Job Description

Summary: Spotlight PA is seeking two major gifts directors—one based in Eastern Pennsylvania and one based in Western Pennsylvania—to lead individual major gift fundraising for its award-winning nonprofit newsroom. The mission of Spotlight PA is to hold powerful private and public forces to account by producing nonpartisan investigative and public-service journalism that gets results and serves the public good. Spotlight PA has the largest collaborative local journalism network of its kind in the United States, with stories regularly republished across 125+ partner newsrooms, allowing our vital reporting to reach Pennsylvanians in all corners and drive positive change. Spotlight PA is supported by foundations and thousands of individual donors who believe in the value of the work and want to sustain it. In partnership with the American Journalism Project, we are expanding our development team to increase our focus on leadership gifts from individuals giving $25,000+ annually. Our strong brand, grassroots donor base, compelling mission, and bold strategic plan are assets that the new Major Gifts Directors will leverage to achieve success. 

What you’ll do: The Major Gifts Directors will lead Spotlight PA’s growth of its major individual giving in Eastern and Western Pennsylvania, a vital pillar of our overall long-term revenue strategy and sustainability. We are seeking two experienced, strategic, and results-driven major gifts directors to help us meet ambitious targets over the next three years. Both will report to the Deputy Director and be part of a team that will include the Director of Individual & Corporate Giving, the Membership Manager, and two locally based General Managers. The Major Gifts Directors, in turn, will work closely with the CEO to expand Spotlight PA’s major gifts fundraising in Pennsylvania. Responsibilities include:

• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward prospective donors with the capacity to give leadership gifts in different tiers, from $25,000 to $100,000+.
• Create and manage a relational fundraising strategy that identifies prospective major donors early and moves them beyond transactional support.
• Steward existing major donors through timely communications and impact reports related to their areas of interest with a goal of increasing their financial support according to their giving capacity.
• Work collaboratively with the team to identify current donors who could become leadership donors, assisted by wealth screening and other tools. 
• Plan and lead small-group events and other activities across Pennsylvania to engage donors in Spotlight PA’s work with a moves management mindset that results in thoughtful and successful solicitations. 
• Collaborate with the team on Spotlight PA’s ambitious community newsroom expansion strategy: currently, we have newsrooms in Berks and State College, with a potential newsroom coming in the Lehigh Valley.
• Create materials for major donors. 
• Advance diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives on our team and through fundraising. 
• Work collaboratively with the team to identify current donors who could be upgraded. 

Who we’re looking for: We are seeking experienced fundraisers with a proven track record (at least 5-8 years of experience) in raising gifts of $25,000 to $100,000+ from individuals for important causes. Applicants should be able to demonstrate results of cultivating donors from first gifts to becoming major donors. Strong organizational and communication skills to track donor progress and ensure regular, individualized communications and touch points are required. An ability to work in a collaborative environment and as part of a positive and productive team is a must. Applicants should have a passion for building relationships on behalf of the organizations they serve, be goal-oriented and a self-starter, and be able to work independently. You must also be committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion on our team and through your work. 

This job is full-time, includes benefits, and offers a competitive salary. The first two years of these positions are funded by a generous grant from the American Journalism Project. The positions are remote; Spotlight PA does not have an office. Applicants should be based in either Western PA (preference for the Pittsburgh area) or Eastern PA (anywhere from the Philadelphia region to the Lehigh Valley to the Scranton area). You should be willing to travel regularly throughout your region for donor meetings and events (your travel expenses will be reimbursed).

Applicants should include a resume and a one-page cover letter answering the following prompts: 1) What makes you uniquely able to grow Spotlight PA’s major gifts program in your region, and how would you do it?; and 2) Tell us about specific examples where your work resulted in major/transformative gifts to a nonprofit. 

We know not everyone reading this will fit exactly what we’ve described. We encourage everyone to apply who shares our passion for indispensable journalism and our drive to create a sustainable business model to support it. Spotlight PA is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture, and we especially encourage people from marginalized and underrepresented backgrounds to apply, including people of color, women, people from the LGBTQIA+ community, and people with disabilities.

Job Tags

Full time, Work at office, Local area,

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