Filled: Director of Development for Athlete Ally

INSTITUTION OVERVIEW

Mission: Athlete Ally’s mission is to educate and activate athletic communities to eliminate homophobia and transphobia in sports and to exercise their leadership to champion LGBT equality.

Background: In 2011, Hudson Taylor founded Athlete Ally to inspire athletes to act as leaders against LGBT discrimination. In three years, Athlete Ally has made groundbreaking progress in sports, working to create more inclusive cultures and inspire athletes to use their voices to support LGBT equality. Athlete Ally has engaged hundreds of college and professional athletes, organized global campaigns around LGBT inclusion in sports, partnered with professional sports leagues, and co-authored the NCAA’s first LGBT policy guide for college coaches, athletes, and administrators. Athlete Ally is a pioneering contributor to the allyship space and aims to institutionalize a comprehensive fundraising program for long-term systemic impact.

ROLE SUMMARY

Athlete Ally seeks a fundraising professional to help meet the organization’s annual budgeted goal of approximately $1M. The organization, which started from virtually zero to almost a million dollars in three years, foresees an expansive opportunity to cultivate financial support, particularly from individuals and corporate sponsors, for its allyship work. To achieve this goal Athlete Ally seeks a dynamic, detail-oriented, and entrepreneurial individual with outstanding presentation skills, development experience, and a passion for sports and issues of LGBT equality.

The successful candidate will have played a key role in building a high-performing fundraising program(s). S/he must demonstrate exceptional abilities in management, organization, communications (oral and written), event management, and other areas related to major gift fundraising.

The ideal candidate will thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial organization focused on innovation, social change and long-term impact. In addition to working closely with the Executive Director on varying fundraising initiatives, the Development Director will help Board Members leverage their relationships and uncover new donors capable of helping Athlete Ally meet mission-related goals.

Specific Responsibilities Include:

• Implement processes to build and manage a full-scale development program, including major gifts, event sponsorship, institutional gifts (foundation and corporate), gift processing and acknowledgement, and other development support functions.

• Work with the Board to identify new major gift sources and serve as the organization’s primary knowledge source for funding opportunities and philanthropic outlets.

• In collaboration with the Executive Director and Board leadership, create individualized cultivation and stewardship strategies, timelines, and desired outcomes related to Athlete Ally’s current funders and top prospects to maximize the closure of short and long-term leadership gifts.

• Lead all fundraising communications-related functions including grant proposals, donor recognition and stewardship, prospect appeals, and gift reporting.

• Report regularly to the Board of Directors about status and progress of development activities and the plan for growth.

• Install a prospect management structure that enables ready reporting, organized outreach and tracking, and facilitates the growth of development functions. Build an infrastructure that can support dramatic growth in contributed revenue and numbers of prospects.

• Assist the Executive Director and Board Members with identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding gifts and pledges from an active portfolio of key major gift prospects. Develop, administer, and maintain the organization’s master prospect list. Conduct appropriate follow-up and stewardship on all gifts and pledges.

• Research potential additional institutional funding sources, and oversee the preparation and submission of proposals for appropriate funds, grants, and gifts. Maintain reporting schedule and lead coordination to be in compliance with all requirements of grantors.

Required Qualifications and Experience:

• A broad background in development with at least two years in leadership roles.

• A proven record of success closing major gifts.

• Superb judgment and outstanding interpersonal and communication skills.

• Ability to serve as a genuine spokesperson on behalf of Athlete Ally.

• Keen sensitivity to human relations and ability to work both independently and as a team member in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.