Development Manager - Spirit of America - Washington, DC

Spirit of America is searching for a Development Manager. Reporting to the Vice President of Advancement, the Development Manager will help implement and expand Spirit of America’s fundraising programs, marketing, communications, and citizen engagement.

Spirit of America (SoA) is funded entirely by private contributions from individuals, foundations, and businesses. SoA has raised more than $22 million in donations from more than 17,000 individual donors. Donors may earmark their donations to specific projects, and 100% of their gift will be used for the direct project expenses they specify. Since Spirit of America’s founding, 81% of the organization’s expenditures have gone to project expenses.

Spirit of America supports the safety and success of Americans serving abroad and the local people and partners they seek to help. It provides private assistance in direct response to needs identified by American military and civilian personnel, adding the agility, innovation, and resources of the American private sector to the capabilities of the US government and military in support of US missions abroad.

This support makes US troops and diplomats safer and more successful in their missions and helps local people suffering from conflict and extremism who are often not reached by large-scale aid programs. Spirit of America provides the American people a way to understand, connect with, and support the vital work of US personnel serving abroad.

PRINCIPAL OPPORTUNITIES
With a proven track record of success in its programs and in its fundraising, with major national media attention, and with tremendous opportunity and demand for increased programmatic contributions around the world, Spirit of America is eager to welcome a development professional with a demonstrated understanding of and passion for Spirit of America’s mission, to partner in expanding SoA’s impact. Working with a team who loves fundraising and building upon a variety of strong and growing revenue streams, the Manager will assist in establishing a world-class advancement program capable of tapping SoA’s fundraising potential on a sustained basis. The Manager has the opportunity to have a significant and lasting impact on Spirit of America, and in doing so, on our nation’s relationships and positive impact across the globe.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
The Development Manager will be the second development hire for Spirit of America as we build the team. He/she is responsible for implementing donor and supporter-facing activities in collaboration with the Vice President. The Development Manager will

• identify and research new donor prospects, prepare cultivation strategies, and schedule donor meetings;


• manage donor and prospect lists, and track deadlines;


• be involved in the creation of powerful case statements for support and proposals that inspire investment and engagement;


• create and prepare solicitation and appeal letters, and other donor-centered communication;


• work with SoA administrative staff to process donations and prepare acknowledgement letters and other correspondence;


• manage all donor and prospect files including development database (Salesforce);


• execute small donor cultivation events with the purpose of developing strong relationships with prospective and current donors;


• work closely with the VP, maximizing the effectiveness of the time invested by the CEO, Field Representatives, Board, and other volunteers in development and communications activities; and


• other duties as assigned by the Vice President.

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS AND QUALITIES
The ideal candidate for the position of Development Manager will possess:

• passion for Spirit of America’s mission;


• demonstrated aptitude for fundraising and successful cultivation of major donors and high net-worth individuals;


• three to seven years of experience in a related organization, such as a military organization, a foundation related to the military, a military school, or a nonprofit organization;


• precision and facility with language; strong writing, editing, and speaking skills;


• ability to work both independently and collaboratively; proven skills in building cooperation, consensus, and enthusiastic engagement;


• demonstrated ability to serve as a strategic thought partner to the VP and to other organizational leaders;


• the confidence, sophistication, and poise required for successful engagement with major policy leaders, business leaders, and leading philanthropists;


• proven proficiency with Salesforce or other CRM or donor database;


• proven proficiency with MS Office applications, especially WORD, Excel and PowerPoint as well as basic experience in design software like Adobe;


• proven project management skills, including managing multiple priorities; and


• ability to work independently with little supervision.

Travel is required, as is off-hour participation in events and other activities.

A bachelor’s degree is required.

BENEFITS
This position offers a competitive compensation and benefits package.

LOCATION
Spirit of America has offices in Washington, DC and Los Angeles. The Development Manager will work from Washington, DC.

SPIRIT OF AMERICA
Spirit of Americaʼs mission is to support the safety and success of Americans serving abroad and the local people and partners they seek to help.

Founded in response to the attacks of 9/11, Spirit of America has pioneered a groundbreaking new model of providing private assistance in support of US national security objectives. SoA integrates free enterprise principles and entrepreneurial approaches into US missions abroad. In an unprecedented partnership with the US military , Spirit of America is the first privately-funded 501c3 ever to have personnel working side-by-side with deployed US military teams.

SoA field personnel, all US military veterans, work alongside American troops, filling needs US personnel identify. Spirit of America has supported US missions in 34 different countries. For example, in Afghanistan, SoA provided metal detectors used by Afghan security forces to detect roadside bombs, thus saving the lives and limbs of US military personnel. In Mauritania, SoA provided the experts, funding, training, and equipment to help local men go into business as veterinarians to improve livestock health in remote villages. In Guyana, SoA provided computers, school supplies, and a business grant to help a Special Operations team confront a growing Islamic extremist threat.

SoA has established a proven model of operation, trusted relationships with all levels of the US military, and legal approvals and operating agreements with military commands. The infrastructure required to scale SoA is in place: thousands of US personnel are already deployed and are working on tough security problems. Spirit of America builds on and leverages investments already being made by the US government.

Job Type: Full-time

Required experience:

• 3 to 7 years experience: 3 years

Required education: