Download this Job Description & Position Announcement as a PDF
The Development Officer is a new full-time position that will plan, manage, and execute all of Sprout’s fundraising efforts for its Annual Campaign, with a principal focus and responsibility on revenue received from individual donors and individually-directed gifts from companies and personal/family foundations.
Organizational Need
Since its inception, The Sprout Fund has benefited greatly from the generous support of and deep partnerships with major regional foundations. Over the last three years, as a result of increased board and executive staff focus on individual giving, a growing number of individuals have also made contributions in support of Sprout’s work in the community—rising from $45,000 in 2008 to $170,000 in 2011.
It is imperative that Sprout sustain this momentum and engage individual and family donors in greater numbers, inspire giving from friends and neighbors who have not previously contributed, and convert the hundreds of enthusiastic fans of Sprout into thoughtful donors.
Sprout seeks an experienced fundraising professional to become its first development staff hire and to leverage knowledge, practice, and expertise to enable the organization to raise individual contributions to a level that is sustainable and appropriate for the size, structure, and community impact of the organization.
Position Description
The Development Officer maintains the organization’s strategic plan for individual giving, develops and executes cultivation and solicitation strategies for the renewal of existing donors and the acquisition of new donors, and achieves sustainable increases in contributed individual donor revenue. The Development Officer is also an active participant in the planning and development of other organizational fundraising efforts to assure a coordinated and consistent approach to all of the organization’s donors.
Other specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to: launching and managing a volunteer Individual Gifts Committee, developing and managing expense budgets, preparing fundraising revenue projections, creating key organizational marketing messages, planning and executing cultivation events, researching prospective donors, and tracking donor relations through electronic systems.
This at-will position is exempt from overtime, reports to the Deputy Director, and works closely with the Executive Director, the Board of Directors, and volunteer committees. The position may be assisted by support staff/interns.
More generally, the Development Officer works collegially with all staff and board members, participating creatively and cooperatively in advancing the overall mission of the organization. The position requires an eagerness to learn and a strong desire to work with diverse communities to leverage Sprout resources to create change in the Pittsburgh region.
Minimum Qualifications
- College-level degree, related professional field preferred
- Ability to work at a computer for 6+ hours per work day; ability to lift up to 20 pounds
- Transportation to/from office, meetings, and activities using personal vehicle or public transit system
- Excellent computer skills; familiarity and experience with a Microsoft Windows/Office work environment
- Extensive experience managing successful fundraising campaigns and building donor relationships
- Flexible working hours, including the ability to occasionally work on weekends and weeknights at Sprout programs, projects, events, and activities as necessary
Recommended Qualifications
- Robust knowledge of and extensive practice using development/fundraising database systems to track donors and campaigns (Sprout currently uses CiviCRM)
- Strong organizational and small project management skills with a keen attention to detail
- Excellent interpersonal and constituent service skills, in both written and verbal communications
- Good facilitation skills; respect for diverse viewpoints and willingness to work with a broad client-base
- Professional and positive attitude; strong work ethic; ability to work both independently and with a team
- Capacity to maintain a high level of productivity in a fast-paced environment
- Comfort working in free-standing office building with stairs in a diverse, emerging urban arts district
- No aversions to or fears of the presence of friendly dogs occasionally visiting the office environment
Salary & Benefits
The Sprout Fund offers competitive salaries and excellent benefits.
How to Apply
Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter and resume (no more than 3 pages) using the contact information below. Applications via email to gro.dnuftuorpsnull@sboj are strongly encouraged.
The cover letter must include your salary requirements and also address directly the following 2 questions:
- What skills and other strengths make you interested in and distinctly qualified for this position?
- What key message should Sprout be regularly communicating to its prospective individual donors?
The Sprout Fund seeks to fill the position as soon as possible. Prompt applications are encouraged. Applications will be accepted and interviews will be conducted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.
Applicants should not contact The Sprout Fund prior to notification of receipt of application or hiring decision announcement to find out about the status of their applications.
Contact Information
Attention: Development Officer Candidate
The Sprout Fund
5423 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15206-3423
gro.dnuftuorpsnull@sboj
www.sproutfund.org
About Sprout
The Sprout Fund is Pittsburgh’s leading agency supporting innovative ideas, catalyzing community change, and making our region a better place to live, work, play, and raise a family.
Founded in 2001, Sprout provides critical financial support for projects and programs in the early stages of development—when just a small amount of investment has the potential to yield big results in the community. Sprout projects create new initiatives, events, and organizations that help citizens take action on a pressing issue or enhance the cultural vitality of the Pittsburgh region.
Directed by a board of young, creative, and civically engaged people, led by its co-founders and a dedicated staff, and with strong working relationships to many community organizations and regional stakeholders, Sprout has worked successfully across political and geographic boundaries to make community-decided investments totaling more than $4 million in early-stage projects, organizations, innovators, and activities.
For more information on The Sprout Fund and its programs visit www.sproutfund.org.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
The Sprout Fund supports the diversity of persons and ideas within the organization, among applicants and funded projects, and throughout communities and other audiences that we serve. Sprout provides equal employment, internship, and volunteer opportunities for all persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, medical condition, or economic and social status.