Mission & Vision

Social Venture Partners is a philanthropic organization, but we do more than give away money. We connect people who want to give back and the nonprofits that make change possible – cultivating effective philanthropists and strong organizations that deliver greater impact, together. We believe that a strong social sector is vital to building a region where everyone thrives regardless of income or race. To accomplish this goal, we will lead the next generation of philanthropists to address racial inequities through an evolved approach to philanthropy and nonprofit capacity building.

Over nearly two decades, SVP has worked with more than a thousand philanthropists – transforming how they give and creating ripple effects across our community as more than 70% increase their giving and volunteerism. SVP has supported 100 nonprofits, providing $16 million and more than 35,000 skilled volunteer hours to strengthen these organizations and accelerate collective action.

Organizational Culture & Office Environment

At our core SVP is committed to unleashing the potential of people and organizations striving to make our world a better place. We lead with questions – knowing we don’t have all the answers. We are keen connectors among people and organizations that share common causes. And above all, we believe that we can make a greater impact together.

Our staff is a small, tight‐knit team that is driven by a shared passion for achieving our mission and vision. We are highly adaptive, fun, collaborative, and always willing to “roll up our sleeves” to get stuff done – whether it’s a strategic initiative or cleaning out the fridge.

We value an environment where every voice counts and staff are empowered to be open and to share their opinions. Differences are honored, and constructive criticism is welcome as we collectively strive to learn and improve. There are times when the work environment is intense, but the tension is easily broken with a good laugh and affectionate ribbing.

Job Description & Key Responsibilities

Responsible for the recruitment, retention, and development of SVP Partners and Donors to create long‐lasting and mutually beneficial relationships

Partner engagement

• Responsible for new partner recruitment and stewardship including the full “life cycle” of a partner
• Engage the Board Resource Development committee where appropriate.
• Lead annual member renewal processes, including major gift conversations.
• Partner with the Director of Community Investment to create an annual calendar of partner engagement opportunities and develop content.
• Develop ongoing, strong relationships with Partners to support their connection to SVP programs and community.
• Oversee and organize events that include, but are not limited to, partner socials, the annual meeting, and monthly prospect events.

Fund development

• Ownership and development of SVP’s strategies for Fund Development.
• Implement high‐level cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and recognition strategies intended to strengthen relationships with current Partners in order to increase revenue.
• As the primary for fund development, the Director will work to create:
  • A culture of philanthropy within and around SVP.
  • Strong corporate partnerships with local, national, and international companies.
  • A strong program of foundation giving including multi‐year giving by institutional funders.
  • A strong system to leverage the networks of SVP’s Board of Directors to participate in philanthropy development.
  • Staff lead for philanthropy development activities.

Administrative Oversight

• Supervise and manage key development and communications positions.
• As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Director will participate in program budgeting, and financial and policy management.
• Primary role responsible for the accuracy and utilization of SVP’s CRM, Salesforce, for Partner management, renewal/donation tracking, etc.
• Interaction with SVP’s Board of Directors and committees.

General

• Other duties as assigned and necessary per business need
• Continuous learning and growth in field of expertise

Required Qualifications & Success Factors

Candidates for the Director of Partner Engagement role should meet the following criteria.

Qualifications Desired:

• College degree with 5 to 10 years of experience in strategic level philanthropy and fundraising, or High School diploma/equivalent with 15 plus years of experience.
• Experience working and interacting directly with philanthropists, civic leaders, and high net worth donors.
• Experience directing, supervising, managing employees/personnel or teams, including goal setting, performance reviews, mentoring, and professional development.
• Non‐profit experience including an understanding of non‐profit infrastructure, organizational development ‐ including but not limited to governance, fund development, financial management, and program evaluation.
• Comfortable soliciting high net worth individuals for major gifts.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship skills, including facilitation and contact management.
• Excellent written and oral communication/presentation skills. An outgoing personality is necessary to be successful in this role.
• Comfortable with MS Office Suite, particularly Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and with learning new software. Experience with Adobe Creative Suite and WordPress a plus.
• Previous experience with relationship management software/CRM. Experience with Salesforce a plus.
• Previous experience with and managing volunteers.
• Reliable transportation and flexibility to attend occasional evening meetings and events.
• Must be able to communicate easily and clearly in English.
• Must be able to legally work for any employer in the United States of America.

Success Factors & Job Competencies

• Commitment to the values, mission, model, and work of Social Venture Partners.
• High aptitude for being in a coaching and support role ‐ desire to learn from and help others learn, to follow the servant leadership model.
• A strong sense of belonging to the rest of a team (this is not a silo), understands and values proactive, deliberate interaction with team members.
• Ability to recall names and relationships, to build and maintain networked relationships.
• Customer service mentality/focus with the capacity to work effectively with a wide range of personalities and working styles.
• Enjoys working in a small office and can work well in a highly collaborative and fluid work environment.
• Ability to listen, assess, and identify appropriate resources and implement solutions.
• Flexible team player ‐ able to work in an environment with overlapping program areas and staff responsibilities.
• Excellent attention to detail and strong organization skills.
• Can take the initiative, work independently, and as part of a team.
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines and maintain composure under pressure.
• Actively pursues continuous learning and growth in the field of expertise.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

The physical demands and work environment characteristics 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:

• Physical Demands‐ Majority of the time (about 60%) spent in the office, working on the computer/keyboard and/or on the phone. Remaining time walking around office, assisting coworkers, attending internal meetings; reach with hands or arms; balance; stoop/bend; talk and hear; may lift up to 20lbs
• Work Environment‐ Well lit, minimal noise level when in open office, carpeted floors, shared hallway, with some natural light; various modes of transportation required, with travel locally to attend work related events; some exposure to different environmental conditions when travelling.

Benefits

Excellent employer paid benefits include 403(B) with 5% employer match, plus medical/dental/vision coverage with disability insurance.

We also offer a generous vacation package that includes three weeks of paid vacation, plus two personal days, standard holidays, and a week off between December 25 and January 1.

To Apply

As an equal opportunity employer, SVP is committed to a diverse, multi‐cultural work environment. SVP does not discriminate in employment on the basis of age, race, creed, gender, religion, marital status, veteran’s status, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation. People of color, people with disabilities, and people of diverse sexual orientations are encouraged to apply.

Please submit your cover letter and resume to Solynn McCurdy at: jobs@svpseattle.org with the subject line “SVP Director of Partner Engagement” by December 7th, 2018