially including foundations, corporations, and multilateral funders, as assigned by the Director of Institutional Philanthropy.
• Prepare timely and compelling Letters of Interest, grant proposals, memos, and reports to meet the requirements of donors in your portfolio.
• Collaborate with the Grants and Compliance Manager to prepare timely financial reports as required or requested by donors.
• Work with the Director of Institutional Philanthropy to develop tailored annual cultivation plans for each donor in your portfolio.
• Alongside and in addition to formal reports, maintain warm, professional, customized communication with donors in alignment with their preferences, such as personalized VIP updates, event invitations, phone or video updates, and email check-ins.
• Work with the Senior Director of Global Planning and Strategic Resourcing and the Grants and Compliance Manager as needed to develop and track program-specific budgets for donors wishing to provide restricted funding.
• Lead the growth and vitality of IRAP’s Law Firm Giving program, working in close partnership with IRAP’s Director of Global Pro Bono and an IRAP Board member, by soliciting donations and cultivating and stewarding pro bono partner relationships, including the charitable giving arms of our law firm partners.
• Review program materials on a regular basis to stay updated on program developments and be able to knowledgeably pitch or update funders on the organization’s work.
• Provide strategic direction and support to senior and executive leadership and relevant program staff in preparation for meetings with foundation and corporate donors and prospects, including by proactively proposing meetings when appropriate, coordinating scheduling, and preparing our colleagues (including by providing background information, meeting goals, and talking points).
• Maintain the annual institutional grants calendar to track and meet deadlines for proposals, reports, and other relationship outreach.
• Conduct research and prepare profiles on institutional prospects and exercise independent judgment and initiative in identifying additional institutional prospects.
• Undertake additional writing, editing, and stewardship projects as needed to support the development team.
• Leverage tailored communications to engage institutional prospects and/or current institutional donors with specific programmatic interests.
• Support the Director of Institutional Philanthropy and the development team in annual budget planning for the institutional portfolio in order to meet revenue goals.
• In collaboration with the Director of Institutional Philanthropy, manage and implement a moves management system for the portfolio, and facilitate the day-to-day functionality of the moves management system.
• Create systems to efficiently track donors based on interest areas.
• Support the Director of Institutional Philanthropy with data and relationship tracking.
• Collaborate with the Evaluation and Learning team to anticipate and prepare timely metrics data as required or requested by institutional donors.
• Update and maintain all institutional donor records in Salesforce and our dedicated institutional funder files.

• Other dynamic or occasional responsibilities

• Work with the Development team to advance DEIA efforts in fundraising, including elevating client communities and supporting Development’s role in the achievement of organization-wide DEIA goals.
• Work with development colleagues and the Communications team to contribute to IRAP communications efforts, which may include newsletters, the annual Report to Supporters, materials for fundraising work, and ongoing development of messaging and branding.
• Under the guidance of the Director of Institutional Philanthropy, respond to special and one-off requests from institutions for development support, for example to help complete prize/award applications for which IRAP or IRAP staff may be eligible.
• Representing the Development team at occasional virtual or in-person engagements, including donor meetings, lunches, and events, as needed.
• General service to IRAP, including opportunities available through an all-staff nominating process.

• Education

• Bachelor’s degree is required.

• Experience 

• At least four years of full-time institutional development experience, including three years of frontline fundraising experience.

• Values, Competencies, and Skills

• Demonstrated ability to manage an institutional portfolio of $1,000-$100,000+ donors and prospects, and proven ability to synthesize complex ideas and strategies into a clear and compelling case for donors, effectively matching the interests of donors to the priorities of IRAP.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Suite and Google Apps, Salesforce or a similar CRM database, and Foundation Directory or a comparable prospect research tool.
• Strong analytical skills and capacity for creativity and innovative thinking, developing strategy, building donor and stakeholder relationships, development writing, verbal and written communication, conducting donor and prospect research, and maintaining and utilizing data effectively.
• Knowledge of and commitment to fundraising best practices.
• Enthusiasm to take initiative, openness to input and feedback, sound judgment, and respect for confidentiality.
• Highly organized, with strong project management skills and attention to detail; ability to prioritize and manage a high-volume workload, and flexibility and responsiveness in a fast-paced environment.
• Commitment to advancing IRAP’s mission and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) work; passion for the legal and human rights of displaced people; and enthusiasm to collaborate and engage with diverse individuals within the organization and community.

• This position is remote.
• This position may require very occasional travel.
• This position does not require office availability.

• Fully paid family health insurance.
• Retirement options.
• Extensive PTO (20 or more vacation days, 22 and more  public/ org-wide holidays).
• Comprehensive leave time for sickness.
• Disability and parenting (5 months of parental leave).
• Reimbursement for work from home equipment.
• Generous opportunities for professional development

IRAP is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, IRAP will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please refer to your request in the cover letter.

IRAP is an equal-opportunity employer; people of color and individuals from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. IRAP does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, citizenship status, ethnic background, religion, political orientation, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, or any other protected class. We consider all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of all local, state, and federal laws related to the Fair Chance Act.